Evening star., 1909-05-20
STEAMER IN ICE JAM
Monaghan Held Fast and in
Grave Peril Off st. Johns, N. F.
RESCUE SHIP FROZEN IN
Passengers May Have to Walk Over
Floes to Shore.
WRECK THREATENS VESSEL
Hard Battle With Drifting Ice
. Until Enabled to Move
Forward. !
RESCUE SHIP FROZEN IN
THREATENS VESSEL

ST. JOHNS y. F.. May 3.--Shortly
before l o'clock this afternoon several
passengers from tho MonGolian started
to walk across the ice 10 the coast Two
women were among the number.
The party could be seen through glasses
t.f- s..nre On account of the ice hum
mocks and hard travelling II was believed
that the party would be several hours
in covering the distance from the steam
er TO the coast
\ tug was sent from the harbor to the
inner edge of the ice pack, in readiness
to bring the party TO this city soon
as it had completed its journey over
the foes.
Wedged Tightly in Ice jam.
NORTH SYDNEY. y. s. May 2o-Ad-
vices received here today from st. Johns.
n. f., indicate that there was little
change in the position of the Allan line
steamer Monsolian, which was caught in
the ice floc off the entrance to ST. Johns
harbor yesterday.
The steamer is bound from Liverpool
and has about 800 passengers on board.
Although said TO be only mile from
shore, the steamer was reported today
to be wedged tightly in the drift ice, un-
able to move I'm any direction. 1t was be-
lieved, however. that the passengers were
not in serious danger
The ice, although sufficient TO form an
effectual barrier to the steamers prog
ress. was not thought to be heavy enough
to crush her.
In the event OF it's becoming necessary
to remove the passengers they probably
could cross the ice TO the shore, although
such a passage might be accompanied ~
more or less danger.
Two Ships Caught in Ice.
ST. JOHNS. y. F., May 2o.-The Allan
line steamship Mongolian, bound from
Glasgow and Liverpool for ST. Johns,
y. F.: Halifax, y. s., and Philadelphia.
with nearly 500 passengers on board, was
caught in a dangerous ice jam one mile
Off this harbor yesterday.
Increase of wind may cause the steamer
to become q total wreck.
The ccasting steamer Prospero. just
returned from the ice-packed waters of
Belle Isle strait. where she had been
abandoned by her crew and later res
cued. lies also wedged in ice between
the Mongoiian and the shore.
She had been sent by the Allan line
agents here when the plight OF the Mon
golian became known to attempt to reach
the big vessel and take off the passengers
and mails. The little steamer had just
passed the harbor mouth, after con-
tinuous battle for every foot of pros
ress. when the ice barrier became i'm
pregna BILE and further headway was i'm
| possible.
There she is keeping company with the
greater steamship Mongoiian. which il
equally helpless In the unrelentins grip
of the surrounding ice.
Vast Ice Fields Encountered.
| The Mongolia. which left Glasgow May
| ) and Liverpool a few days later, met the
| first of the great fields of ice Tuesday.
Capt Williams then tried to SO shape His
course as to avoid contact with the foes.
But the ice. borne on the steady Labra-
dor current had been disposed so that
entire freedom was Impossible. Up to
yesterday morning. however, the steam
ers progress was fairly steady.
With the approach to land, where the
harbors had been packed by the drifting
foes SO that the irregular formations eS-
| tended far out TO sea. the Mongolian met
| more strenuous resistance. Even before
Cape Race was sighted the combat be-
tween steamer and ice was SO severe
that the best seamanship of Capt. Viii
| liams and his officers had to be exercised.
| Literally inch by inch the Mongo1ian
forced her way through the drifting mass
! until position about a mile Off the mar
row harbOr opening had been gained.
| There she stopped. the power Of the
engines and the stout hull unable to cope
| with the great stretches OF ice.
The steamers efforts to run the block
ade are believed TO have injured some
of the bow plates. but some fishermen
| who managed TO reach her side over the
closely packed foes could discover
| appreciable damage.
Last night the combined action OF wind
and the tide strengthened TIE grip of the
| foes, and the Mongolian was completely
surrounded, unable to advance or retreat.
Anxious Passengers Crowd Decks.
Although assured that they were in no
immediate danger the passengers crowded
the decks. When 1t was seen that the
steamship could neither advance nor re-
| tire to a position of more safety there
was little demonstration other than
anxious interest
After a time there was discerned a
| little steamer headed toward them. The
iiMongolians officers explained that /,
was the steamer Prospect, sent out tn
take off passengers and mails. As the
steamer came nearer the hopes OF the
passengers grew.