The Washington times., 1909-06-20
WARSHIP TOWED IN,
MEN THOUGHT SAFE
Wireless Calls Brought Aid
to Vessel Rammed by
Cruiser

LONDON, June 2O.-The story OF the
collision of the British warship Sappho
with the Wilson liner Sappho before
midnight is replete with deeds Of hero
ism on the part Of the 800 bluejackets
aboard.
Not less worthy of notice was the
fact that great loss of life was probably
prevented by the use of wireless calls
for help and the speedy response Of
numerous tugs from Dungeness which
rushed out in the fog 10 the aid of the
rammed man-of-war.
So far as can now be asceFtained, all
on board were saved The big boat
itself, raised from her fOundered posi-
ton by the help of powerful salvage
pumps, was towed into Dover harbOr
today and beached.
The warship was proceeding slowly on
Dungeness in a dense fog with all hands
except the watch and the captain asleep
in their hammOclSs, many of them be
low decks, when the Wilson liner of the
same name crashed into the bow OF the
vessel. Immediately backing away she
left a great hole, into which the sea
rushed In torrents. causing the warship
to sink rapidly by the fore.
Send &C. Q. D."
At once the wireless &C. Q. d. was
sent hurting through TIE air for aid.
The response was immediate. and as
good luck had it the sinking ship
was near the shore.
after the impact every light except the
oil lamps went out and the kissing OF
the boiler fires as they spluttered under
the rush of waters and the cries OF the
sailors added TO the confusion. The
captain ana his officers at once called
through megaphOnes for every man 20
get to his station as the ship was fast
The caii was needed with the most
perfect discipline. Every man who was
free at once bent all his efforts TO aid
ing his more unfortunate fellows caught
below IL tnC swirl OF waters. For the
half hour between the collision and the
laundering Of the boat there were
countless deeds of heroism performed.
The men formed themselves into brig
AIDES and many plunged below with
ropes fastered TO their bodies TO rescue
the sailors caught IN their hammockS.
A numb Der we're brought up in this way.
The efforts of the seamen were eucOur-
aged by the officers and everything was
done with as great GOODNESS and dis
patch as II the men had been on drill.
Sleeping Men Stunned.
A number of the sleeping men had
been more or less injured and stunned
Dy tho waters and the sudden jarTing
of the boat. Several were unconscious.
All these men were saved by the intrep
idity OF their mates who strapped life
preservers to them and, assisted in this
way in their rise to the surface, dragged
them 20 The decks.
When II became evident that nothing
could save the boat the word was pass
ed from the bridge TO form in line and
prepare for the descent into the tugs
which had in the meantime steamed
alongside.
With the same admirable precision
and GOODNESS that had characterized
their actions the men made the descent
carrying with them their wounded COM
rades. The WaTship lurched in the mid
ale Of the embaI Xation and many OF
the sailors taking time by the forelOck
jumped for their lives.
No sooner were the last men on in
Guiding the captain who stuck TO his
post TIL the last than the Sappho
Many Of the floating sailors were
picked up clinging to bits of wreckage;
some of them swan in the wrong di-
rection. but the fog fortunately lifting.
they were soon rescued. A hurried
muster Of the crew on shore showed
practically every one safe.
No help was received from the Viii
son line boat which Immediately after
the collision disappeared in the fog.
The identity Of the liner was not learn
ed until this afternoon She was on
the way from Norway and was due al
Hull her home port tonight. and sig
nailed her owners this afternoon that
she was unchanged and that all on
board were safe. She carried only
few passengers.
Sappho Drill Ship.
The Sappho was launched at the Pop
lar Works on May 8. 1891. She is a drill
ship for the Royal Navy Reserve and
has been detached until recently for
duty fu connection with the Newfound-
land fisheries. ~She is a two-screw yes
sci. ftted with two tunnels and two pole
masts. Her displacement is 34OO tons.
her length is 500 feet, beam 80 feet and
mean draught Is feet She is protected
by a steel deck of one to two inches
thickness and has protection for her en-
gines, which Were designed by Penn.
She develops 1906 horsepower and has a
speed of 1915 knots.
The Sappho has four torpedo tubes
and carries twelve 14-inch torpedoes.
She is equipped with two six-inch quick
FIRE guns. six 47-inch quick-fire guns,
eight six-pounders, one three-pOunder.
one held gun and four machine guns.
Her complement is go officers and men.