Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-02
CAPTAIN OF sUNkEN srGAM.
SHIP MONROE CLAIMS LARGE
sum IN DAMAGES.
NEGLIGENCE ON eA~-- ------el
Failed 70 Hssd Warming sisnaIs-Mes.
roe Had Been erousht % ossd otsp
In Effort to Avoid cs'iisisn-hlan-
tuekst Running st Full Spssd In Fss
Captain johnson Gives Details.


loss OF his vessel was due to the care.
lessness Of the commander of the
steamer Nantucket. Capt. e. e. john
son. Of the steamer Monroe. filed libel
suit against the Nantucket, claiming
$1.00O.o00 damages. Action. was f,ied In
the United States district court, and
papers were served on officials OF the
Merchant and Marine Transportatioa
Company. owners OF the Nantucket at
Baltimore and Norfolk.
In his complaint Captain johnson n.
leges that the Monroe was proceedins
at half speed or less before the acct.
dent and had laid to after hearing. for
whistles. He says the Nantucket caxne
upon him at such speed that a colIision
was unavoidable. altho he had ordered
his ship ahead at full speed to avoid
the blow.
Captain johnson tells tho followins
Of the collision In his complaint:
AT about 1870 o'clock. approximate.
ly. ships time, q fog signal of ono blast
OF whistle from u steamer was heard.
1t seemed to be about three points on
the starboard bow. The engines Of the
Monroe Immediately stopped and 10.
NAMED stopped for about q minute.
when a bright light was observed about
four points on the starboard bow.
AS soon as this light was observed
two whistles were blown by the Mon.
roe, and her wheel wa put hard to
starboard. The engines were put full
a
ever. to avoid q collision. and tho Nan.
tucket coming on with apparently un.
diminished speed. struck tho Monroe on,
her starboard side. just forward OF the
pilot house. the collisloo taAan9 place
In less than . minute after Tho. Max.
| tuckets light was 6rst observed ~
/ large hole was torn In the side OF the
| Monroe. below the watcr Itnc,
| The Monroe Immediately hee0n to
I'LL and, seeing that she wns In i'm.
| minent danger Of sinking. orders were
| given to arouse all the passengers and
| clear away the lifeboats. In the mean
| time the Nantucket had swung around
the stern OF the Monroe and was living
| or about quarter OF mile. Tho
I'Monroe filled rapidly and about four
minutes after the collision was on her
beam ends. One Of the lifeboats on
,the starboard side was smashed in
the collision and another was swan1pe,i
while being launched
| The remaining lifeboa.s on the star.
board side were gotten away as ouick-
iy as possible. 1t being impossible. on
account OF heavy list to starboard. to
launch the port lifeboats. Not more
than ten minutes after the collision the
Monroe foundered In about fifteen
1athoms of water. going down in an
proximately the same place at which
the collision occurred. lF.
Many Of the Monroe's crew ana
passengers were saved In her own
boats and others were picked up by
boats from the Nantucket, which was
standing by. and rendered all aid possi.
BILE under the conditions Nineteen
passengers were lost and twenty tro
OF the crew were lost"
The complaint says the hnancio,
damage can not be stated with accur.
acy at this time but fixes the amount
at s1,0oo,0Oo upon information and
belief"
The complaint specifically charges
that the accident was due solely to thu
careiessness. negligence ind faulty
navigation of those on board Of. and
In charge OF. the steamer Nantucket. !.