Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-27
lars D|EAT
THEIR POSTS
% MEN OF CRUISERS CREW
PERISH IN COLLISION
SUPREME BRAVERY SHOWN BY
DOOMED SAILORS
English War Vessel Which Was
Rammed by Big Liner st. Paul
Now Lies at Bottom OF
Channel
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
LONDON, April 26.-The total num-
ber of dead and missing of the Gladia-
tors crew, as the result of collision
between the American liner st. Paul
and the British cruiser off the Isle of
Wight is twenty-eight.
The admiralty late tonight issued a
revised list of the names of the Gladia-
tor victims, which includes an addi-
tIonai death in the hospital, bringing
the total deaths known up to FIVE.
Twenty-three men are missing, ac-
cordlng to the list, and six are suffer-
ing severe injuries.
The secretary of the admiralty ex-
II esses fear that there are still eight
others missing, but is unable to give
the names as yet. Divers today search
ed part of the sunken cruiser for bodies,
but were not successful In finding any.
Accident Unavoidable
The opinion among shipping men and
naval officers and officials appears to
be unanimous that the accident was
unavoidable, being one of the chances
of the sea which all seamen must risk.
There will be the usual naval court
and an inquiry by the board of trade.
The officers of both ships refuse to dis
cuss the affair until they have given
their testimony officially.
All witnesses of the disaster agree
practically that both crews behaved as
we'll as possible. Coming so soon after
the loss of the torpedo boat destroyer
Tiger, on April 3 last, thirty-six men
being drowned, the sinking of the Glad
iator is a severe blow to the British
navy.
Rough weather prevails in the chan
mel today and many of the channel
steamers were unable to make their
usual trips to the continent.
Die at Their Posts
Interesting details concerning the col
lision between the st. Paul and the
cruiser Gladiator in the Solent yester-
day and of the rescue of the men of
the British cruiser were told to1ay by
various of the passengers OF tfe liner.
]. T. Hills of London, speaking of
the delay in lowering boats fYom the
st. Paul, said:
'In response to our offer of assistance
the captain of the Gladiat51 replied
that it was not needed. That accounts
for the time-it seemed to rae about
twenty minutes-that elapsed after the
collision before the st. PauPs boats
were put into the water. At that time
the cruiser was turning turtle. Some
of the bluejackets on board her cried
Lower your boats AS the vessel
heeled over we could see the blue
Jackets clinging to the uppecf most side,
and those who failed to gee a sure hold
slipped into the water.
1.-THE discipline on the Gladiator was
magnificent. We could see every man
at his post. There was no excitement
on either ship One would haEe thought
that 1t was a moving picturelinstead or
a real disaster. 1t was lucky that the
collision happened so close to land.
That very fact gave the sealnen and
passengers more chance"
The passengers on the St. Paul, who
acted so coolly during the trying few
minutes following the collision, couio
hardly have realized the danger in
which they stood. They We're assured
by the officers who hurried among them
directly the boats came together that
there was no danger, but the condition
of the steamers bow disclosed as she
lies at the dock shows that she had
narrow escape from meeting the same
fate as the Gladiator. AS 1T was, the
st. Paul was more seriously damaged
than at first supposed.
She shipped great quantity of wa
ter through her broken plates, and from
the moment she backed away from the
wrecked cruiser until she reached her
wharf all her pumps were kept going
to their full capacity.
St. Paul Nearly Sunk
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. The bow post was buckled. while
the plates on both port and starboard
bows were crushed in and gaping
cracks extended along the side. Just
along the water line the paint has been
scratched away, but from that point
downward there is no apparent dam
age, although the bolts must have
started, which would account for the
water pouring into her hold.
CAPTAIN Passow and the first third
and fourth officers were on the bridge
with Pilot George Bowyer, the Ameri-
can companys regular pilot, at the
time OF the accident and the closest
lookout was being kept, two men being
stationed in the bow and two In the
crows nest.
Neither Captain Passow nor any of
his officers would discuss the accident
preferring to wait to submit their re-
ports to the proper officers. 1t is
learned. however, that Captain Passow
is sorely grieved at the disaster, this
being his first serious mishap. A friend
who has been much with the captain
of the st. Paul since his return here,
in speaking of the collision. and doubt
less giving the captains version of it,
said it could not have been avoided.
In Dense Snowstorm
The snow was falling so thickly that
it was impossible to see yard ahead
it was far worse than the thickest fog.
The weather had cleared before the st.
Paul left her dock, but snow began to
fall again 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. he explained. was done.
Had the cruiser been painted any
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