The gold leaf., 1905-10-05
the wheel house who at once ordered

the wheel house who at once ordered
the engines reversed. 1t was in the
shock Of reversing the engines that
most OF the passengers we're aroused
from sleep and thrilled with the tear
OF some approaching danger. This
was probably half minute before
the collision which was followed by
an indescribable crash and the vessel
lunged 80 far to the left side that
people we're thrown from their berths.
fmmediatelytfollowing the first crash
was the sound Of falling and splitting
timbers. The huge funnel or smoke
stack was broken off and the black
smoke rushing out of the mass OF
wreckage along the decks into the
staterooms gave the appearance OF
fire. Half clad men and women rush
ed out of their staterOOms crying
out: "Oh. What is the matter? Are
we Oh fire? Are we sinking? Oh are
we lOst?'
Yet in vain were these. questions
asked for there was no one who could
answer them. The captain and 1st
mate were on duty in the pilot house
while the 2nd mate was asleep in his
room just back of the pilot house at
the time OF the accident. They were
all prostrated and pinned down by
the wreckage and it was fully ~
minutes later before any Of the Off
GERS were seen and it was learned we
had been in q collision with another
boat, IL very accurate account OF
which | will copy from the Boston
Herald of September 22nd:
"The huge bowspirit fully SO feet long.
a solid piece Of timber the size OF bar
rel tore it's way through the line ofstate
rooms, the officers quarters back OF the
pilot house, the life boats toppled over
the great funnel of the steamer as If it
were a candlepin, and then when half the
upper structure had been torn away
burying human beings in the debris, the
great bow of the schooner crashed into
the side of the steamer The steel side OF
the vessel caved in and the great cargo
was tossed to the port side OF the ship.
AS the big five mastsd schooner swerved
away into the mass OF fog from which
she had come she left the huge stick bu
ried in the upper works OF the Juniata.
Had the Juniata been a wooden vessel
she would have sunk with all on board,
for the life boats were pinned down in
the wreckage, all but three of the for
ward boats which had been swept over
board in the collision. Had the water
been rough with high seas rolling the
| Juniata would have filled and gone
| down. for there was a hole in her side
large enough to drive q horse and wagon
| through.
Tbn ,n1 in tboi,
night clothes to find one side of the ves-
sci a mass of wreckage, from which came
| the cries of the injured. The electric
over the stern of the ship. but forward
where the great mass of wreckage was,
there were no lights. The huge funnel
OF the steamer lay across the lifeboats of
the port side of the ship, where lay the
only hope for the passengers if the. vessel
began to sink.
| In these moments, when women were
preparing to Jump overheard and strong
men were tearing down the life belts and
placing them about their waists, the
acts OF the heroes Of the emergency stay
ed the timidity to acts OF rescue.
In her dismantled condition listing
to the port side holding the great
Jagged hole out of the water the
Juniata drifted as a derelict all nj ght
through the black fog. Next morn
ing when the officers could see Just
what was the damage done, they
patched her up sufficiently to get
back into the Boston harbOr where
] the merry party of 24 hours before
had sailed from, and through their
terrible night of anxious watching
had become the best OF friends.
| J. H. n.