Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-11
Big Liner Lake Champ|ain
Hits an Iceberg.
Vessel Travelling Slowly in Dense
Fog al the Time.
cooInsss Of Officers and Crew Help
Save the Great Ship.

North Sydney, n. S., May 10.-A ter
averted when the big Canadian Pacific
Railway Liner Lake Champlan, Capt
Webster, bound from Liverpool for
Montreal crashed head-on into a big
iceberg off Cape Race, on Thursday
last, is the story told by the first con-
tingent of passengers, who arrived here
today from st. Johns. N. F.. to which
port the disabled liner put in for re-
pairs.
According to the passengers story
the accident occurred some so miles
out from Cape Race, about O'Clock
in the evening. during dense fog.
Fortunately, the Lake Champlain was
going very slowly, or there would be
no report Of the accident until the
wreckage was picked up. as nothing is
so disc strOus to a steamer as a col
lision with an iceberg.
The fog was so dense that it was
impossible to see ahead at ALL and
the Lake Champlain was picking her
way along with just enough speed to
keep steerageway, when d sudden
sharp shock was felt, followed by Il
grinding on her keel, and she came to
Il dead stop The officers on duty at
once realized what had happened, and
the signal was rung sharply for full
speed astern. and in a few moments
the vessel backed safely off the OBJ.
struction. Fortunately, instead of but.
ting straight into the iceberg she had
Il 80
tending from the berg under water 60
that she only sustained injuries to her
forefoot Had she struck solid wall
of ice it is probable the injuries to her
bows would have been much more seri-
Gus.
The whole thing happened 50 quickly
that there was no time for cOnfu-
sion, and the crew and officers be-
haved SO promptly that after the first
few minutes there was little alarm
amongst the passengers, few of whom
realized what had happened or how
close to u watery grave they had
been.
The crew was called to quarters and
the watertight bulkhcads closed. shut
ting of the fore compartments. where
the Injuries to the keel We're located
1t was Impossible to tell the extent
of the damage to the vessel. but she
leaked SO badly after again getting
under ay that Capt Webster decided
to head at once for st. Johns to save
his ship.
BY this tmeathe vessel had made
good deal Of wafer in her forehold but
she was very little down at the head,
as her weight was so much astern that
the leak had not told very much on
her. and until she put into port none
knew the reason for her unexpected
call AS soon as the cargo is discharg-
ed the Lake Champlan will go into
drv dock. where her hull will be sur
veyed and the damage repaired at
least sufficiently for her to cross back
to England for permanent repairs.
No statement has been made by any
of the officers of the boat. and it Is
understood that an investigation into
the accident will be held in England
later on by the Board of Trade Off
Gals. The passengers however, told
the story of the accident and were
loud in their praise of the conduct of
both officers and crew.
Everything. they said. went as
though by clockworK. There was not
the slightest confusion. and by the
time most of the passengers knew that
anything unusual had occurred the
boat had backed away from the berg
and resumed her course as though
nothing had happened.
The steamer Bruce arrived here to-
day with the first consignment of pas
sengers. numbering 24l. and returned
for 300 more. or the passengers on
board 100 are bound for United States
and the rest for different parts tf
Canada.