Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-16
LINER GOES DOWN
IN CHANNEL CRASH
Four Oceana Passengers and
Several Sailors Thought
Drowned.
VESSEL HIT BY BARK
AND SIDE TORN OUT
Accident Occurs as Travellers Sleep
and Panic Delays Rescue.
OTHER SEA CATAsTR0PHEs
Four Lost in Chesapeake Bay Col
lision-Italian Steamer
Wrecked Off
Africa.
Accident Occurs as Travellers Sleep
and Panic Delays Rescue.
OTHER SEA CATASTROPHES

NEW HAVEN, England. March 49,
Four passengers and several sailors are
believed to have been drowned this morn
ing as a result of a collision between
the Peninsular and Oriental liner Oceana
and the German bark Pisagua, off Beachy
Head in the English channel
For some time the lives of the liner s
forty-one passengers and of the $50 men
OF her crew were placed in jeopardy.
The courage Of the officers and the
speedy arrival of assistance, however,
prevented terrible catastrophe.
Twenty-eight Of the passengers were
landed here and nine at Eastbourne in
small boats, but 1t is feared that the
other four were drowned, together with
some members of the Lascar crew. by
the capsizing Of boat which was trans
standing by.
Bound for Bombay.
The Oceana was bound from London
for Bombay. She was proceeding down
the English channel, when, off Beachy
Head, the bark Pisagua, from Mejllones
for Hamburg, smashed into her broadside
on and practically tore the side out of
the steamer.
The passengers and the steamers off,
GERS behaved with great calmness. but
the crew, which was composed of Las
cars, was panic-stricken and delayed the
lowering Of the boats.
An attempt was first made to beach
the Oceana, but she sank quickly.
The collision occurred in the early hours
Of the morning, while all the passengers
were in their berths. The water rushed
In so quickly that the lower decks were
awash In a few moments and the passen-
gers trying to make their way to the
upper dackS had to wade through water
up to their waists.
Lifeboat Swamped.
The first boat lowered was swamped
and the passengers were thrown into the
water, but they all were picked up. The
second boat was just sinking when a
lifebOat from shore reached 1t.
One of the cross-channel mail steam
ers, running between Dieppe and New
Haven, saw the signals OF distress and
Immediately hove to and lowered her
boats. on which many of the passengers
were taken off. 1t was during this trans
fer that one of the small boats was re-
ported to have capsized and that score
of women were drowned.
The bark PiSagua proceeded on her
voyage. with most of her head gear car
Tleu away
The Oceana had on board nearly SIS,
OOO, 600 in bullion. She is one of the old
est of the Peninsular and Oriental liners.
and this was to have been her last voy-
age. She had been running continuously
since 1888.
A dispatch received here from London
says a score of passengers from the
wrecked steamer reached Victoria sta
ton this afternoon. clad only in night
dresses and pajamas and covered with
dressing gowns and overcoats.
Half Of the number were women, most
of whom were in state Of collapse.
Some of them were without stockings or
shoes and two or three of them who had
fallen into the water during the rescue
had been unable to change their cloth
ing.
A few Instances Of broken arms are re-
ported among the passengers who landed
at Eastbourne.
OF the crew of $50 men only thirtytwo
are white seamen The officers, including
the captain and $50 Lascars were landed
at New Haven, while others landed at
Eastbourne, but their exact number has
not been ascertained.