Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-12-03
MET IN THE THICK OF A FOG
Three Passengers and One of the En-
ginccrs Perished-Woman Crnzcd
with Fear Chung TO Rail und
could Not He Pulled to
safety.

went down Ten minutes inter the COILS
ion. carrying to their death three Of her
passengers and one of her crew. Tho
rest of tho passengers. who include 10
| women ard IA children and the others
OF the crew were rescued by the boats
Of the Georgia. Tho frcighter was not
damaged.
or the passengers lost ono was n
| woman. Miss Ireno Campbell OF Panama.
who chung franticaliy - the rail of the
sinking vessel and could not he per-
suaded to release her hold. Not even by
| force were the men who manned the
small boats able to remove her. She
| was seen clinging deternlinedly to the
rail as tho vessel sank. William II.
| Todd, third assistant engineer, jumped
overheard and was lost. When roll
| Of the passengers of the Finance was
called it was found that Charles H.
Schweinler. a policeman c. Panama, and
Henry Muller, a railroad conductor Of
Panama. had disappeared and there is
| little doubt that they were drowned.
COLLISION IN MAIN CHANNEL.
The disaster occurred in the main
lship channel, off Sandy Hook at eight
o'clock this morning as each vessel
was cropping her way through a fog
that has hampered or held up traffic
| In local waters for the past three days
| The Finance crept from her berth last
Monday, bound for Colon, but outside
Of New York's gateway ran into fog
which compelled her to anchor.
| Early to-day the shippers OF fog
bound craft in and about the bar no.
ticed that the fog was breaking away
and there was a concerted movement
among tho anchored vessels to get
under way. The Finance had weighed
anchor and was picking her way down
the Swash channel when Captain
Mowbray. who was on the bridge,
heard the whistle of an approaching
liner The Finance was Immediately
ordered astern and VI WY back
ling when tho Georgia inbound from
Liverpool, doomed out OF the fog and
a moment later ran into her The
prov Of the frelehter penetrated the
side OF the Finance nearly ten feet.
tearing away an unoccup!ed stateroom,
and leaving ragged hole through
which tho water rushed N.
THREW THEMSELVES OVERHEARD
The Panama steamer hoeled far
over to stnrboard. while men and
women, many OF whom had bcen
awakened from sound sleep, were
thrown from their berths. Hastily
covering themselves with bed cloth
ing and making little attempt 10 dress
they rushed to the main deck. which
was fast sinking to the surface of
the water. Many OF the passengers
Jumped overheard before they could
be restrained by the crew of the In
Jured steamer, not stopping even 10
provide themselves with life presorv-
ers That more were not lost was
due TO the discipline of tho crew o;
the Finance and tho prompt. and in
telligent work OF the crew Of the
Georgia
Immediately after the accident the
freighter backed off and anchored, her
commander, Captain Clark. having or
dered the lifeboats lowered. The boats
of the Finance were also got away as
quickly as possible, but with difficult,
because of the heavy list of tne sink
ing steamer. Attention was first CIV
en- to these who had jumped over
board, and score or more were pick
ed up BY the small boats. Meantime
the Finance was settling steadily.
To add TO the confusion. moment af
ter the impact there was aI explosion
Of an ammonia tank IN the forward holf
Of tho Finance AMI the fumes drove the
engineers ana .iremen to the decks. VIII
liam Todd the third assistant engineer
was PARTIALLY overcome By the fuitc'
and staggering TO the rail. threw him
self overheard He was not again seen
STRUGGLE WITH WOMAN.
Probably half OF tho passengers will
the crew. stood by the SHIP. awaiting
rescue. and these We're got off with re
markable expedition. When II was be
lieved that all had left tho vessel anC
tho warer-'had reached the rail, Mis-
Campbell was discovered holding tena
ciously to a POST in the Tail, Appeals t.
her to throw herself into the water o
allow herself to be taken Into a small
boat failed Then two sailors clambere'
M on the half submerged deck and
. seiz,ng the terror stricken woman, on
bv either arm, struggled to force he
from her position. a powerfully bull
woman her strength seemed magnifie,
bv madness and neither reason nor fore
oo,,l,~broak her hold. The men ahan
? IIOnpI her ttilS III lliile " Saw AH'll'
solves. for the vessel sank under thoi
, feet as they climbed into Il life boat
with a despairing cry, the woman dis
( appeared
! cant. Mowbray refused to leave Nh
, scena and after the George had steame
away. Mowbray and several of the GREY
ro,ooined in lifeboat near the sunkc,
y chin. Only her mssts, stacks and part o
- the superstructuro of the Finance re
- manned above the surface.
The shipwrecked passengers and GREY
:, were brought TO this city tonight an
p,aced aboard the Panama steamer Al
lianca. where the women and childTc
u,er. provided with clothes. The passens
. ara win depart on the next outwar
" hound steamer for Panama.
:. CAPTAIN CLARKE EXPLAINS
n Captatn Clarke Of the Georgia says tina
10 he was feeling his way into port slowl
|. and hearing a whistle on his port bow
tried to veer off and thought he woul
I. clear tho Panama steamer which ur
- fortunately began 10 so astern with til
l. result that the two steamers collideC
- THE Finance had over seven hundre
10 hays Of mail aboard, -Four elephants
At .he Georeic's hold We're undlsturbei h
1.-The collision.