The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-08
KILLED BY A BIG WAVE
Passengers Swept From Campania
in Mid-0cean.
NO WARNING OF HUGE ROLLER

Resistless Tons Of Water, and Five
Persons Were Washed Through the
Opening Into tho OCEAN - Narrative
OF an Eyewitness.
New York City.-The Cunard Line
steamship Campania, from LIVER.
pool and Queenstown, shipped a
sea on October II which resulted
in the injury Of a large number
Of steerage passengers and the loss
of FIVE or six. The officers Of the
Campania were very reticent about the
accident, and refused to give any In.
formation until the agent, Mr.. Brown,
authorized its issuance.
The sum of the affair is said to be
that on Wednesday, October II. about
1 o'clock in the afternoon. the Campo
MIA was running along at her usual
speed with a huge qu~artering sea when
the steamship lurched suddenly to port
and scooped up an enormous sea. The
sea boarded the Campania about mid
chips on the port side and completely
swept the steerage deck, washing a
large number of, steerage passengers
Mt. The sea filled the space between
the decks, smashed out q door in the
rail, through which five were swept
and lost. About thirty were injured.
The great sea washed aft with ter
rife force and then surged forward.
Its power was irresistible. and there
was no possibility, Of. escape from it's
rush. One young woman had both
legs broken at the thigh, several pas
sengers had arms and ribs broken.
On arrival ten were in the hospital,
while q large number were nursing
bruises of all sorts. The crew were
also injured. DR.. Verdon. the ships
surgeon, was aided by several physi-
clans who were cabin passengers on
board.
A passenger on board said that he
had heard that two women and three
men were lost, but declared that, al
though an inspection was made, no re-
port was given out Of the number lost.
II dont believe they know them
selves ho& many are missing"
When the sea boarded the Campania
the Storage passengers were sitting
about the decks, some Of the women
singing. -
This deck runs on both, sides from a
point under the bridge aft to within a
short distance Of the stern. The deck
above shelters it and q high rail guards
1t. Between the rail and the upper
deck a rope netting fills the space to
prevent the passengers from washing
overheard.
In the rail, which is q solid plated
wall above four feet high, are several
swinging doors, or open scuDpers, to
allow the water to pass out when any
is shipped. These openings are
crossed by iron bars or grating. 1t was
through these openings that the pas
sengers were forced by the terrible
rush Of waters when the deck was
filed.
One of the most complete accounts
Of the accident and panic that ensued
was given by Michael O'COnnor, Of No
220 West Twenty-second street, O first
class cabin passenger. Mr.. O'Connor
said that the fact that q panic was on
the boat at the time cannot be too
strongly emphasized. He said the pas
sengers were absolutely panic-stricken,
running hither and thither, and com
pletely lost their heads. He warmly
praised Captain War;. and said he did
everything man could do for the pas
sengers Of all classes. Mr.. O'Connors
story is as follows: q
"After breakfast I went to the smok-
ing room In company with Mr.. A. w.
Mills, a cabin passenger, and took up
a novel to read for a time. There was
q sudden lurCh to port The steerage
promenade rail, as T looked out Of the
windows, was completely buried under
the sea. The gates, which were direct
~ opposite to me, used for allowing the
water to run off, had burst from their
%tastenings like so much straw. A
dark object swept by me and out
through the gap like a chip in a large
water main. Mr.. Mills jumped up and
cried, Man overheard
"The panic that ensued was abso-
lutely impossible to describe. You can-
not speak of it too strongly. Mon,
women and children Of the steerage
were hurled about like so many bits of
paper In a hurricane. The stewards
rushed fore and aft trying to calm the
now thoroughly panic-strlcken passen-
gers.
81 certainly admire the courage Of
Captain War;, who did everything in
bis power for passengers Of oil classes,
and he deserves the vote Of thanks
which was given him and signed by
nearly every member in the cabin"