The San Francisco call., 1910-11-23

tn examining of the Selja was as
spectacular as drama. The fog was
thick at the time. but the sea was calm
and many of the 1OS passengers of the
Beaver were on deck and saw the col
lision. The Beaver had been telling its
way through the fog, sounding its
whistle at short intervals and attempt
ing to locate the Selja, when the big
freighter suddenly loomed UP through
the mist not more than two lengths
away. its course laying directly across
the Beavers bows. The boats slowly
came together. the Beaver striking the
Selja on the port side. perhaps 90 feet
from the bow The shock was not Sc
we're enough to throw the passengers
off their feet and there was no sign
of a panic on board the Beaver. When
the ships drew apart the Selja began
settling rapidly and Captain Kidston
ordered away two of the Beavers boats
to help in the rescue of the Selja' S
crew.
The rescue work proceeded with the
regularity of a drill and within 90 min
utes after the ships came together the
crew of the wrecked vessel, with the
exception of the two missing Chinese,
had been transferred to the deck of the
Beaver. AS the latter turned about to
make back to San Francisco the fog
lifted so that Point Reyes, five miles
away, was plainly visible. If the ships
had met but Is minutes later than they
did they might have passed easily with
out accident.
RUNS INTO THE FOG
The Beaver ran into the fog half an
hour later. taking it's course north from
the Golden Gate. Until that time the
weather had been clear. Shortly before
! -, Ill s-s.a -, faIrr
southbound steamer, and at about 3:15
O'Clock picked up the Selja's signals
At the time ! was with a group of pas
sengers seated behind the cabin amid
ships Our first intimation of danger
was the Beavers warning signal, three
short blasts of the whistle, which in
nautical language means: Don't cross
our bows" Immediately following the
whistles there was a jangle of bells in
| the engine room, and as we arose tC
cross the deck to the starboard side
we felt the jar and rumble of the en-
gines as they were reversed and started
/ full speed astern. 1t was this prompt
action Of Captain Kidston that probably
saved his ship and the lives of his pas
sengers. Had he gone full speed ahead
or even permitted his ship to proceed
/ by it's own momentum, he would have
crossed the bows of the Selja, and il
/
it was, the precious three seconds thai
! he saved by promptly reversing his en-
gines permitted the doomed Selja tC
slide past his bows, instead of crashing
into his side.
when / reached the rail the Selja
was lying off the starboard bow, al
right angles with the Beavers course
and not more than length ahead. The
ships closed in upon each other slowly
- f1,- ~ I,Ds,
headway might be checked before they
came together. However, the Seljs
finally poked its bow past the Beaver
and the next instant there was a grind
ing crash and cloud of splinters and
dust that told the fate of the big
freighter. AS the ships drew apart ii
was see nthat the Beavers bows had
Seljas side, extending from the raj
down below the water line.
CREW Is FRIGHTENED
The crew OF the Norwegian ship
seemed to recognize Immediately tha-
the boat was doomed and the frightened
cackling of the Chinese crew could bs
heard plainly on board the Beaver, to.
/ gether with the crying of one OF the
captains children. Tt was several min
utes before the white officers of the Sci
ia could herd the Chinese about the
/ lifeboats and prepare for leaving tht
ship. Two boats were launched on the
port side OF the sinking freighter, the
first to leave getting off without diff
Guilty. In this boat the wife of Captain
Lie and his two children made their es.
cape. 1t was under the charge of Chiei
Engineer Ronbeck Eggen and came
alongside of the Beaver Immediately
Some difficulty was experienced in get
ting the woman and her children
aboard. A ladder was thrown over tn,
! side, but the rolling of the ship made
1t impossible to use it. Eggen was tn,
/ first to attempt to climb to the deck
! but slipped off and fell into the sea. He
was dragged aboard the boat, Mrs Liz
being the first to seize him as he cam,
10 the surface from his plunge Captain
Kidston then ordered the starboaro
freight port hole opened and the woman
and her children were taken aboard
through this opening. the other mem
bers of the crew following.
BOAT is SMASHED
A third boat which the Chinese at
tempted to launch on the port side o
the sinking ship was knocked to piece.
by the waves against the side of tn,