The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-01

maximum value of the ship, aud
cargo of the Monroe.
NORFOLK, VA, Jan. 31.-BlamO
for the ocean disaster which sent tho@
Old Dominion liner Monroe to tbs
bottom OF the Atlantic with nine
teen of her passengers and twenty
two members of her crew. seems
likely to be fastened to the steam-
ship Nantucket of the Merchants
and Miners Transportation company.
which vessel rammed the Monroe IN
the fog early yesterday Elorning ana
and sent her down in ten minutes
after tho collision.
| This expectation is based on tho
preliminary hearing held last night,
| at which Robert E. Tapley tho in-;
| spector OF steam vessels for this
federal district, examined officers and
men OF both ships at great length.
! Immediately after the testimony
! could be transcribed Mr.. TApley for
warded 1t to Washington.
| The testimony Of the witnesses
| tends to give the Old Dominion ON
GERS a comparatively blameless re-si
cord. It shows that fthe Monroe.
| in fear Of the dangers OF the fog and
the comparatively heavy sea. had
been proceeding at reduced speed for
several hours. They show that hs-
long blasts of her whistle and had
come almost to full stop.
/ R4nAtnG 10 - - lEno4a
! Apparently the Nantucket's ON
| GERS were less impressed with thu
danger of the situation. In the pi-s
! lot house OF the Nantucket were
Captain Berry. the second officer ana
4 the quartermaster The vessel was
| proceeding at but slightly reduced
4 speed. She is not fast boat under
any circumstances, but the witnesses
were in practical agreement that she
was going ahead at the rate Of ten
or twelve knots at the time she
struck the Monroe.
! The heavy cutwater OF the Nam
| tucket ploughed through the Monroe
and diagonally through tho very
heart of the vessel almost to the
engineroom- Indeed, so close did tho
| prov OF the Nantucket come to the
/ engineroom itself that the number
electric lighting in tine ship was
wrenched out of place, and put out
| of use In an instant.
! After day OF rest and recupera-.
ton from the exhaustion. excitement
and the rigors of the awful night
upon the sea the passengers Of thu
/ Old Dominion steamer Monroe today
praise of the gallantry. the unexam-
pied bravery and the universal cool
ness In the hour OF need exhibited
| by the crew and passengers of tho
! sinking ship. Not word OF critic
! cism can be heard.
! Even the few excited and over
wrought passengers who last might
imagined that perhaps they had been
hit roughly handled have come to-
day to the belief that 1t was only
the wonderful GOODNESS and thu seif-
sacrifice Of the crew OF the Monroe
saved full two-thirds OF the passen-
ger list.
| To the negroes to an equal IL not
a greater extent than to the whites
la yielded praise for fortitude and
unselfish daring.
Don't Forget Colored Folks
President II. 3. Walker. of the Old
Dominion company, who. arrived in
/ Norfolk this morning. said:
Don't forget our coiored folks.
From every hand We heard today
nothing but praise for their bravery.
| Several of our deck stewards went to
| the bottom of the ocean because they
dared to give up their life preServ0rn
/ to passengers in instances where they
| saw not a chance Of securing OtheFo
for themselves.
I'VE are proud of these fellows
/ and OF our women too. Tho women
behaved like men and the men hh0s
| heroes. Everyone OF our boys and
| girls will be taken care Of. Every
/ one can have a berth In thu craK-
of the liner that takes the place o.
the Monroe We vill hold their Jobs
open for them. Many Of them hAvA
been in our service for many yoarA
We intend to hold on to them. We
! want Just such employees y
Ship Was Topheayy.
There lies against the steamships
Monroe only one Indictment. She
/ came from the. ship yards to tho
! company. eleven years ago and n1a6a.
a bad record for seaworthinea. bN.s
| fore she was placed permanently In
commission. She was built 'senp%&
heavy" Immediately she had heeM
put in service Of the line here wAoS
an enforced withdrawal OF the vee~.
sci from, the service. Alterations cor
receive In chara ter were made -
fore she had completed q round srtnpS
From her hurricane deck there NA4s
I removed house known a. the Ct
servatinn pavilion. She started ~ III
1.-TWO master. but one Of thu In1Sses
4 was removed to give less welQhss
| above and better balance be3ox t1
/ water line. She bAcanne. thrQn1k
necessity. .sone EfickAF Z q
Since this chRuxa n hsxs r. [SS
i worthy ernf ffSS II5A< ~ =
j yeAfa IN snexine ~ ~ i
MsanE eils in aSa1 x. g. 4