The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-10-17
KILLED BY A BIG WAVE
Passengers Swept From Campauia
in Mid-Ocean.
NO WARMING OF HUGE ROLLER

Portion OF the Rail Smashed By the
Resistless Tons of Water, and Five
Persons Were Washed Through the
Opening Into tho Ocean - Narrative
of an Eye Witness.
New York City The Cunard Line
steamship Campania, from Liver
pool and Queenstown, shipped a
sea on October IL which resulted
in the injury of large number
Of Storage 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 IL, about
/ o'clock in the afternoon, the Campo
MIA vas running along at her usual
speed with huge quartering sea when
the steamship lurched suddenly to port
and scooped up an enormous sea. The
sea boarded the Campania about mid
ships on the port side and completely
swept the steerage deck, washing a
large number of steerage passengers
eft. The sea filed the space between
the decks, smashed out a door in the
rail, through which five were swept
and lost. About thirty were injured.
The great sea washed aft with ter
rifle force and then surged forward.
Its power was irresistible. and there
was no possibility of escape from its
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 a large number were nursing
bruises of all sorts. The crew were
also injured. DR.. Verd0n, 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 don't believe they know Them
selves how many are missing"
When the sea boarded the Campania
the steerage 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 high rail guards
it. Between the rail and the upper
deck rope netting fills the space to
prevent the passengers from washing
overheard
In the rail- which is a 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.
200 West Twenty second street, first
class cabin passenger. Mr.. O'COnnor
said that the fact that panic was on
the boat at the time cannot be too
strongly emphasized. He said the pas
sengers were absolutely panic-sTick
running hither and thither. and COM
pletely lost their heads. He warmly
praised Captain War;, and said he did
every thing man could do for the pas
sengers of all classes. Mr.. O'COnnor's
story is as follows:
after breakfast l went to the sm0k-
ing room in company with Mr.. A. w.
Mills, cabin passenger, and took up
a novel to read for a time. There was
q sudden lurch to port. The Storage
promenade rail, as I looked out of the
windows, was completely buried under
the sea. The gates, which were direct
ly opposite to me, used for allowing the
water to run off, had burst from their
fastenings like so much straw. A
dark object swept by me and out
through the gap like chip in large
water main. Mr.. Mills jumped up and
cried, Man overheard
"The panic that ensued was abso-
Iutely impossible to describe. You cam
not speak of it too strongly. Men,
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.
II certainly admire the courage of
Captain War;, who did everything in
his power for passengers OF all classes,
and he deserves the vote OF thanks
which was given him and signed by
nearly every member In the cabin"