Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-12-02

New York, Special.-In the thick
of fog off Sandy Hood the stout,
steel freighter George, of the White
Star Line, rammed and sank the
lightly laden Panama steamer FL
nance, outward bound with IS pas
sengers, the Finance going down
within ten minutes, carrying to their
death three of her passengers and
one of the crew. The rest of the
passengers who included 10 women
and IA children, as well as others of
the crew, were rescued by the boats
of the George. The. freighter was
rot damaged.
Miss Irene Campbell, of Panama,
a passenger who was lost clung frant-
ically to the rail of the sinking vessel
and could not be persuaded to release
her hold nor were the men who man
ned the small boats able to forcibly
remove her. She was seen clinging
determinedly as the vessel was en-
gulfed. William Fl. Todd third as
sistant. engineer, jumped overheard
and was lost. When a roll call of
the passengers of the Finance was
called, it vas found that Charles II.
Schweinler, a policeman of Panama,
and Henry Muller, a railroad contrac-
tor of Panama, had disappeared, and
there is little doubt that they were
drowned.
The disaster occurred; in the main
ship channel off Sandy Hook at 8
o'clock in the morning, and as both
vessels were cropping their ways
through fog.
The Finance had weighed anchor
and was picinkg her way down the
.Swash channel, when Captain Now
bray, who was on the bridge, heard
the whistle of an approaching liner.
The Finance was Immediately put
astern and was slowly backing when
the Georgic, inbound from Liverpool;
loomed out of the fog and a moment
later crashed into the port, side and
just abaft of the Finance. The prov
of the freighter penetrated the side
of the Finance nearly ten feet, tear
ing away an unoecupied state room
and leaving ragged hole through
which the water rushed in. The Pan
anna steamer heeled far over to the
starboard while men and women,
many of whom had been awakened
from a sound sleep, were thrown from
their berths. Hastily covering them
selves with bed clothing they rushed
in panic to the main deck, which
was fast sin.ing to the surface of
the water. Many passengers jumped
overheard, not stopping even to pro-
vide themselves with life preservers.
That more were not lost was due to
the discipline Of the crew Of the Fl
nance and the prompt and intelligent
work Of the sailors from the Georgic
Immediately after the accident the
freighter backed off and anchored,
her commander, Captain Clark, in
the meantime having ordered the life
boats lowered. The boats of the FL
nance were also cut away as quickly
as possible. though with difficulty,
because of the heavy list of the siak-
ing steamer.
A score or more of those who jump
ed overheard were picked up by the
small boats. Meantime the Finance
was settling steadily. To add to the
confusion. a moment after the i'm
pact there was an explosion of an
ammonia tank in the forward hold
of the Finance and the fumes drove
the engineers and firemen to the
decks. William Todd, the third as
sistant engineer, was partially over
come by the fumes, and staggering to
the rail, threw himself overheard. He
was not seen again. Probably half
Of the passengers with the crew,
stood by the ship. awaiting rescue,
and these were gotten of with re-
markable expedition.