Norwich bulletin., 1911-09-21
Americans In
Crash at Sea
HOLE STOVE IN SIDE OF STEAM
SHIP OLYMPIC.
MIRACLE. IT WAS NOT SUNK
British Protected Cruiser Rams Into
Her-san Francisco Man Escapes
Through Hole Into Rowboat.

Through Hole Into Rowboat.
Southampton, England, Sept. 20.-
The great steamship Olympic of the
White Star line. which left Southamp
ton shortly before noon today, with
a great crowd of return.ng American
tourists, lies off CaIshot Castle, at
the entrance to Southampton water,
tonight with a gaping hole in her side
as the result of collision with the
British protected cruiser Hawke. For
tunately no lives were lost, and of the
1000 or more passengers and crew of
the vessels not one was injured.
Miracle Olympic Was Not Sunk.
The warship, moving at great speed
followed the liner. but apparently was
quite clear of her. Suddenly the
cruiser swerved in and struck the
liner in the staTboard quarter near
the stern, tearing through q section
about forty feet in extent. The mira
Gle is that the Olympic was not sunk
IS the Hawke is fitted with a ram
specially designed to sink "a vessel in
spite of the watertight compartments
The liners frame stood the shock well,
and the watertight doors which auto
! nnatically closed, held the compart-
ments hermetically sealed.
Warship Badly Used Up.
! SO far as can be learned, the Hawke
suffered more severely. Curiousiy
enough, twelve feet of her upper deck
was twisted out of all recognition.
| The stem appears to be completely
gone The plating was ripped OPEN
exposing the forward torpedo tube, and
| the fore compartment fillec with water.
Everybody Was Cool.
Both ships crews acted with cool
ness and even among the passengers
/ n l. -r7sr
The engines OF both ships were stopped
t immediately and as soon as the water
| tight doors We're secured the engines
| were set astern and the vessels drew
| apart.
Wireless Messages for Tugs.
The Hawke sent wireless messages
| for tugs and remained alongside the
| liner until 1heyS arrived to convoy to
| Southampton water. where she dropped
| anchor to await the turn of the tide to
! enable her to proceed to her dock.
! The cruiser proceeded to Portsmouth
under her own steam.
Seventy Passengers Lsnded.
The White Star company despatched
| tenders for the passengers desiring to
| land, hut only seventy took advantage
of this. The only other passenger who
| landed was Thomas M2gee of San
| rancisco. who. when the collision oc-
CURED, clambered out of the rent in
| the liners side into a rowboat which
| landed him at Cowes. He was the first
to send cut the news of the accident.
Tho Warship Blamed.
Many theories are advanced as to
! the cause of the collision, but generally
the warsnip is blamed. 1t is suggested
! that the cruisers steering gear failed
/ to act. The naval officers and the
officers of the Olympic are withholding
comment until after the inquiry. which.
! ar will ir,stIfI1fa jD0m66i-
ately, is held. The Olympic's Ameri-
can mails will be taken by the Maure-
tania. sailing September %.
Thomas Maeee's Experience.
Directly the collision occurred.
| Thomas Masee, who found himself
| close TO the water line gazing through
| the rent in the OIympic's side, hailed
| d boatman and offered hid three SOW
ereigns to be rowed ashore. In eX-
| planning the incident of his leaving the
r vessel SO hurriedly, he said:
In a Hurry to Get Home.
Il realized that the Olympic would
| be laid up for some time, and my wife
| and | were in a great hurry to return
home to see our three year old baby.
| ! observed a rope coiled up by port
hole and throwing it over~the ship s
! side, I clambered down hand over hand.
| For five minutes | hung there until the
| boat could reach me. The boatman
| made three attempts to get alongside
| before he succeeded and there was
] We had hard row against the wind
and tide to Cowes
To Sail in Adriatic Today
| Directly I got ashore l rung up the
| White Star Office at Southampton and
/ gave them the first tidings of the col
| lision. They We're SO astonished that
/ hey refused at first to credit my story
4 I c11o IaG iy, aol,i
| just in time to book three berths by
the Adriatic, leaving, Liverpool to-
| morrow.
His Wife Worried.
! MY wife did not know of my leav-
| ing the ship said Mr.. Magee in con-
! clusion, and was greatly alarmed as
! to what had become of me-
Hole Big Enough to Stand In.
! Waldorf Astor, member of parlia-
i ment for Plymouth, said that the hole
1 made in the Olympic's side was wide
| enough for him to stand upright in. 1t
| extended from the top deck to the
water1ine, how much further he could
| not tell, but as the cruiser had a ram
! below the water. the damage must
/ have very extensive.
| Prominent Americans Aboard.
Among the passengers on the Olym-
| pic were George 2. Baker of New
/ York, Mr.. and Mrs Richard Croker
! ,Ir., Miss Ethel Croker, Clarence Mac
| kay, Gen. C. F. Henderson. Frank
| Munsey, Mr.. and Mrs McDougall
Hawkes.. Mrs. Daniel Manning Harry
/ Pratt Judson CT the University OF Chi
cago. Gen. Warren Healy, Mr.. and Mrs
| Charles Carroll Mrs. Cornelius c. Guy
! Ter, Sir Frederick Cawley, Mrs. Isaac
| v. Brokaw, Mr.. and Mrs. Columbus
Iselin, Mr.. and Mrs. George E. Ide,
! Prince Jaisinh Gaekwar, w. Rowland
| Gardiner and family, Mr. and Mrs. E.
| Drexel Godfrey, Mr.. and Mrs. Fred
| erick c. Pennfeld, Mr.. and Mrs Bev-
erley Robinson, Dr. and Mrs Gustave
| Seiigman and Mr.. and Mrs. Morton
| r. Patton.