The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-21
COLLISION DELAYS ETRURIA.
CARPENTERS BUSY PATCHING A
HOLE IN HER STERN.


when the Ntinnehaha. Also Outbound.
Punched In Her Overhang for Ten Feet.
stepping short Of h steering Gear.
The Cunarder Etruria, outward bound
and anchored in the fog OF the Robbins
Reef light. was run into there early yester-
day forenoon by the Atlantic Transport
liner MinnehaLa, alec outward bound.
The Minnehaha cut such a hole in the
Cunarder's stern overhang that the Etruria
was compelled to stop for repairs and late
last night was still at anchor on Tompkins-
vile. where she went after the collision.
It was 90 thick when the Etruria. which
sailed at 7:SO o'clock. got to the Robbins
Reef light that Richard BigIey, the pilot in
charge. advised Capt. Potter to come to
anchor. The Minnehaha had started
twenty minutes earlier than the Etrurta,
but the Etruria had passed the Minnehaha
shortly before she came to anchor.
According to representatives OF the
Cunard Line the Etruria blew her whistle
when she anchored and after that kept
her bell ringing. Without any warning
TO those on the Cunard boat the big nj
bowed Minnehaha doomed out Of the fog
and stuck her nose squarely against the
Etruria's stern. Although the Minnehaha
barely had way on. the sharp bow cut
into the Etruria's o~verhang for a distance
OF ten feet. carried away part Of the turtle
back and made a jagged hole that was ten
feet deep from the top Of the turtle back to
the plating under the counter. A few
feet further and the steering gear would
have been put out Of business. As it was
the name "Etruria" was reduced to frac-
tions.
The Minnehaha was only slightly damaged
not enough to keep her from sailing
and she went to sea shortly after 10 o'clock.
In the meantime she had stood by to be of
assistance to the Etruria had assistance
been needed.
There was considerable excitement on
both vessels, but more on the Etruria, be-
cause most Of her passengers were gathered
aft, while the bow of the Minnehaha was
lost in the fog to all op board her except
the lookout.
The Etruna had only twelve passengers
in her FIRST cabin, about fifty in the second
and a hundred in the steerage. There
was a rush TO the cabins for life belts, but
the ships officers soon treasured the
frightened and order was restored when
u NtH llthl lhClN "ds AO NdAbCl VI AZ
vessel sinking.
just as the Minnehaha pulled away from
the mixup along came the Patricia Of the
Hamburg-American Line so close that il
looked as though there might be another
mess, but the Patricia went by safely
and came 20 anchor OFF Tompkinsville,
where she remained until last night waiting
for another high tide 10 take her over the
bar.
The Etruria sent a wireless message to
the city. and Vernon H. Brown. the COM
pany's agent, went down to her on a tug.
IL was decided that the vessel had best
remain in port until the damage could be
repaired. and carpenters we're sent for.
The hole in the vessels stern was fully
twenty feet above the water line and would
not prove dangerous except in a following
sea. A stage was rugged over the stern
a nd men began closing up the hole with
timber and canvas.
The CunArd people said that there was
no fault TO be found with the way that the
vessel had been handled by the captain
and pilot, but they could not understand
why the other ship had not needed the
signal belb the Etruria was ringing.
The Minnehaha was in charge Of Pilot
George Cramer when she sailed. She had
thirty-fve passengers in her first cabin.