The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-27
Three Passengers And One Of The Grew Drowned As VeS-
 seI Goes Down
NEARLY ONE HUNDRED
 RESCUED FROM DEATH
Freight Steamer Rams the Finance, Bound for Panama, and Vessel Fills Rapidly, Taking Four Per
 sons Down With Her.

New York. November 26-In the thick of fog off Sandy Hook today the stout steel freighter Georgic of the White Star line rammed and sank the lghtly-laden Panama steamer Finance, outward bound. with s5 passengers, the Finance goine down within ten minutes, carrying to their deaths three of her passengers and one of the crew. The rest of the pas sengers, which included 19 women and 14 children, as well as others of the crew. were rescued by the boats of the Georgic The frelghter was not damaged.
 Miss Irene Campbell of Panama. a passenger who was lost, chung frantieallv to the rail of the sinking vessel and could not be persuaded to release her hold, nor were the men who manned the small boats able to forcibly remove her. She was seen clinging determinedly as the vessel was engulfed.
 William H. Todd, third assistant en- gineer jumped overheard and was lost When a roll call of the passengers of the Finance was called it was found that Charles II. Sehwendler, a policeman of Panama and Henry Muller, railroad conductor of Panama. had disappeared. and there is little doubt that they were drowned.
 Disaster In Fog. The disaster occurred in the main shin channel off Sandy Hook at s o'clock this morning, and as both vessels were gron- ing their ways through a fog. Ths Finance had weighed anchor and was picking her way down the Swash chan mel when Captain Mowbray, who was on the bridge, heard the whistle of an ap- preaching liner. The Finance was imme- l diately put astern and was slowly back 1 ing when the Georgie, inbound from Liv- erpool. loomed out of the fog and mo- ment later crashed into the port side and l just abaft Of the beam of the Finance. The prov of the freighter penetrated the side of the Finance nearly ten feet, tear Ing away an unoceupied stateroom and leaving a ragged hole through which the water rushed in. The Panama steamer heeled over far to the starboard while men and women, many of whom had been awakened from sound sleep were thrown from their berths Hastily GOV erng themselves with bedclothing they rushed in a panic to the main deck which
  water Many of the passengers jumped overheard, not stopping even to provide themselves with life preservers. That more were not lost was due to the dis ciplne of the crew of the Finance and the prompt and intelligent work of the sailors from the Georgie.
 Boats Cut Away.
 Immediately after the accident the freighter macked off and anchored her commander Captain Clark. in the mean time having ordered the life boats low cred The boats of the Finance were also cut away as quickly as possible. though with difficulty, because of the heavy list of the sinking steamer
 score or more of those who jumped overheard were picked up by the small boats Meantime the Finance was settling steadily. To add to the confusion mo- .nent after the impact there was an ex- plosion of an ammonia tank in the for ward hold of the Finance and the fumes drove the engineers and fremen 10 the decks. William Todd. the third assistant engineer, was partially overcome by the fumes and staggering to the rail- threw himself overboard 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 remarkable expedition.
 Remained Near Wreck.
 Captain Mowbray and several of tho crew remained in life boat near the sunken ship Only the masts. stacks and part of the superstructure of the Finance remained above the surface
 The shipwrecked passengers and crew were brought to this city tonight and placed aboard the Panama steamer AL lianca. where the women and children were provided with clothes. The passen- gers will depart the next outward bound steamer for Panama.
 Captain Clark of the Georgic states that he was feeling his way Into port slowly and hearing whistle on his port bow. tried to veer off, and thought he would clear the Panama steamer, which. unfortunately began to go astern, with the result that the two steamers col lided
 The Finance had over TOO bags of man aboard.
 Four elephants in the Georgics hold were undlsturbed by the collision.