Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-30
Many of Victims Asleep
in Their Berths When
Crash Occurs.
NUMBER RESCUED IS
Latter Are Picked from Icy
Waters by Nantucket, Sur
vivor of Collision.

Norfolk. Va. Jan. 3O.-Forty-eight
soals we're lost in the icy waters OF the
Atlantic al , O'Clock this morning.
rssu the Old Dominion liner Monroe.
rznmed amidship. and practically cut
n two. was sunk in 10 minutes 20
niles southeast Of Hog Island. by the
Merchants and Miners liner Nan
tucket
Fizhty-six survivors. 81 passengers
md IS Of the crew picked from the sea
and huddIed on the Nantucket. which
ras Iimping along with a crumpled
bow toward Norfolk. today, are the
only ones who know all the story OF
how the two big ships. picking their
ray in a fog. one bound north and the
other south. met in a crash near the
Einier quarter shoal lightship-
The lost COMPRISED % passengers
and "a members OF the crew. according
to an official wireless TO the Old Do
uinion Offices here. Captain Johnson
q the Monroe and all his officers but
one are among the saved. The lost
are Officer HedOnd an6 Engineer
Gstely.
Calls Come Too Late.
Calls TO coast stations started every
lTaiiable agency OF rescue into action.
sui not soon enough. While the Nan
t1ekst backed OF. lowered her boats
a1d begin sweeping the sea with
sezrchlights. the Monroe. her passen-
gers pitched out OF their berths in
heir night clothes. sank like a plum
net
In the swirling vortex OF the sink
ng ship. men shouted and women
screamed The Monroe sank so quick
y there was little time for launching
boats. and # is believed the only ones
iaEsd are those picked NJ by the Nan 1
iucket
The lost had scarcely a chance to I
realize that death was upon them be-
iore they we're struggling in the sea I
Tie doomed passengers on the Monroe ]
Fsre fast asleep in their cabins when I
ne vessels crashed.
Slides Under Waves. I
Only those KEEP, awake By the snort 4.
lg sirens that walled useless warn .
inEs through the fog. knew when the .
vessels struck. The rest, thrown from
asir berths BY the collision. had bare
y ume 10 struggle 20 the deck OF the
SINKING vessel before they were plung-
q INTO the water Less than 10 min
lies after the collision -he Monroe
sd under the waves.
Ine IS rescued on the Nantucket TO
aAy were lifted from the icy water
alter the vessel went down.
Both vessels had quieted down for
night hours before the collision.
captain Berry reported that the Nan
..eket conveyed by the steamship
hamilton. was proceedingly slowly and
: -stpected 70 reach Norfolk at l o'clock
'hs afternoon. -
Ine list OF saved. as reported by
Eeiess. Includes James O'Connell.
&c president OF the American Fedora
Ion Of Labor.
Csptain Berry was on the bridge OF
= nantucket as the vessel SKINNED
-.Oash the fog and mist Captain
.sanson kept on the bridge OF the
-onroe- Thus. with sleep spreading a
OF silence over all. the two yes
!. ieit their way toward each other ,
! tie dark.
llfeboats Lowered. I
a. ne Nantucket staggered back &
- - tne crunch OF steel on steel.
~ swung out the searchlight and s
: only settling Monroe Ioomed {
loagh the fog. Uncertain as to the
- Oh MS own vessel. he ordered the c
'eoo@s lowered. Lost from view in 8
= ,og' they began the work Of rescue.
-so only BY shrieks OF the drown
ne boats picked up the survivors.
- NE searchlight's faint glow 4
o-sht-,o view no more struggling fig. S