Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-27
LINERS CLOSE SHAVE
Almost Went to Bottom Whel
She Sank British Cruiser.
TWENTY-EIGHT SAILORS DEAL

Rammins Of Gladiator by St. Pau
Cost Lives Of More Than Score 0
Seamens-Survivor Describes Cras
as Vessels Met.
Southampton, April 27.--As the Amer
Nan line steamship st. Paul lies at tn,
dock her yawning bows show that sh,
narrowly escaped the fate of the Brit
ish cruiser Gladiator, which she ram
med and sent to the bottom in fear
full snowstorln
The total number of dead and miss
ing of the Gladlator's crew is twenty
eight. #=.
Divers searched part of the sunker
cruiser for bodies, but found none
The opinion among shipping men and
naval officers and officials appears ia
be unanimous that the accident was
unavoidable.
All witnesses of the disaster agree
practically that both crews behaved as
well as was possible. Many of the
Gladiator's men were rescued by the
st. Pauls boats, no one Oh the latter
vessel being hurt.
There will be the usual naval court
and an inquiry by the board of trade.
The passengers on the st. Paul who
acted so coolly during the trying few
minutes following the collision could
hardly have realized the danger in
which they stood. They were assured
by the officers who hurried among them
directly the boats came together that
there was no danger, but the condition
of the steamers bows, disclosed as she
lies at the dock, shows that she had a
very narrow escape from meeting the
same fate as the Gladiator. As 1t was.
the st. Paul was more seriously dam
aged than at first supposed. She ship
ped great quantity of water through
her broken plates, and from the mo-
ment she backed away from the wreck
ed cruiser until she reached her wharf
all her pumps were kept going to their
full capacity.
The damaged bows of the St. Paul
Indicate that she forced her nose at
least twenty feet through the cruisers
side, but fortunately the greatest dam.
age she received was above the water
line.
Collision Occurred In Snowstorm.
A friend who has been much with
Captain Passow of the st. Paul in
speaking of the collision and doubtless
giving the captains version of it said
that 1t could not be avoided. The snow
was falling so thickly that 1t was i'm
possible to see yard ahead. 1t was
far worse than the thickest fog. The
| weather had cleared before the st.
! Paul left her Southampton dock, but
snow commenced to fall again as soon
| as the Solent was reached 1t was then
! impossible to stop, as a very strong
! tide was running which might have
! carried the steamer on the rocks. The
only alternative was to go ahead and
keep the closest lookout, and this, as
be explained was done.
Had the cruiser been painted any
other color than slate she might have
been seen earlier and the collision
avoided. but Great Britain has decided
that her warships attract less atten-
lion when thus painted, and what Is
considered the necessity of war pur-
poses has contributed to serious acct
dent.
Coming so soon after the loss of the
torpedo boat destroyer Tiger. which
was sunk by the cruiser Berwick of
The Isle Of Wight on April 3. thlrty-six
men being drowned, the sinking of the
Gladiator Is a severe blow to the Brit
lsh navy.
The mayor Of Portsmouth has issued
IN appeal TO the nation for a relief
fund for the sufferers of the Gladiator
and the Tiger.
Heroic service in rescuing the Gladi.
stor's men was rendered by the royal
engineers at Fort Victoria. Several Of
Them put out in two small gigs imme-
iiately after the collision and picked
Up as many Of the sailors as they could
ind In the water. although several men
sank within their sight Corporal Sten.
aing and others Of the engineers swan
boldly into the sea and rescued some OF
The most exhausted of the sailors.
Sailors Story of Accident.
A seaman who was employed in the
Gladiator's eanteen said I'm speaking Of
The accident:
1T happened during what we call
groC time A lot Of us were In the !
eanteen when we heard a horrible |
grinding noise, and the vessel heeled !
over so that We were thrown of our /
'eet. We made for the upper deck as |
asst as we could 20, but there was no !
disorder. When we reached the deck /
ne saw that a steamer was into MS 4
lmidships. and when she drew ont she 4
eft a fearful hole. nearly forty feet 4
ieep. The snow was so thick that Il .
vas impossible TO see anything on the
rater.
Two Of cur boats were forced free
D the collision. and two others we're
N damaged as 20 ~ useless Il SEEM .
vi long time before boats were low .
red from the 81. Paul. and I'm tho
meantime some Of our men had jumped
INTO the water 10 swim ashore. They
must have been nearly frozen. Besides. !
here was q strong So running. This
,roved too much for some Of them. and
hey clHng 10 floating things until res