New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-15
Passengers Praise Com
mander WhoAverted Panic
After Collision at Night.
AMERICAN BOAT HAS
HUGE RENT IN BOW
Was Standing Still When She Was
Rammed in First Trip Through
New Ocean Lane.

The American liner New York, with
twenty feet Of steel plating on the port
side, just aft of her PROV, peeled back
and twisted like taffy. as the result or
a crash at sea with the Pretoria, OF the
Hamburg-American Line. came into
port yesterday afternoon. A sheet OF
canvas covered the rent in the ships
side as she came up the river to her
pier at the foot of West 22d st.
When the canvas was removed
gaping hole extending from the deck
level about twelve feet down the ships
side and some twenty feet in length
was disclosed.
Projecting through the heavy steel
sheetins was a two-ton anchor, torn
from the hawse pipe of the Pretoria
when that vessel backed off after the
mishap.
Ship Standing When Hit.
Captain w. ]. Roberts, of the New
York, said that when the German ves-
sci struck him in the fog the American
/ liner had come to a dead standstill and
was signalling the approaching steamer
TO stop.
There is not mu n TO tell about the
/ collision" he said, when the New YORK
came into :, I. The night was foggy
had beeH-at intervals since before mid
night. We had come to a~dead stop
when that chap came along and hit us.
That is the sum and Substance Of the
whole thing"
Asked how it came that the two
ships, the New York, bound for this
port, anG the Pretoria, headed east.
were in the same track, Captain Rob-
erts replied:
There should be about twenty-five
miles to thirty miles between the east
and west bound lanes, and we were in
the proper track. We were running IN
! the new path for steamers eastbound.
which was the old track of steamers
going west. on account of the ice re-
ported recently the lanes we're moved
to the southwark. 1t was our first run
over the new path.
LAS soon as the fog shut down over
us the bulkhead5 were closed. Six or
seven minutes before the accident we
heard the Pretoria whistling. From
the sound | judged the two ships were
approaching each other, so | shut down.
We were at a dead standstill gy.eral
minutes before the lights of tn fre-
toria loomed up out of the fog.
Stop Signal Sounded.
Two long blasts were sounded by us.
the signal for the other vessel TO stop
also, but the oncoming steamer KEEP:
sounding her regular fog signal"
! The Pretoria struck the other ship at
an obtuse angle, first puncturng the
plates with her port anchor, as she
moved forward at a speed Of not more
/ than four or five knots. AS the noSr OF
the vessel cut into the New York's side
the German ship came to standstil
| and the stern Of the vessel swung
around. Captain Roberts saw that the
overhanging sides Of his vessel just be-
the blow and that all was safe for
good distance above the waterline.
The Pretoria reversed her engines
and backed away, scraping alongside
the New York, splinterlng sections OF
the teakwood rail fifty feet back from
the spot Of first contact.
| Passengers, with a few exceptions, OH
the New York were loud in their praises
Of the seamanship displayed by Cap
tain Roberts Those who were dis
gruntled lost their tempers because
they were not informed Immediately
that the ship had been struck. They
were all quartered on the uppermost
deck and slept through the crash.
When II was determined that the rent
in the side was so far above the water
line that there was no danger, none OF
the crew could see the use of awaken
ing them.
Passengers Praise Captain.
The following testimonial. signed by
all but three or four passengers. was
given to Captain Roberts yesterday:
I'VE. the undersigned passengers.
wish to express our appreciation Of the
wonderful discipline shown by the offi-
GERS and men under your charge when
the issue was doubtful at the time Of
the unfortunate accident In the early
hours OF this morning All passengers
were at once informed and there was
no panic of any sort The behavior Of
the officers and crew made us proud to
/ be on an American ship"
Among those who refused to add their
names to the testimonial were Il. W.
Bowker. a jewener. OF Fall River; Miss
Flora Casncross aud Miss winitrsd