Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-30
PASSENGERS, IN PANIC.
THROWN INTO BOATS BY
RESCUERS; At DROWNED
Continued from Page I.

Junior Wireless Operator R. LETTER.
idge, Chief Stewart ]. P. Sullivan.
Captain Picked Up Exhausted.
That the loss of life, heavy as it
vas, did not reach greater proper
tons was due to the fact that the sea
was calm. The Nantucket had a ten
foot hole in her bow extending be-
meath the water line.
Most Of those saved were picked up
from the water. Many of them were
suffering badly from exposure when
taken on board the Nantucket, and
had to be treated by the ships sur
geon,
Captain Johnson was found in the
water, clutching a piece of wreckage
He was nearly exhausted when picked
up by IL lifeboat. When the Monroe
sank she disappeared completely, with
no vestige of her rigging remaining
above the water. Only scattered de-
bris marked the grave.
greater was due also to prompt ae-
ton on the part of the crew of the
Nantucket, which herself was dam
aged badly in the collision. They
lowered lifeboats with a rush and
picked up many survivors who had
flung themselves into the water when
the Monroe plunged to the bottom
Wireless Tries 10 Summon Aid,
While others of the crew were res
ruing all they could find in the water,
the wireless operator flashed IS. O.
s." into the darkness, summoning aid
for the crippled Nantucket.
The disaster occurred at 1870
o'clock while the passengers were
asleep. Captain Johnson, of the
Monroe, was rescued three hours aft
er the disaster and sent the follow
ng wireless message from the Nan
tucket, which was picked up by the
wireless station at Virginia Beach:
'Forty-nine drowned. Nantucket
badly damaged. Steamship Hamilton
standing by u.s."
1t was later found that only Al
we're lost.
The Monroe was bound from Nor
folk to New York, was feeling her
way cautiously in the fog when the
Nantucket suddenly doomed up out of
the mist. The sharp PROV of the
Nantucket ripped into the Old Do
minion liner, opening an enormous
cash and rolling the vessel over on
her beam ends.
Panic Follows Crash in Dark.
Panic followed upon the Monroe.
Terrified men and women. aroused
from sleep, began scrambling 10 the
decks.
Immediately after the collision the
Nantucket's crew began lowering the
ifeboats, while the vessels search
light was turned upon the sinking
Monroe.
So thick was the fog that the pow
srful light cast only a murky glow,
and the sailors in the boats could
barely distinguish floating objects in
The water Many drowning persons
were located only by their cries.
Within a few minutes half dozen
lifeboats from the Nantucket sur
rounded the Monroe, while the sea-
men of the latter ship were filling
md lowering their lifeboaty as fast as
he panicky conditions on board would
permit.
The horror of the situation was m
,ensified by the gloomy curtain of fog
through which the screams of terror,
he shouts of the officers and the
booming of the fog sirens mingled.
After the Monroe had disappeared
he Nantucket crused about in the
leighborhood searching for other
survivors, but her own conditions
MAS so dangerous that she was head
ID for Winter Quarter lightship,
where there is a life saving station.
v. S. Gutter Rushes to Aid.
Throughout narrowing minutes of
'escue the wireless operator on the
Nantucket continued to lombard the
sloom with help calls.
The United States revenue cutter
Jnondaga, wHioh was lying off Nor
ok, was among the first to respond
md set off at full speed for the scene
If the disaster.
When the Onondaga arrived she at
nee took command of the situation.
IN account of the perilous condition
II the Nantucket it was considered
'xpedient to get her into port at once,
. the Onondaga took her in tow and
ltarted for Norfolk. As she did so
wireless message was flashed to shore
aging that so of the persons on the
honroe had been saved
Comparatively New Vessel
The Monroe was one of the newer
hips of the Old Dominion Line. She
vas built at Newport News in 1908,
md was equipped with all the modern
lie safeguarding appliances.
She was 344 feet long and As feet in
he beam, AMI her tonnage was $500.
'he was driven by a single screw.
After her construction the Monroe
vas put In the coastwise trade, ply
T.fNn