The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-06-15
American Liner Lands $50
thankful Passengers
SAVED BY SKILL OF CAPTAIN
Quick Order During Dense Fog on
Nantucket Averted Another
Sea Tragedy


than ESQ persons on board. all thank
full at having escaped a disaster sim
liar to that IN which the Empress OF
ireland recently was sent TO the bot
tom. the American liner New York. a
gaping hole in her stem. where the
Hamburg-Amerlcan liper Pretoria
struck her IN the fog of Nantucket
early Saturday, reached here yester-
day. As the steamer passed Fire Is.
land on her way into port an impress
sive service OF Thanksgiving. presided
over by the Rev. Francis r. Clark OF
Boston. founder OF the Christian en-.
deavor society. was held. There was
scarcely a dry eye among the congre
cation while Nearer My God TO
Thee" was being sung in memory Of
those less fortunate than the New
York's passengers in wrecks az sea.
That the Pretoria did not strike the
New York at her most vulnerable
point-between the funnels-was due
TO the skillful handling of the Ameri-
can liner by Capt Roberts. When he
saw that a collision was inevitable
the captain ordered his boat full
speed astern, and the order was exc
cuted so promptly from a dead stop
that the great ship leaped backward
| like thing alive The German boat
had reversed her engines, but this
had been done too late to prevent a
crash. and she struck the New York
about so feet abaft the stem. The
New York reeled slightly, but recov.
cred her even keel when the Pretoria,
backing out at the request of Capt.
Roberts. swung around until she lay
alongside the New York with her
bow pointing in the same direction.
Then, while the New York lay with
bare way on, the Pretoria sheered off.
Passengers who had been awaken.
ed by the collision came on deck,
most of them in scant attire and q
majority having lifebelts There was
no panic, although tense excitement
prevailed, until the officers and crew
of the liner had succeeded in assur.
| ing the passengers that the ship was
in no danger when the ships came to.
| gether. The lifeboats were prepared
so that they could be swung out in a
few seconds, but within 10 minutes,
as the Pretoria had pulled away. ex.
animation and soundings showed
that the ship was not making water.
Capt. Roberts had relieved Chief
officer Turner on the bridge at IL O.
clock Friday night. Just after mid
night the breeze died and fog fell
/ over the calm sea. With the coming
of the fog Capt. Roberts ordered the
collision bulkheads of the New York
| closed.
The first response to the signals of
the siren of the New York came a
few minutes after o'clock Saturday
morning in sharp staccato blasts OF
the Pretoria's whistle. The New
York was then stopped dead and
Capt. Roberts signaled with his sir
en-. The Pretoria responded that
she would try to pass the New York
| going slowly Then the bow of the
Pretoria doomed out of the blanket OF
fog surrounding the New York. The
crash followed. Yesterday a commit
tee of the passengers presented Capt
Roberts of the New York with a reso
luton which had been signed by vir
tually all the cabin passengers. The
| resolution said:
| I'VE the undersigned passengers
wish to express our appreciation Of
the wonderful discipline shown by
the officers and men under your
charge, when the issue was doubtful
at the time of the unfortunate acct
dent. All passengers were at once
notified and there was no panic Of
any sort. The behavior of the Off
GERS and crew made us proud to be
on an. American ship"