Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-02-06
Steamers Crash OFF.
Virginia Coast.
COLLISION DURING FOG.
Liner Nantucket Rams and Sinks
Steamer Monroe.

Norfolk. Va, Jan. 81. The story Of
how forty-three persons went down
/. to death In the chill waters Of the At
lantic when the liner Nantucket ram
med and sank the steamer Monroe
was brought 70 port BY the ninety.
nine survivors Of the sunken ships
company who were rescued and
brought to shore, BY the Nantucket.
It was story OF sudden death.
sweeping out 81 the dark and fog and
taking unawares the doomed half hum
dred with the heaviness OF sleep still
upon them. Il told how the stricken
Monroe. with her side gored deep by
the knifelike steel Prov Of the Nan
ticket, filled rapidly. rolled over on
her side and In few minutes turned
over and plunged to the bottom, car
rying with her the Ill fated passen-
gers and members Of the crew who
had failed to get clear Of the wreck.
Under the thick bank Of fog that
hid the heavily running sea both big
ships were making their way slowly
and with dihiculty. The Monroe, with
Captain Johnson on the bridge and =
double lookout peering into the fog
ahead. was edging under half speed
to the northward. having left Norfolk
for New York with q nerve racking,
fog bound voyage in prospect.
@ The Nantucket, heavily laden with
freight, and with but two passengers
aboard, was nosing her way south
ward bound from Boston to Norfolk.
Orders Lifsboats Lowered.
The crash came without warning.
Out Of the gray black fog that shut
out even the waves from view the
CLEAN OF the Nantucket's searchlight
scarcely touched the dripping side Of
the Monroe before the high steel
PROV Of the southwark bound vessel
cut into the Monroe's side with q rip
ping and crushing OF plates. The
Nantucket, with her bow crushed in.
backed out 5of sight into the fog, as
Captain Johnson. seeing that his yes
sci was doomed. shouted an order for
the lifeboats.
When the crash came most Of those
on board the Monroe were in bed and I
asleep. Only Captain johnson and
the crew on watch were up and about.
But the shivering Of the stricken yes
sci and her listing motion. as the
water poured through the cash In her
side, awakened the sleeping passen-
gers and sent them clambering to-
ward the deck.
Warned by the officers they hur.
riedly adjusted life preservers and
made for the tilted deck. But the
time was all too brief. Those rescued
agreed that from the time the Monroe
struck until she settled beneath
the waves not more than short ten
elapsed.
4. Baggage, clothing, valuables all !
were forgotten in the fight from the
staterooms Of the sinking Monroe.
* Night clothing and blankets were
the common apparel Of those who
made the slippery up ended deck be-
fore the water trapped them below.
AS the half clad, excited throng Of
reached the deck they
we're hurried toward the lifeboats by
The officers and the crew. Three Of I
The lifebOats from one side of the yes |
sci were unshipped and got away
from the side, filled mostly with wom-
en-, shiyering In the wet and cold In
their fiimsy night. clothing.
Unable TO Launch Other Boats.
BY the time these we're away the
Monroe was rolling over on her side
and 1t was impossible to launch the
other boats. s5., &, & B.
with sudden lurch the liner, now
last filling with the water that rushed
through the rent in her plates, rolled
over on her side. throwing upsher un-
Injured side, then submerging cabins
and saloons.
With chorus of shrieks the I'M
tortunates left on the sinking vessel
turned and crawled over the super
through portfolios, windows
and companionways, until they rested,
Just out Of reach of the waves, on the
upper side Of the half capsized vess
BEL.
But even this slippery security was
not long available. With q rumbling
sound the big vessel shivered and
shook and then plunged beneath the
waves, leaving her human freight
afloat in the icy ocean.
Meantime the Nantucket, herself i
badly damaged, had stood by and
Captain Berry had aroused his sleep
Ing crew. As the Intellectual rays of /,
The searchlight failed to pierce the
blanket Of the fog Captain Berry or
iered out his lifeboats and one by one
they slipped away into the fog to
search for the Monroe. They found
only the struggling survivors afoat in
The icy sea, crying frantically for help
Many OF those picked up were utter
y exhausted and unable to help them i
selves. Several had to be hauled over
The side Of the Nantucket with ropes.