The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1905-10-16
CUNARD LINE STEAMER .cAMPA
MA MEETS WITH DISASTER
IN MIDocEAN.
FIVE PERSONS WASHED ovERBoARD
THIRTY OTHER PASSENGERS SUE
TAIN INJURIES or sERI.
Gus NATURE.

ns
known to have been lost and more
than thirty persons injured, some OF
them seriously. on the Cunard line
steamer Campania last Wednesday
when a gigantic wave rolled over the
steamship and swept across deck
thick with steerage passengers. Sc
sudden was the coming Of the disaster
and SO great the confusion which at
tended and followed It that even the
officers of the steamer themselves
were unable on the vessels arrival
here to estimate the full extent OF the
tragedy. It Is possible that the Ave
persons known to be missing from the
steerage may not constitute the full
number OF dead.
John Graham OF Milwaukee was one
Of the passengers washed overheard
and lost. He was travelling In the
steerage. The others who are known
TO have lost their lives were two Irish
girls, Swedish boy and man whose
nationality has not yet been ascer-
tained.
When the Campania reached guar.
antine ten of the injured passengers
were still In the ships hospital. some
Of them seriously hurt, and score OF
others we're nursing minor injuries.
The Campania was plowing along
under full headway last Wednesday
afternoon. A heavy Quartering sea
was running. but the weather condt.
tions were far from unpleasant and
the big boats decks were crowded
with passengers. The steerage deck
was covered with merrymakers and
there was nothing to indicate the ap-
preaching disaster when. suddenly. the
big steamer lurched TO port and
scooped up an enormous sea. The
wave boarded the steamer about mid
ships on the port side and swept clear
across the s.eerage deck, completely
nlling the space between that deck and
the deck above and
Carrying Everything With Il.
The steamers side was buried so deep
that the passengers on the deck above
the steerage were submerged to their
waists as the immense volume OF
water rolled aft and then surged for
ward. All the cabin passengers on the
upper deck succeeded In clinging to
supports while the water surged
around them and were saved. but the
sunfortunates on the stcerage deck
lpund themselves utterly helrless. the
Irresistible rush Of waters. sweeping
TOWARD the forward part Of the ship.
Carrying everything before It. Net
tingh. heavy railings and other OBJ
structions which had been arranged
near the ratings to prevent passer-
gers being washed overheard served
their purpose only In part. So great
was the volume and force Of the rush
Ing waters that door In the rail was
smashed and through this opening ave
OF the helpless ones who had been
caught by the wave were swept to
their death. Others dashed against
the rails and other like obstructions
escaped death. but many OF them re-
ceived severe injuries. One young
woman had both legs broken at the
thigh and several persons suffered
q score we're bruised and battered.
When the wave cleared the vessel
the forward part Of the deck was
strewn with injured and for hours DR..
Verden, the ships surgeon. aided by
. number OF physicians among the
cabin passengers. was busy In attend
ing TO their hurts. In the meantime
an inspection of the steeraGe was mada