Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-09-20
OLYMPIC AND
CRUISER COLLIDE
Largest Passenger Carrying
Vessels in the World
Badly Damaged
HAD 5000 PERSONS ABOARD
Beached on a Mud Flat of Isle of
Wight and Then Towed
in Harbor.

Beached on a Mud Flat OF Isle of
Wight and Then Towed
in Harbor.
tBy Special Leased Wire to New Mexican)
Cowes, Sept. 20.-The White Star
line steamer Olympic, the biggest pas
senger-carrying vessel in the world,
was in collision with the Brit.
ish protected Cruiser Hawke, near
Osborne Bay, on the north
side OF the Isle of Wight this
afternoon and was so badly damaged
that her Captain E. j. Smith, beached
her on q mud bank in the Cowes road
stead. Later, she was released and
returned to Southampton.
Captain Smith Immediately after the
accident, signaled for assistance tc
Portsmouth, from where tugs wert
sent promptly to the scene.
At the same time, assurance YVES
given that the passengers were in nc
danger. The Hawke was damaged
but less seriously and anchored close
by the steamer until the Olympic
cleared off the mud bank and set ou
on her return to Southampton. The
Hawke then started southwark under
her own steam. The cruisers Dows
were crumpled by the impact and hel
plates torn to the water line.
The Olympic sailed from South
ampton at ll:25 O'Clock bound fol
New York by way of Cherbourg and
Queenstown. She sailed with the
largest list OF first class passengers
that ever started across the Atlantic
in one ship. The first cabin passengers
numbered 742, twenty four more thar
her best previous record. Among
them we're between 20 and 30 American
millionaires and something like $3.50,
900 had been paid in passage money
All told, there were nearly 5000
persons on board.
In the collision the Olympic was
struck on the starboard quarter and 8
large hole was stove in. When the
vessels separated after the impact, il
was seen that the Olympic was crippled
and Captain Smith Immediately or
dered her beached.
in-Rush Of Sea Stopped.
Southampton, Sept. 20.-The Olym
pic, the pro1dest of the White Sta
Company's transatlantic liners, ant
the biggest passenger vessel afloat
returned to this port this Afternoon
! four hours after she sailed for New
York with a hole in her starboar(
quarter, but with her more than two
thousand passengers unharmed. Tht
passengers had an exciting story tt
tell of a collision with the British
cruiser Hawke off tue Isle of Wight.
In-Rush of Seat Stopped.
The steamer took considerable wa
ter and it was at first thought it woult
be necessary to beach her, and Cap
tain Smith madeNlo a mud bank il
the Cowes roadstead. The promp
closing of the collision doors howev
er, effectually stopped the thrush O
the sea and her commander, convinced
that there was no immediate danger
brought his vessel about and head fo
Southampton.
| Was Not Beached.
| Watchers at Cowes saw the steame
moving toward the shore, then stop
ping, and, believing that she had beel
beached, sent out the report to thi
effect.
The Olympic, as she drew away from
the cruiser, exhibited an ugly hole in
to which great quantities of waite
!poured. Captain Smith ordered tn,
/; collision doors closed and turned hi
vessel toward the beach. At the sam,
time he signalled for assistance t
!! Portsmouth and Cowes, both of whicl
ports sent tugs, but their aid was no
required.
j Made Port Without Aid.
4 A quick examination showed tina
the Olympic was still sea-worthy an
she was brought about and steame
slowly for this port. The Hawke wa
also able to make port without aii
: There was considerable excitemen
but no panic on board the liner, th
passengers of which were quickly r,
!. assured by the officers. The weathe
was somewhat thick and there wa
a rain squall at the time of the acc
dent, but lne haze was not sufficien
to obscure either vessel.
Later when she drew away, 1t WI
supposed that the liner had bee
floated without assistance.
Cruiser Was Speeding.
!, The Olympic was of Osborne Ba
on the north ocast of the Isle
| Wight enroute for Cherbourg, h
!, first stop on the way to Queenstov
and New York when the accident Q
CURED. An eye witness of the c,
lision said later that the Hawke ";
undergoing steam trials following e
tensive repairs at Portsmouth al
was travelling at great speed VIII,
she overlook the Olympic.
Drawn In by Suction.
The cruiser was passing the lin
, Ito starboard when suddenly Il
Q former drew in and crashed into Il
II steamers quarter about 20 feet fro
b Ithe stern. This witness thought I
e warship had been drawn against t
. other vessel by the suction. Att
q the impact the Hawke drew aste