The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-05-16
Two Steamers Cellides in Hid Ocean and
Oue Goes to Bottom.
ALL ABOARD Was SAVED
With Three Hundred and, Nineteen
Souls on Board, the Ward Liner
Merida Is Struck. During a Fog
by the Fruit Steamer Admiral
Farragut Of Cape Charles.

FafraSut O1f cape CnarieS.
A near-tragedy of the sea, filed
with many thrilling narratives OF hu--
man rescue and escape, occurred off
the Virginia coast early Friday morn
ing, when the splendid Ward Line
steamer Merida, bound from Havana,
Cuba, for New York, with 3f9 souls
on board, sank in thTty-tve fathoms
of water, tifty-fve miles northeast
of Cape Charles, after she had been
rammed by the fruit steamer Admiral
Farragut, bound from Philadelphia
for Port Antonio.
Every person aboard the Merida
was rescued, and but one was injur-
ed, a woman who occupied a room
Immediately next to where the Far
ragut struck the Merida.
The Merida was struck by the
Farragut during dense fog at 2:30
A. NJ, and In five hours was at the
bottom of the ocean, but with her
passengers and crew safely aboard
the Admiral Farragut.
BY wireless the Old Dominion
Steamship Company's steamer Ham
ilton, bound from New York to Nor
folk, was summoned to the scene.
and took aboard the rescued pas
sengers and crew. They were land
ed in Norfolk at seven o'clock Fri
day night.
The Admiral Farragut, which car
ried but one passenger, proceeded for
the Deleware Breakwater, under
convoy of the United States battle
ship Iowa, which answered the wire
less appeals for assistance, and which
was standing by the Farragut when
the steamer Hamilton left with tbe
rescued passengers for Norfolk.
When rammed, the Merida stag
gered away, and it was feared for
while that the Farragut would also
be lost. Wireless Operator Leach
sent out his appeals for assistance:
Meanwhile the passengers and crew
were being transferred from the sink
ing Merida to the Admiral Farragut.
One passenger, Perry r. Benton,
proved himself one of the real heroes
of the hour. Benton is an expert
engineer, and 1t was largely through
his assistance and knowledge OF ma
chinery that the wireless apparatus
on the Farragut lad been
broken by the shock OF
collision. and allowed the calls TO be
sent for help.
This was heard by the Old Domin-
ion liner Hamilton, who at once sent
an encouraging reply.
The Iowa and the Hamilton began
racing to the scene. The Hamilton
won. 1t was few minutes after 8
o'clock when the Hamilton sighted
the Farragut, and in half an hour
was close enough to send out life
boats. The 319 souls were trans
ferred from the Farragut to the Ham
ilton in just two hours The sea
was calm and the work Of rescue,
except for the fog and darkness, was
easy.
The Merida was All feet. hong, 90
feet beam, 35 feetdeep, with a dis
placement of about 10000 tons. The
vessel was only about five years old.
It's tonnage was 5000.
The passengers for the most part
escaped only in the clothes they were
able to get on their backs and some
) left but scantlly clad.
Frank G. Conling, an importer OF
New York, said he desired to enter
strong protest against the action OF
officers of the Merida. He asserted
that they told the passengers TO go
back to their state rooms when the
ship was in imminent danger of sink
ing, and all but the captain, quarter
master and first officer took to the
life boats ahead of even women and
children passengers.