The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-02
Captain Berry Blames Monroe

Baltimore, February 1.-The steamer
Nantucket, which was In collision with
the steamer Monroe Friday morning,
docked here today. In a written report
to officials of the Merchants and Miners
Transportation company Captain Berry
said that while the Nantucket was on her
usual course, fog signals of vessel,
afterward found to be the Monroe. were
reported ahead. The fog was lying low
ana at times clearer than at others. The
fog signals of the Nantucket were sound
ing at regular Intervals. The fog signal
of the Monroe again was heard and this
time on the Nantucket's port bow. The
next whistles heard from the Monroe
We're two blasts which indicated that the
Monroe was trying to pass the Nantucket
starboard to starboard, contrary to the
rule. Captain Berry said that in an
endeavor to avoid a collision with
the Monroe the Nantucket's helm
was put hard aport to keep to the
right, but the Monroe proceeded at full
speed and tried to cross the bow of the
Nantucket. She succeeded In getting
partly past the Nantuckets stem when
the vessels collided, the Nantucket $
! stem striking the Monroe's starboard bow
forward of the pilot house about at right
angles.
Wireless Communication Established
Captain Berry's report continues as
follows:
"The Nantucket appeared seriously
injured but was maneuvered to aid
in the work of rescue, continually us
ing her searchlight. Wireless COM
munication was established and sew
oral vessels offered assistance, the
first to arrive being the Hamilton,
which conveyed the Nantucket to Nor
folk.
The relief squad attending the pas
sengers was increased by those who
could De spared from attention to the
safety of the Nantucket and under
careful attention those suffering most
from the collision were removed with
the exception of one man, who after
great effort, could not be revived, and
also a Mrs. Harrington, who died after
she had been assigned to a stateroom
with her husband, and all possible
care and attention given her.
ut can be established that the stew
ard stewardess and chief engineer
worked incssantly in an effort to aid
and revive Mrs. Harrington. There was
no attack made by Mr.. Harrington
on anyone and there is no foundation
for this report. After her death her
body was carried to Norfolk and wire
less instructions were given in ad-
vance to take care of it,
MANY passengers of the Monroe re-
ceived on board the Nantucket would
have died had they not been resusci-
tated by the vigorous, prompt and sue
cessful work of those assigned to that
duty. The reported statement indi-
eating that one of the Nantucket's
boats had plug out and was not
equipped with life preservers is proven
untrue by the fact that the Nam
tucke's boats returned with all the
people they could find"
The Monroe passed under such great
speed. according to Captain Berry's re-
port, that the stem of the Nantucket was
bent sharply toward her starboard side
and the Nantucket Slowed around SO that
her port side was scraped by the Monroe
crushing one of the Nantucket's port
boats. The Monroe passed on out of
sight. AT the time of the collision the
Nantucket's engines were running at full
speed astern and had been running so
for some time previous to the collision.