Evening star., 1914-02-01
BLAME IS PLACED
UPON NANTUCKET
FOR SEA DISASTER
Owners of Liner Monroe Sue
for Million Dollars
Damages.
CARELESSNESS is HELD
CAUSE OF CATASTROPHE
Capt. johnson Says NJ. & NJ. Ships
Speed Made Collision
Certain.
CALLS CREW INCOMPETENT
CALLS CREW INCOMPETENT
Failed to Give Signals Required by
Law of Vessel Travelling in Fog,
he Further Charges.

4S aALACI SudT2eS.
NoKfoLk, Va. January 31.-Declaring
the sinking of his vessel was due to the
negligence and carelessness of those in
command of the steamer Nantucket. Can't.
E. E. Johnson, commanding the ii;fated
steamer Monroe. and acting for the Old
Dominion Steamship Company, fled a
libel against the former vessel late today.
he claims million dollars damages.
The libel was filed In the United States
district court at this point and served
on officials of the Merchants and Miners
Transportation Company. at Norfolk and
Baltimore. which company owns the
Nantucket
Capt. Johnson alleges that the Monroe
was proceeding at half speed or less be-
fore the accident and had laid to after
hearing fog whistles. He says the Nau-
tucket came upon him at such speed
that collision was unavoidab Bile, al
though he had ordered his ship ahead
at full speed to avoid the onrushing bow
of the Merchants and Miners steamer.
Lone Boats Saves zS Lives.
Wireless Operator L. l.. Etheredge Of
the Monroe declared tonight that tie
lone boat launched from the Mont oe
saved twenty-etght lives at one time and
went BACK ."r a second trip.
He says Capt. johnson was in this beat
and assisted III saving the lives Of eight
people.
We picked up Mr.. and Mrs. Harring-
ton, he said. but the latter died before
We reached the Nantucket We also
picked Up the body of a man whom l
believe MAS that of Lieut. Curtis. We
had TWO women in our boat
We tried to launch two other boats,
but one oi them was Swamped. We could
not launch the boats on the starboard
side OF the ship or account of the vessel
careening to that side.
Followed His Captain.
Il sent out a S. o. S. call just before
the ship Went down. [ remained in the
radio room until our current was cut OK.
then sjumped into the lifeboat / fol.
lowed Capt Johnson. Both of us landed
in the boat and neither of US were in
thu water at any time
Capt Johnson remained in the ,ifebo1t
until everybody We could find mad Leen
placed on board the Nantucket
Tells Story of Disaster.
Capt. f. f. Johnson of the Monroe. in
libel proceedings flied against the Nan
tucket. tells the story of how the coli
sion occurred. He says:
'At about lbs O'clock appro ximate;y,
ships time. fog signal of one blast
of a whistle from a steamer was heard.
It seemed to be about three points on
the starboard bow. The Monroe at this
time was heading NE. IL ". compass
course. Whereupon, the engines of tue
Monroe We're Immediately stopped and
remained stopped for about minute.
when bright light was observed about
four points the Starboard bow but
on account of TIE fog it was Impossible
to tell at what distance.
''As soon as this light was observed two
whistles were blown By the Monroe and
her wheel was put hard astarboard,
which was the best thing under the cir
cumstances that could be done to avoid
a collision. and the engines were put full
speed ahead.
Collision Unavoidable.
With the speed of the Nantucket It
was impossible. however, to avoid a COL
lision. and the Nantucket. coming on with
apparently undiminished speed. struck
the Monroe on her starboard side at the
forward overall gangway, just forward
of the pilothouse, the collision taking
place in less than minute after the Nan
tuckets light was first observed. 4 large
hole was torn in the side of the Monroe,
below the water line. The collision took
place approximately thrty-two miles
M nrfl M
The Monroe Immediately began to III,
and seeing that she was in imminent
danger OF sinking. orders were given to
arouse all the passengers and clear away
the l.feboats. In the meantime, the Nam
tucket had swung around the stern OF
the Monroe, and was lying OFF about a
quarter of a mile. The Monroe pro-
ceeded to fill rapidly, and about four
minutes after the collision was nearly
Oh her beam ends.
Lifeboats Get Away.
zone OF the lifeboats on the starboard
side was smashed in the collision, and
another was swamped while being
launched The remaining lifeboats on
the starboard side We're gotten away as
quickly as possible, it being impossible.
on account of the heavy list to starboard,
to launch the port side nfeboats Not
more tillf1 ltil iilffuttS diNSi -at
the Monroe foundered iii about fifteen
Of water. going down in ap-
the same place at which the
collision occurred.
Many of the Monroes crew and pas
sengers We're saved in her OWN boats,
and others were picked up by boats from
the Nantucket, which WAS startling by
and rendering all aid possible under the
Nineteen passengers were
lost and twenty-five of the crew were
lost.
The libellant further alleges that by
reason of said collision lie has suffered
in the total loss OF the said
steamer Monroe. with her stores and mu-
nitions, her cargo and freight. and the
effects of the master aud mariners
aboard, which We're lost well as tho
baggage and personal effects OF the pas
sengers. which were lost and on ac-
count Of the expenses arising out OF. SAID