The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-01-30

Winter Quarter Lightship, where
there Is Mesaving station.
The Nantucket, which was bound
nom Boston to Norfolk, carried pas
sengers and crew Of forty.
Both vessels were going in oppo-
site directions when the crash came.
and both were travelling at reduced
speed because of the thick weather.
But the heavier bulk of the Nantucket
gave ner sharp steel PROV powerful
impetus when she rammed the I'M
protected side of the Monroe.
Nantucket Damaged.
The Monroe Quivered from stem to
stern and rolled drunkenly in the
water. The Nantucket was forced
backward by the impact.
The Nantucket's bows had been
crumpled, and she began to ship water
heavily. Within an hour her condition
was so dangerous that the master be-
gan to fear for the safety of those
on board his own vessel. Sturdily and
heroically worked the sailors on the
under the towering hull of the help
less Monroe, they risked their lives
to save the passengers and crew of
the sinking boat.
The survivors in the first lifeboat to
reach the Nantucket were too excited
and fear stricken to give a coherent
story.
Their tale was brief and tragic.
We were awakened by the crash"
they said. MANY were thrown from
their beds. The ship began to sink
at once. Every one ran upon the deck.
The officers told us to keep cool. They
said that another ship had struck us
but that we would be saved. Then
came a nightmare of noise and action.
We were thrown into lifeboats and
brought away"
Passengers Injured.
Some of the passengers were badly
injured by flying debris. Sailors pick
ed up senseless men and women and
carried them on deck where the res
cue work was going on in the flicker
ing glow of lanterns.
Capt. Johnston was among the last
to leave his ship. When the Monroe
had settled until the water was wash
ing her decks, he called to the remain
ing seamen on board:
Every man for himself now, boys!"
That was the final signal. With
their captain the sailors leaped, TAX
ing chances on keeping themselves
afloat with wreckage until picked up.
Plead for Preservers.
All the while the scene OF terror
was being enacted on the Nantucket
although in lesser degree. The pas
sengers on the Merchants and Miners
ship, aroused from sleep by the ter
rifle crash and hurled from their
berths by the rebound of the vessel,
ran to the decks clamoring for life
preservers. Fighting their way to the
boat deck where sailors were already
working at the davit ropes they plead
ed for places.
NO danger: keep COOL" was the
word circulated by the officers. The
fright began to die out and many Of
the shivering passengers retired to
their staterooms for warm clothing.
When the Onondaga picked up the
"S. o. s." call she started at once.
When the Onondaga arrived she at
once took command of the situation.
On account of the perilOus condition
of the Nantucket it was considered
expedient to get her into port at once
so the Onondaga took her in tow and
started for Norfolk.
The Monroe was one Of the newer
ships of the Old Dominion line. She
was built at Newport News in 1908,
and was equipped with all the modern
life safeguarding appliances. She was
344 feet long and As feet in the beam
and her tonnage was 1900. She was
driven by a single screw.