The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-02
CHARMED WRECK
TO Be DESTROYED
Danger Signals Mark the Spot
of Burial of Ship Monroe
OFF Hog Island.
Search for Bodies and Recovery
of Treasure to be Prosecuted
Without Delay by Old
Dominion Company.


NORFOLK. VA, Feb. 1.-The
wreck of the steamer Monroe was
discovered by searchers aboard the
wrecking tug /. J. Merritt just after
sunrise today. The buff colored fore.
mast Of the liner. with it's wireless
antenae still intact was seen above the
waves at a point twenty-five marine
miles exactly southwest of Winter
Quarter lightship, and about equal.
distant from Cape Charles lightship
off the Virginia coast The vessel had
righted herself after careening as she
sank and twelve o. fourteen feet Of
the mast shows above the sea
The position of the wreck is direct
ly in the course followed by the
northbound ships of the Old Do
minion company. The Monroe lies
with her bow pointing in the direc-
ton Of Winter Quarter lightship, fol-
which she Was steering at the time
Of the collision. This is taken to in
dictate that the ship must have made
at least one complete circle after re-
ceiving her death wound for after
swung around and struck broadside
blow against the portside of the Nan
tucket. Marks Of this impact on the
hull of the Nantucket and smashe d
port quarter boat aboard the vessel
show this to have been the case.
Immediately the Merritt had To-
Gated the sunken ship wireless mes
sages were flashed TO the offices of the
Old Dominion company in Norfolk
About two hours later the steamship
jamestown, which has replaced the
Monroe In the passenger service oil
the company hove IN sight. The Mer-
,r,S L~,< fs~~< r.
ings with view to ascertaining more
accurately the position OF the wreck
The officers and crew of the James
town. as we'll a. the passengers saw
the foremost, but before their arrival
1t had been buoyed fore and aft by
the Merritt Ten minutes later the
United States Revenue Cutter Onon-
daGa arrived upon the scene.
As yet no bodies have come to the
surface. 1t is usual for the bodies OF
drowned persons to remain below the
surface OF the sea for at least forty
eight hours after heath, but much
depends upon sea conditions. temper
AZURE. tide and wind.
The Merritt sent down a diver as
soon as the Monroes foremost top
had been seen. Owing to a heavy un-
dersea current or undertow he was
not able to remain below long enough
for even the most casual survey OF
the wreck. but II is thought that to-
night in the calm sea which row pre-
walls off the capes. that divers may
be sent TO the bottom and a complete
review of the situation obtained. The
Merritt Is equipped with the necessa ~
apparatus for undersea lighting, and
work will be pursued at any time that
the tide conditions are favorable,
20 tr,t1
company here Assistant General Man
ager Edward f. Palen said tonight;
THE most necessary thing to us
now is the recovery of the bodies oil
the victims. We are convinced thai
few of the drowned passengers or
members of the crew were caught be-
low. From the testimony of survi-
vors. BY a process of induction and
elimination we have found that more
than half of the missing men and wo-
men were seen on deck after the ac-
cident The firemen and coal passers
on watch. for example, all escaped
from the fire room. 1t Is a fact of sea
conditions that men coming into q
swelter OF perspiration, and with
blood at top notch heat from working
in the fire rooms are far more apt to
drown quickly than either passengers
or deck employees. The death toll
among the firemen was relatively our
heaviest loss"
The fact that the ship in sinking
righted herself improves the chances
Of the recovery of some of the cargo
and the money and jewelry of the
passengers and members OF the crew
Among the crew of the Monroe
most OF whom have remained in Nor
folk awaiting berths on substitute
Dr. IL 80 a.
action of the Nantucket after the col
lision. or the ninety-eight people
saved from the sinking snip nearly all
were picked up by the two lifeboats
Of the Monroe herself, and six were
saved from one of the Monroe's life
RATS.
The Monroe fioated for only abou,
ten minutes, but the last survivors
were not picked up until nearly forty
Ave minutes after the crash. 1t Is the
belief of the Monroe's people that had
greater haste and activity been dis
played in launching the lifeboats. oil
the Nantucket several more OF the
victims might have been saved.
At the Old Dominion office today
the widow of Wesley Fentress, one al
the fire crew of the Monroe. appeared
Her son, coal passer, had beer
saved but her husband had been
drowned She told the companx's
agents that she was in deepest dis
tress.
las soon as the federal investiga-
ton clears Captain Johnson" said
Assistant General Manager Palen to-
day. ''he shall be restored to duty. OF
course. we shall have to replace the
Monroe and johnson will probably he
assigned to command the new vessel
1t will be several months before we
can replace the Monroe. however. fol-
vessels of her size and class cannot
be built in a hurry"
II is likely. according to Old Do
minion officials, that the wreck will
be blown up in the near future,
though no disposition will be made
Of the sunken vessel until It is seen
what can be done towards recovery
OF valuables that went down with her