New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-14
.FARRACUT HERE AFTER
SINKING LINER MERIDA
Crew and Passengers of Ward
Boat Arrive by Another
Steamer and Rail.
INCL INED TO BLAME FRUITER
Battered, She Gets in Drydock,
but officers Neither Answer
Criticisms Nor Make
Explanations.

ragut, of the United Fruit Company.
which rammed and sank the Ward liner
Merida some fifty miles to the eastward
Of Cape Charles shortly after Thursday
midnight. arrived her Yesterday and went
into drydock in Erie Basin. with a badly
buckelled bow.
Just about the time the gates Of the
drydOck closed upon her. the old Do
minion liner Princess Anne landed at
the companys pier in the North River
the Meridas crew and forty of her pas
sengers.
Silence vas the watChvord on the
Farragut Captain Nader and his men
had been instructed by wireless from
the ships owners to keep num-. md they
followed instructions
1t was quite different on board the Prn-
cess Anne There was plenty Of talk
there among the crew and passengers Of
the Merida. and the greater part of it
was il praise Of captain Archibald
Robertson. the Meridas master.
Although the shattered Farragut had
stood by in the fog and saved the lives
of the folk she had endangered in the
misty night. fhe survivors were inclined
to blame her for the collision The little
fruiter was not equipped TO take care Of
such an influx OF accidental guests. and
her inability 70 supply them with ample
food and water brought forth complaints
from tho survivors Of the Merida
The Farragrt was praised for standing
by after she had dealt the Merida vital
thrust. but that vas the only word Of
commendation she received
Passengers Reused from sleep.
The passengers. practically all of
whom We're aroused from their sleep by
the impact Of the collision. We're not able
g. give accurate details concerning how
It happened but the men on the bridge
who saw the Farragut coming for them
declared that mistake must have been
made in the wheel house Of the fruiter
According 70 William 4. Els the quar-
termaster who was a. the wheel when
the Merida was rammed the Ward liner
was hea ling north. haR east. at a bout
Ii knots. The weather had thickened
a biz before midnight, but was not suffi-
ciently densezto prevent one from see
ing a quarter Of mile ahead. Captain
Robertson was sounding his fog signals
at regular intervals
The Farragut. according to Els. Mas
hidden in fog patch, and the first init
nation he had that she was so close
upon the Merida was when her masthead
light doomed up dead ahead. II was be
lieved on board the Merida that she was
heading south. half west. which would
be a course parallel TO that Of the
Merida.
AS soon as the masthead light loomed
up Captain Robertson instantly shouted
TO the quartermaster TO port his helm.
II was done promptly and threw the
Ward liner TO starboard. changing her
course to north northeast. and carrying
her out of the path of the Farragut.
The Farragut Fails To Do as Expected.
No one on the bridge of the Merida or
in her wheelhouse doubted but that the
Farragut would port her wheel and
swing away from the Merida To star
board. Theoretically, this action would
have enabled the vessels TO clear each
other. or get away possibly with a side
wipe. No one except Captain Nader and
the men who were with him on the
bridge at the time knew what was done
with the Farragut's helm, and they de-
clined to discuss the accident on arrival
yesterday.
Whatever was done, however. did not
avert collision, for the Farragut crashed
into the port side OF the Merida with
terrific impetus. which heeled her well
over to starboard. The Farragut's en-
gines by this time were reversing full
speed astern. Had she been going ahead
at her customary speed Of fourteen knots
II is believed the Merida would not have
remained afloat an hour
There were those among passengers
and crew who declare that the Farragut
struck the Merida twice. She bounded
back after the first blow and raked aft
into the fog The crushing Of the steel
row of the fruiter into the side Of the
Merida was ACCOMPANIED by q roar,
burst of sparks and cloud of smoke
Ii seemed. Il was said as if a shell from
n war vessel had hit her and exploded in
her side.
Captain Robertson. according TO those
who were near him on the bridge. never
WINGED He calmly sent the chief officer
below to ascertain the damage. but be-
fore the chief had made his survey the
cecond assistant engineer sent up word
to the bridge that the Merida could not
keep afoat.
Orders lifeboate Lowered.
That was enough for Captain Robert
son. He knew his ship, and while he be-
lieved she was doomed, he was sure she
would keep afioat long enough TO get his
passengers into the lifeboats. He or
dered the boats lowered and within .wen-
ty minutes they were over the side, ready
for business.
Within four minutes after the col
usion every passenger was out on deck
I'm his nightclothes. Captain Robert
.roo doNVn frnn1 the hridga and