The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-02-06
NEARLY 100 WERE RESCUED
Big Liner, Running Cautiously in Fog,
Does the Damase-Passengers Quick
Iy Grab Life Belts and 81 Are TAX
en- From Cold Sea by Ship That
Caused Accident.

how forty-three persons went down to
death in the chill waters of the At
lantic when the liner Nantucket ram
med and sank the steamer Monroe
early today, was brought to port to-
night by the eighty-five survivors of
the sunken ships company who were
rescued and brought to shore by the
Nantucket.
1t was a story of awful, sudden
death; of how the stricken Monroe,
with her side gored deep by the knife
like steel prov of the Nantucket,
filled rapidly, rolled over on her side,
and in a few minutes turned com
pletely over and plunged to the bot
tom, carrying with her a portion OF
the passengers and members of the
crew.
Tonight the revised lists prepared
by Captain Johnson who survived the
sunken vessel showed:
Lost:
Passengers 10; crew "a; total 43.
Saved:
Passengers So; crew SO; total 81.
The crash came about 1:40 a. IN.
without warning. Out of the gray
black fog that shut even the waves
from view, the CLEAN of the Nantuck-
cts search light scarcely touched the
side of the Monroe before the high
steel prov of the southwark bound
vessel cut into the Monroes side with
a ripping and crashing of plates and
threw the stricken ship rback The
Nantucket with her bow crushed, back
ed out of sight into the fog as Cap
tain Johnson, seeing his vessel was
fatally stricken, shouted an order for
the life boats. ....
When the crash came those aboard
the Monroe we're safely in bed and
asleep. Only Captain Johnson and
those of the crew on deck were up
and about. But the shivering of the
stricken vessel and her listing motion
as the water poured through the cash
on her side awakened the sleeping
passengers and sent them clamoring
toward the deck. Warned by the Of
ficers, they hurriedly adjusted life
preservers and rushed to the deck.
But the time was too brief. Those
rescued agreed that from the time
the Monroe was struck until she set
tied beneath the waves, not more than
ten minutes elapsed.
Baggage, clothing, valuables, were
all forgotten in the flight from the
STAGE rooms Of the sinking ship, pa
jamas, night gowns, bath robes and
blankets comprised the apparel of
those who reached the slippery up
ended deck before the water trapped
them below. And most of them wore
that garb when they left the limping
Nantucket at her deck here late to.
day.
AS the half-clad, excited passengers
reached the deck they were hurried
and crew. Three of the life boats
from one side of the crippled vessel
were unshipped and gotten away from
the side, freighted with frightened hui
mainly, mostly women, shivering in
the wet and cold in their flimsy night
clothing. BY the time these were away
the Monroe was rolling over on her
side, and it was impossible to launch
the other boats.
With a sudden lurch the liner, now
fast filling with the water that rush
ed through the rent in her plates, roll
ed over on her side, throwing up her
uninjured side and then submerging
cabins and saloons. With a chorus of
shrieks the unfortunates left on the
sinking vessel turned, and crawling
like rats, made their way over the sup
erstructure, through port holes, win
dows and companionways, until they
rested just out of\reach of the waves
on the upper side of the half capsized
vessel. But even this slippery secur-
ity was not long available. With a
rumbling sound, the big vessel shiv-
cred and shook and then plunged be-
meath the waves, leaving her human
freight afloat on the icy bosom of the
ocean.