New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-13
Sinks Five Hours After Midnight
Accident Off the Coast OF
Virginia.
hit BY STEAMER IN FOG
Tho Admiral Farragut on Way to
New York-Passengers OF botn
Ships Landed at Norfolk
Mexican Refugee Hurt.


-, the sea. filed with many thrillms
.,,.ss ~ rescue and escape occurred
.,,s coast early to-day, when the
,,.-a line steamer Merida. bound from
Santa cruz. Progreso and Havana to
New York. with $40 persons on board
.ark in thirty-hve fathoms OF water
e.,v-Ave miles northeast Of Cape Charles'
.f..- che had been rammed by the Tul'
Steamer Admiral Farragut bound from
rbusdeInhia for Port Antonio. Jamaica
FvArv person aboard the Merida Was
rescued. Only one was seriously lhJuie
the wife Of A Peon. land proprietor
of Proereso. Yucatan. who. with MS eh-
tire family. was bound for Paris TO await
.hs end Of the Mexican troubles. oehoia
pson occupvirg a room Immediately
,Av, 70 where the Farragut struck the
Merida. was probably injured internalIy.
The Merida was struck by the Ad'ilirai
ra-raeut in a dense fog al Y: 81 a. NJ
after the Meridas delightful voyage from
u.vsra with fine weather and a perfect
Sank in Five Hours
?, Eve hours the Merida was at the
,ot,on, ~ the ocean. but her passengers
and cr4w were safely aboard her sfnaH
DESTROYER. the Admiral Farragut.
pv wireless telegra ply the Old Domin-
~, Steamship Company's steamer Ham
uton. bound from New York for Norfolk
,ras summoned by the Admiral Farra-
v,,, and took aboard the rescued pas
seneers and crew Of the Merida and
landed them in Norfolk at : o'clock to-
night. The Admiral Farragut, which
carried only one passenger. an unknown
Philadelphian. proceeded 10 New YORK
under convoy of the United States bat
tleship Iowa. which answered the wire
less appeals for assistance. The Iowa
was standing by the Farragut when the
steamer Hamilton sailed with the res
cued passengers and crew for Norfolk.
The Admiral Faragut. after ramming
the Merida. several times her size. stag
gered away with a bad hole in her port
kov. and II was feared she TOO, might
sink
In Total Darkness.
The Farragut crashed into the Merida.
disabling the latter's engines. wrecking
her electric dynamo and wireless ap-
paratus and leaving the ship helpless in
total darkness
Leach. wireless operator Of the Far
ragut, attempted to call assistance. but
found his appeal could not be heard.
Meanwhile passengers and crew were
being transferred from the sinking
Merida 70 the Admiral Farragut.
One passenger from the Merida was
Perry E. Benton. an expert engineer
and real hero Of the hour. II was
largely through Benton's assistance that
the Farragut's wireless was repaired
and Operator Leach's first call for aid
q, $50 O'Clock. made possible. From
the Old Dominion liner Hamilton and the
bsttleship Iowa. both ffty-fve miles
away. came quick response. We will
reach YOU al 5 o'clock" read the Ham
ilton's message.
Raced to Save Lives.
Then the Iowa and the Hamilton raced
few minutes after s o'clock the Hamil-
Ton sighted the Admiral Farragut. and
n half an hour had lifeboats out. With
IN TWO hours the rescued passengers and
crew we're shifted from the Farragut 20
The Hamilton.
The Nerids's lights were extinguished
ten minutes after the collision Passen-
gers we're thrown from their beds IN
stateroorns and hunks below. The snip
o@cers ouieted women passengers three
or four ~ whom. having infants in their
arms rushed on deck in their night
clothing
Twoscore Mexican refugees we're
among the Merida's passengers. bound
FOR the United States and Europe. one
passenger is said to nave been Roman
Catholic archbishop. on his way to
Rome.
one woman said she lost $1,000 IN
gold. deposited with the Meridas purser'
and half a carload of tropical birds
which she was importing The secretary
20 the Italian Legation in Mexico lost
eizh, trunks. and there we're many other
iosses equally great.
Some OF the passengers left the ship
scartilv attired A Peon, the Mexican
ulanter whose wife was injured, escaped
only IN his bathrobe He said he was
with mis- wife. five children and two malds
IN the wav 10 visit 1--WE other children by
former marriage. His wife was so
badly hurt that she had 10 be lowered
from the Merida in a chair. and again
from the Admiral Farragut 70 the steamer
Hamilton in like fashion. AS she was
being borne 10 local hotel for medlcai
examination Mr.. Peon said
She is a very brave woman, ana VIII
get over II. ! know"
New York Women Save Red Blankets
All that one party Of New York women
were able 10 save were red blankets
taken from the Merida
As one lifeboat was being lowered from
the Merida with twenty-five persons IN
Ter. a davit rope broke and she de-
scended al an angle OF twenty-five de-
srees necessary plug TO keep her
rom sinking had been forgotten, ana
his had 10 be waited for. Women clung
70 the sides 10 prevent falling out as the
boat swung az an angle one boy feii
out, but was rescued
One woman with an infant tainted and
dropped her child. which was picked up