The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-15
Five Swept From the
Decks to Death.
ARE BADLY HURT
A Gigantic Wave Combs Over the Com
pania, and the Death List Would
be Greater, But for Heroic Work
OF Stewardess and Deck
Hand.
(By the Associated Press.)

~NN" Il VI a. VII I've 1tNCS I'll y
known to have been lost and more
than thirty persons injured, some of
seriously, on the Cunard Line Steam
er Campania last Wednesday, when
giganuc wave rolled over the
steamer and SWEET across a deck thick
with steerage passengers.
John Graham, of Milwaukee, was
one of the passengers washed over
board ana lost. He was traveling
in the Storage.
In addition to-the name of John
Graham the Cunard LMne officials to-
day gave out the following names of
steerage passengers who were washed
overheard:
Margaret Cleary, Mary Cosgrove
Niels Ikeberg and Elizabeth Grund-
adotter
The Campania was going under full
Roadway Wednesday afternoon. A
heavy quartering sea was running but
the weather conditions were far from
unpleasant and the big boats deck
We're crowded. with passengers. The
Storage deck was covered with mer-
ry-makers and there was nothing Il
indicate the approaching disaster
when suddenly the big steamer lurch-
ed to port and scooped up an enor-
nous sea.
about midships on the port side and
swept clear across the Steerage deck
completely filling the space between
that deck and the deck above ana
carrying everything with it. The
steamers side was buried so deer
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 tc
supports, while the waters surgad
around them and We're saved, but the
unfortunateS or the Steerage deck
found themselves utterly helpless. The
Irresistible rush of waters. sWeepll
toward the forward part of the CHR
cArried everything before it, Net
tings, heavy ratings a&d other OBJ
StructionS had been arranged near
the ratings to prevent passengers be-
ing washed overheard, served. their
purpose only in nart. So & reat was
the volume and force of, the rushing
waters that a doorrin the rail was
smashed and through this opening
tive of the helpless ones who had been
caught %by the wave swept to their
death.r
Many Are Injured.
Others dashed against the, rails ana
other like Instructions escaped uetttu
but many or them received severe in
tnurleS. One young woman mad botn
EGGS broken at the thigh and several
persons suffered broken arms au,.
rlDS, WniIe more than a score were
bruised and battered.
When the wave cleared the vessel,
the forward part of the deck Wa.
strewn with injured and for hours
DR.. Verden. the ships surgeon, aid
ed by number of physicians, among
the cabins passengers was busy in at
tending to their hurts In the mean
time an inspection of the Steerage
was made by the ships officers it was
learned that five OF the passengers
were missing.
From one of the steerage passen-
gers it was learned that the lives of
several children were saved by a
stewardess, Miss Cotes, and a deck
hand. The little ones were playing
about the deck when they were caught
In the swirl of water and carried aft
with the others.
On the return rush of the wave
the chiIdren were being carried Ill
Tectly toward the open door through
had been carried. when Miss Cotes
and the steward rushed to their
rescue and dragged them back 10
safety. Wednesdays disaster marks
the first time in the Cunard Line ;
history of more than sixty years that
d passenger has been lost from one
OF the steamers by accident.
Although some of the passengers
thought that the Campania should
have stopped in an attempt to save
these who were washed overheard the
officers say that this was practically
an impossibility. Botn passengers
and officers say that the waves in
Wednesdays afternoons gale Wee
the highest they have ever seen. A.
times they broke as high as the toe
of the smokestacks. An hour be-
bore the accident a second othcer on
the bride was struck by the descend
ing crest of a wave, Knocked down
and rendered unconscious. He Was,
taken to the hospital.
Many steerage passengers, upon
landing at the dock today, fell upon
their knees and offered prayers of
over their safe arrival
Neither Side Scored.