New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-16
SINKING SHIP SAVED
PY CAPTAINS ACT
Speeds Disabled Fruiter to
shoal-English Cruiser
Offers Aid.
WOMEN IN LIFEBOATS
SING "TIPPERARY"
Harbor Craft Bring Travellers
to City-$5OO,OOO in
Gold Aboard.

IN her first voyage TO this port fly
%, the American flag the United Fruit
sp,nship Metspan was rammed and
,vpk in fog yesterday off Buoy No. ?,
=, The entrance Of the Ambrose Chan
,sl The freighter Iowan. of the Amer
isn Hawaiian Line, outbound for the
Pacific Coast, by way of the Panama
Canal. was the vessel that hit her.
No lives were lost, and no one was
injured. There was no panic, and quick
thinking on the part Of Captain Harry
SPENCER Of the Metspan was largely re-
pOpsible for the quick grounding Of
his vessel, which makes it possible to
mive her.
The fOg, which was the primary
cause Of the collision. kept at least fif-
teen vessels anchored in the vicinity Of
iAs lightship. and there was an sbun-
dance Of help at hand when the Meta
par was nit.
The fruiter. which left Kingston,
Ismscs, FIVE days ago on her way to
this city from Caribbean ports, had
ptssd I'd her pilot at 3 p. She en-
tered the channel cautious, and had
Just nme off Buoy No. 2 when, about
100 Yards ahead, the Iowsn loomed up
out Of the mist. The Metapan was
i,sdng approximately north, and the
eEsn south-southeast when the ves-
Ns sighted each other. Captain
spencer signalled his engine room to
stop engines and followed it up with
The signal to reverse full speed astern.
Metapan Tried to Escape.
According to his officers, he signalled
70 the lowan that he was reversing,
bit for some inexplicable reason the
approaching ship is said to have con-
iinusd on her course. A desperate ef-
fort was made by tn Metapan to get
out Of harms way, but she could not
avoid the big freighter, which hit her
hard on the port side, just forward of
the bridge The Iowan's stem crushed in
hsr sides as il they had been made Of
paper.
Firmly the freighter's stem wedged
.nio the fruiter about eight feet, max
ing q gap about ten feet wide. The
steel bow Of the intruder smashed the
glory hole and its sleeping accOmmoda-
ions for the crew into bits. but no
nsn were in it at the time. Had it oc-
tVrred at night the sailormen would
have been crushed where they slept.
Hardly had the Iowan struck when
lte Meiapan listed and the freighter
s% jerked out Of the gap made by the
terrific impact. This was augmented by
ihe fact that by this time her own en-
pnes we're reversing, and she was
tagging two anchors which had been
''opped when her master realized that
''Ilision was imminent.
Every one Of the seventy-SiX passen-
sss on the Metapan felt the shock and
'sard the crunching sound as the steel
hates forward gave way. Instantly
zach member of the crew was at his
post Stewards went about assuring
he travellers that, while there was no
niger, they had better go up on the
boat deck and be prepared for the low
snng Of lifeboats.
Meanwhile. the Marconi operator had
'sht out his S o S call, and the British
auiser Lancaster, taking a chance on
'Nlatlng neutrality, steamed within
ne three-mile limit 10 the Metapan
'ad asked if she could be of any as
Ns'snee. Her help was thankfully de-
&ned, for by this time five Of the
sslapan's lifeboats were filled and
'Fered, and ready to pull away.
Captain Seeks Shoal Safety.
Meanwhile the fruiter was settling
y The head, and Captain Spencer knew
we was sinking With splendid judg-
~sat ne put her wounded nose over
ward the nearest shoal, which was
~ay few hundred yards away, and
" iuli speed drove her on the sandy
~ on the north bank Of the Ambrose
.'snhel, close 20 Buoy No. ?. She
WA little more water by the drive,
settled safely. In this position
~ no boats been lowered, the lives
"ery one on board would have
teen safe.
'ae iowan. it WAS said, lowered a
s's and took aboard two of the Meta
Passengers. They were James
!. oesley the explorer. and T. S.
A. gut Meanwhile the steam dredge
..H' 'aH' steamed 20 the Metapan and,
"ng power launch, took in tow
a., |" 'he lifeboats laden with twenty
tsr y. passengers, and steamed back to
ilsS Mallory liner Alamo, inbound
Neston, stood by and offered