The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-02-07
BOATS IN CRASH,
Al MEET DEATH
MANY PASSENGERS IN ILI.-FATED
Boat ARE TRAPPED WHILE
STILL ASLEEP.
HEROIC RESCUEs REPORTED
Wireless Operator Gives His Life Pre-
server to Girl and Goes to
His Death.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Norfolk, Va.-The story of how A.
persons went down to death in the icy
waters of the Atlantic when the linel
Nantucket rammed and sank the
steamer Monroe was brought to port
by SO survivors of the sunken ships
passengers rescued and brought to
shore by the Nantucket. 1t was a
story of awful and sudden death
sweeping out of the dark and fog and
taking unawares the doomed half hun
dred with the heaviness of sleep still
upon them.
1t told 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 completely over
and plunged to the bottom, carrying
with her the ill-fated passengers anG
members of the crew who had failed
to get clear of the wreck.
The revised lists prepared NV Cap-
tain Johnson, who survives the sunken
vessel, showed:
Lost-Passengers 10, crew %; total
Al.
saved-Passengers 81, crew 81; to-
tai SO.
Comes Without Warning.
The crash came about 1:4O o'clock
In the morning without warning. Out
OF the curtain of mist and fog that
Shut out even the waves from view.
the gleam of the Nantucket's search
light scarcely touched the dripping
side Of the Monroe before the high
steel Prov of the southward-bound
vessel cut into her side with a ripping
OF plates that threw the stricken shin
aback. The Nantucket, with her bow
crushed in, backed out of sight as
Captain Johnson. seeing that his YES
sci was laundering, shouted an order
for the lifeboats.
When the crash came but few of
those aboard the Monroe were awake.
Only Captain Johnson and The watch
were on deck. But the listing of the
stricken vessel as the water poured
through the cash in her side awakened
the sleeping passengers.
Warned by the officers, they hurri-
edly adjusted life preservers and hur.
ried to the tilted deck. But the time
was all too brief. Those rescued agreed
that from the time the Monroe was
struck until she settled beneath the
waves not more than ten minutes
elapsed.
Some Escape in Lifeboats.
AS the excited throng of rassen.
gers reached the deck they were herd
ed toward the lifeboats by officers
and crew. Those of the lifeboats from
one side of the crippled vessel were
nrslipped and gotten away, freignted
mostly with women. BY that time
It was impossible to launch the other
boats.
With lurch the liner, now fast
filling, rolled over on her side, throw
ng up her uninjured side. submerg-
ng cabins and salons. With a chorus
of shrieks the unfortunates left on the
sinking vessel turned and crawled
over the superstructure, through port
holes, windows and companionways
Until they rested just out of reach of
he waves on the upper side of the
half capsized vessel. But even this
slippery security was not long avail |
,ble. With rumbling sound the big
yessel plunged beneath the waves,
eaving her human freight afloat on
he icy bosom of the ocean.
Meantime the Nantucket, herself |
,adly damaged, had stood by and Cap |
ain Berry mad aroused his sleeping |
rev. AS the Intellectual rays Of the
failed to pierce the blanket |
# fog, Captain Berry ordered out his
ifeboats, and one by one they slipped |
way to search for the Monroe. They |
ound only the struggling survivors
float in the icy sea, crying frantical-
y for help.
Many of those picked up were utter