Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-01-30
Steamer Monroe, Of Old Do
minion Line, Plunges
to Bottom Of Sea.
FORTY SEVEN DROWN
Rammed by Nantucket Of Same Line
Wireless Calls Received and
Steamers Rush to Scene.

Norfolk, Va, Jan. 30.-Forty- seven
persons are missing and are believed
TO have been drowned off the Eastern
Shore peninsula early this morning.
The Old Dominion line steamer
Monroe, which left here last night
for New York, is at the bottom of
the Atlantic. The Merchants and
Miners line steamer Nantucket. from
Boston, which crashed head-on into
the Monroe, is drifting slowly into
this port with the survivors of the
wreck on obard.
There is a great hole torn in her
bows and a half dozen vessels are
standing oy ready to take off the
ships company in case the inrush Of
water disables her.
The Monroe, about twice as large
as the Nantucket, carried fifty pas
sengers and a crew Of eighty-four.
She was bound for New York. Eigh-
ty-five survivors of the Monroe are
now on their way here aboard the
Merchants and Miners boat
A small crew and only two passen-
gers were aboard the Nantucket at
the time of the crash.
The collision occurred at LAO
O'Clock in the midst of a fog, said by
mariners here to have been the thick
es: in twenty years.
A few minutes later the wireless
station picked up the IS. 0. S." sig
nails Of both the Monroe and the
Nantucket. Fainter and fainter grew
the calls of the former ship
and at 2:l5 the Nantucket flashed
that the Old Dominion liner had set
tied into the waves.
All the passengers and most Of the
crew of the Monroe were tumbed IN
to lifeboats and on to RATS immedl-
ately after the shock.
Capt. z. E. Johnson, according to
meager reports. remained on the
bridge Of the sinking vessel until
dragged into lifeboat by First Of
ficer G.. Horsely.
Shortly after o'clock this morn
ing the Nantucket stopped sending
messages. 1t is believed that the
half a dozen tugs rushed from here
! before 5 o'clock may have met hel
off Winter Quarter and are now at
work repairing the great hole ripped
in her bows. 1t is not believed that
She will reach this port until late tins
afternoon.
Several other steamers are report
| ed standing by to take off the sur
vivors in case the wrecking tugs are
unable to check the flow of water In
to her hold, already heavy with the
influx of the waves.
Those who perished are believed tt
have been trapped in their state
rooms when The Monroe plunged.
Shortly before ? o'clock the fain
crackle of the "S. 0. s." emergenc!
sigma! of the wireless was picked W
at the local navy yard. 1t bore ar
i.appeal for help from the Monroe
Before reply could be made the emer
gency call was repeated, this time
from the Nantucket.
"Come at once, We are sinking
was the burden of the call. The big
revenue cutter Onondaga, lying a
her anchorage, also caught the sig
nal.
"Where are you we will come,
sparked out the reply.
i Back came the answer that tn
Monroe and Nantucket had met, al
! most head-on, about twenty-fiv
miles south of Hogg Island and t
the eastward of Great Machepong
Inlet light house.
While the wireless operator wa
locating the scene of the wreck tn
stokers and engine crew Of the rev
enue cutter had been routed fror
their hammocks and within a few mo
ments after the exact location ha
been ascertained the Onondaga wa
headed out Of the Capes, her fire
room force doubled and her boiler