New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-27
LINER SUNK, 4 LOST,
COLLISION OFF HOOK
BRAVE CAPTAINS And NEN
SAVE NEARLY ALL.
Freighter Georgic Rams Panama
Liner Findnce-With Gun Master
Holds Boats for UOmen.

The big White star 1TeiEnLeT IeOE5ttr III
bound from Liverpool rammed and sank the
outbound Panama liner Finance in the Main
Ship Channel at . a. m. yesterday. while both
vessels were negotiating the turn during brief
lift of the heavy fog. -Four lives were lost
The vessels came together with terrific i'm
pact and within eighteen minutes the FL
nance with a had hole in the port side.
sank on the north side Of the channel
Three Of the eighty-ive passengers on the
Finance and her third assistant engineer
were drowned. and it due to the splendid
courage of Captain Now bray Of the Panama
liner and the excellent discipline OF his crew
that only four lost.
Captain Mowbray his vessel could not
long keep aloat. but assured every one that all
would be saved II they would only keep calm
When the stokers came I'D on deck the cap
tain ordered them to stand by and assist the
women and children as they could
When the third and last OF the Finances port
lifebofts was ready for occupancy a crowd or
| stokers rushed for IL, and some got in Their
act brought expression Of rage 10 the face OF
Captain Mowbray. and. drawing revolver. he
ordered them to get out "as quick as the Lord
| would let them and give the women and chill
| dren chance.
The stokers that the captain meant busS-
| ness. and scrambled TO the deck Of the sinking
steamer Captain MOwbray shouted his orders
| in loud tone from time to time but his com
| nand TO the stokers to get out OF the Hfeboat
the first and only instance where he dis
| played any temper. Every one aboard ths
| Finance spoke in great praise of the courags
| and cool Judgment Of Captain Mowbray. Every
| order he gave was we'll considered and did much
| in getting the passengers from the sinking YES
| sci before her deck went under Many pas
| sengers declared that one look at Captain Now
| bray was sufficient 10 restore confidence
| CAPTAIN Clarke OF the Georgia, BY clever
seamanship brought his vessel close 70
the sinking Finance. and within minute and
a half after her sharp bow penetrated the little
| Panama liner the freighter's first hfeboat
| spIashed upon the water. Three ufeboats from
| the Finance were lowered promptly. and had il
'not been for the fact that many Of the FL
nance's passengers became panicstricken all on
| board would Rave been saved
/ The most dramatic feature Of the disaster.
| perhaps was the drowning Of Irene Campbell.
| a negro woman. who cIung stanchion
| the after section of the Finance She refused
to let go her hold. and fought three Of the crew
| who tried TO drag her away from her refuge
BY the time the Finance went down some fifty
| of her passengers were already on board the
| GeorgiC. They shouted 70 the Campbell woman
to jump into the channel, but she did not hear
| them.
| CLINGs TO sTANCHION AND DEOwNS
! deck of the Finance the helpless woman clutched
higher on the stanchion and suddenly disap-
peared- 1t was believed that she never let go
her hold.
William H Todd the third assistant engineer.
was partly overcome by the fumes OF an am
monia tank which burst after the collision. and.
staggering to the deck. Ieaped overheard Hs
had ample opportunity to himself In
of the Georgfc's Hfeboats after he jumped had
rrrf
from the ammonia's fumes. he sank before help
could reach him
Charles H. Schweinler, member OF the Canal
Zone police. leaped overheard II is thought after
the crash Of the steamers. and was missing
when the final roI1caT Of passengers and crew.
was called on board the Georgia. Henry Null
Ier a conductor the Panama Railroad.
who was returning from vacation. was one os
eight men who jumped from the Finances bow.
He was not seen after he leaped. and was noe
on board the Georgia when she came up TO ths
city yesterday.
Muller. Schweinle-, Miss Campbell and Todd
were the only persons on the Finance who ars
believed TO have been drowned The remainder
OF the eghty-hve passengers and the sfxty-siz
members of the crew were all accounted for ana
transferred from the Georgia in the afternoon
The Finance was pushed over TO starboard By
the impact of the collision. and when the
Georgia backed away sns rolled over to port
and filed rapidly. As tons Of water flooded the
stokehole and engine room the stokers rushed
up and swarrned over the deck like flies Her
big list to port made it impossible to lower the
starbOard Hfeboats. but the boats on the porx
side. which. by the list. were brought almost to
the waters edge. were soon in the water
One OF the lifeboats Of the George which came
alongside TO take off passengers was fairly well
filed with men at the oars. Part OF the nine
teen women and fourteen children were still on
the Finance and Captain Movbray wishing 70
get them aboard the Cieorgic as, soon as pos
climb aboard the Finance and make room for =
few more women and children.
FINE DISCIPLINE ON GEORGIC.
Captain Clarke Of the Georgia gave a splendid
demonstration Of the discipline on is vessel
His men carried out his orders with clockliks
precision. and 10 was generally believed that had
the Finance gone down fully ten minutes before
she did the Hfeboats Of the Georgia would have
taken care OF all the eighty five passengers and
the crew of siXty-six
Edward A Drake vice president and general
manager of the Panama Line had the situation
we'll in hand when the Georgia anchored in TIN
North River. OF the Panama Line pier at s7th
street
The sidewheeler George B. Starr was sent az
once TO the side OF the big freighter and after
the rollcau the passengers from the Finance
were taken aboard the Starr and taken up the
river the steamer Allianca, from Cristobal.
which had slipped through the fog and anchored
of 34th street. The crew OF the Finance was
brought ashore. Several passengers. who pre-
farred 10 come 70 the CITY rather than sfav