Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-05-01
CHANCE OF THE SEA
Collision Of Cruiser and Ocean
Liner Was Unavoidable
WARSHlP WAS AT ANCHOR


can Liner ST. Pau--Latter Escapes
With Battered Bow
The total number Of dead and miss
ing of the Gladiator's crew as result
of the collision between the American
liner st. Paul and the British cruiser
off the Isle of Wight is twenty-.lght
The admiralty has issued revised
list of the names of the victims, which
includes an additional death in the hos
pital, bringing the total OF deaths
known up to five. Twenty-three men
are missing, according to the list, ana
six are suffering severe injuries. Inc
secretary of the admiralty expresses
fear that eight others are still missing
but Is unable to give the names as yet.
The opinion among shipping men and
naval officers and officials appears to
be unanimous that the accident was un-
ayoidable. 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. IL wit
nesses of the disaster agree that both
crews behaved as well as possible.
Coming so soon after the loss of the
torpedo boat destroyer Tiger which
was sunk by cruiser Berwick off the Isle
of Wight on April 3 last. thirty-siX
men being drowned, the sinking of the
Gladiator is severe blow to the Brit
ish navy.
No one on the st. Paul was killed or
injured. The ST. Paul left South
hampton at 1870 p. N. Saturday. The
weather was comparatively clear in
Southampton waters, but Immediately
the St Paul turned into the Solent,
which runs parallel to the Isle OF
Wight, she encountered fierce biz
gard Captain Passow and his chief
officer. with the American lines regu-
lar pilot, were on the bridge and u look.
out man was posted in the bows. Sud
denly ship appeared Immediately in
front of them. 1t was the Gladiator al
anchor Instantly full speed astern"
was ordered in an endeavor to clear the
cruiser. but 1t was too late.
The st. Paul's sharp stem rammcd
the anchored vessel amidships; the
liner qulvered and reeled and her pas
sengers rushed on deck in great alarm.
The officers and crew acted with the
greatest GOODNESS and allayed the ter
ror with as fine a display of discipline
as though she were the best trained
man-ofwar. Five lifeboats were low
cred within a few minutes to rescue
the crew of the Gladiator, which had
sustained a death blow.
The cruiser began to sink almost at
once Her men gave magnificent
demonstration of discipline. At the
captains command they formed in line
on the deck, and stood in ranks while
the cruiser settled down. In obedience
to orders successive patches marched
to the gangways and entered the ST.
Paul's boats until practically the whole
crew had been taken Off and landed at
Yarmouth, on the Isle of Wight.
The storm which was responsible for
the collision is described as the worst
since the blizzard of 1881. All the
landmarks were hidden by the driving
curtain Of snow as the st. Paul pro-
ceeded on her outward course and II
was exceedingly difficult to locate any
sounds of warning which came through
the storm. Several of the men who
were rescued from the Gladiator declare
that it was marvellous that the ship
was not lost with all hands.
The Gladiator was twin-screw pro.
tected cruiser Of the second class. She
was OF $3.50 tons and was 800 feet In
length. She was built at Portsmouth
in 1906