New-York tribune., 1910-01-16
GALE HTS LINER
BRIDGE SEASWEPT.
Terrific Batter1ng for the Big
Lusitanio.

The fast Cunarder Lusitania got in yes
terday. a day late. from Liverpool She was
roughly handled on the run across the At
lantic and bore marks of damage forward
such as warship might be proud Of It
was one OF the slowest passages the big
liner has made and the hardest tight with
wind and wave she has had since she came
here on her maiden trip from Liverpool
Although the bad weather delayed her It
Gid not mete out damage every day One
heavy plunge under a terrific cumulative
wave caused all the damage TO the Lusi-
tania that was apparent yesterday when she
came up TO her pier. It occurred on Mon
day. January 10. at p m a few minutes
after Captain Turner had been relieved on
the bridge by S. s. Mcneil the chief officer
A westerly gale, huctuating between fifty
and sixty miles an hour. had blown through
out the forenoon, and by sunset had kicked
up an exceptionally heavy sea- The Lusi-
tania went through it without mishap un-
I'll q few minutes after Captain Turner
went below. She might have come across
unscathed. according TO her officers. had not
her bow plunged deep into the sea just as
the big wall Of water rolled toward her
Mr.. Mcneil saw it coming He knew
what it meant, and instinctively jumped
into the wheelhouse
As he slammed the door the colnber
struck The bow went under and the food,
which was virtually two huge waves
merged, came on with terrific force
It was a crash that sounded below like
a house collapsing. The men in the wheel
house said yesterday the roar on the
bridge was beyond comparison It seemed
TO Mr.. Story, the third officer, who was
above the chart room. as If q dozen well
aimed shells loaded with water had ex-
ploded simultaneously below him.
Eight heavy plate windows were ripped
from their teak and brass castings and
hurled inward with the food splinters
from the sills fell against the back wall
OF the room and jabbed into the wood.
The circular steel front OF the chart room
was bent and broken. It presented as
much resistance against the food as If II
we're made Of wood. Mr.. Harding, the
qL artermaster, who was at the wheel
when the conber struck. was flung back
and the wheel, which had been lifted out
of its bearings. was in his hand when the
i've feet Of water in the chart room
poured out on deck
Only & part Of the comber got into the
chartroonl. There was enough Of it hurled
upon the forward part OF the Lusitania
10 carry & company Of soldiers into the
Atlantic had they been marching. on deck
at the time II even got up to Mr.. Story.
who was on the observation bridge above
the chartrooul some eighty feet above the
waterline OF the steamer.
Story saw the wave coming, but he had
not time to get below He simply threw
himself fat. with feet and arms out
spread, his hands cIutching at the rail
thought OF Story after the crash and was
confident he had been washed away As
sur1ng himself that a twin brother Of the
monster that had just passed was not
coming, Story climbed below TO the chart
room and helped sCraighten out the mess.
Tommy Hughes, z bridge boy, was
caught On the port side OF the bridge. He
also threw himself fat and clurched
stanchion- The water hurled him around,
but did not carry him over the side
The American liner St. Louis. which was
due here on Wednesday, did NOT get TO her
pier until the forenoon yesterday. shortly
before the hour at which she had been
scheduled 70 return TO Southampton She
met her first delay off the Irish coast
where she was detained four hours waiting
for the mail from Queenstown. After
clearing the coast she ran into the same
SOTL OF dirty weather LlaI mas mace ali
the inbound steamships late.
Gales and high heavy seas prevailed
throughout the run to port, and on Wednes-
day evening she shipped a big sea that
carried away a portion Of the port rail
forward The wave washed aft over the
promenade deck, moving along z few
passengers who occupied steamer chairs in
its path. Nine. Marie Delna, an opera
singer. who was sitting on deck at the time,
was bowled over IN her chair, but was not
damaged.
Whitelaw Reid, American Arnba ssador TO
the Court of ST James's, was a passenger
on the St Louis. having been prevented
by the delay from attending the funeral
OF his father-ir-law, D. O. Mills on Friday
morning. The St. Louis arrived at Sandy
Hook at SO a. n. Friday. but was detained
al the Hook by the snowstorm.