The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-02-04

Norfolk. Va. Jan. 3o.-The story OF
how t1 people went down TO death
In tho chill water Of the Atlantic
when tho liner Nantuckt rammed
and sank tho steamer Monroe early
today was brought to port tonight by
81 survivors Of the sunken ships
passengers. rescued and brought TO
shore BY the Nantucket. 1t was q
story OF awful and sudden death,
sweeping out Of the dark and fog and
taking unawares the doomed half
hundred with the heaviness Of sleep
still upon them. II told how the
stricken Monroe. with her side gored
deep by the knifelike steel PROV of
the Nantucket. filed rapidly. rolled
over on her side and in few min
utes turned completely over and
plunged to the bottom. carving with
her the All fated passengers and mem
bers Of the crew who had failed to
get clear OF the wreck.
Tonight the revised lists prepared
BY Capt johnson. who survived the
sunken vessel. showed:
Lost: Passengers 10. crew %,
total 81.
Saved: Passengers 80. crew 60.
total 30.
Under the thick fog that hid the
heavily running sea, both big ships
we're making their way slowly and
with difnculty in the early morning.
The Monroe. with Capt. Johnson on
the bridge and double lookout peer
Ing into the fog ahead. was edging
under half speed to tho northward.
having left Norfolk for New York
last evening with nerve racking.
fog bound voyage In prospect. The
Nantucket. heavily laden with freight
and with but two passengers aboard.
was nosing her way southwark. bound
from Boston to Norfolk. Urged
through the dripping fog. the two
vessels slowly were drawn toward
each other.
The crash came about 1.40 o'clock
without warning Out OF the gray
black fog chat shut out even the
waves from view, the gieam OF the
Santuckets searchlight scarcely
touched the dripping side OF the
Monroe before the high steel PROV OF
the southwark bound vessel cut int,
her side with a ripping and crashing
OF plates that threw the stricken ship
sback.
The Nantucket with her bow crush
ed In. backed out Of sight In the fog.
as Capt. johnson. seeing that his ves-
sci was fatally stricken. shouted an
order for the lifeboats.
When the crash came those aboard
the Monroe were safely In bed and
asleep. Only Capt. Johnson and the
watch on deck were up and about.
hut the shivering of the stricken YES
sci and her listing motion. as the
water poured through ehe cash In her
side awakened the sleeping passen-
gers and sent them clambering to-
ward the deck. Warned by the off,
GERS. they hurriedly adjusted life pre-
servers and made for the tilted deck.
but the time was all too brief Those
rescued agreed that from the time
the Monroe was struck until she set
tied beneath the waves. not more than
n short ten minutes elapsed.
Baggage. clothing. vaiuables were
all forgotten in the Hight from the
staterooms Of the sinking ship. Pa
jamas night gowns and bathrobes and
blankets were the comraon apparel OF
those who made the slippery deck be
fore the water trapped them below.
And most OF them wore that garb
at the dock here this aftrnoon.
As tho haif-clad. excited throng OF
passengers reached tho dock. they
were herded towards tho lifeboats by
officers and crew. Three OF the life
boats from one side o. the crippled
vessel were got away from the side
freishted with frightened humanity
mostly women. shivering in the wet
and cold in their flimsy night clothing
BY the time these were away the
Monroe was rolling over on her side
and II was impossible to launch the
other boats.
With a sudden iurch the liner. nov
fast filling. rolled over on her side
throwing up her uninjured side. sub
merging cabins and saloons
With chorus OF shrieks the un-
fortunates left on the sinking vesse
turned. and crawling like rats. made
their way over the superstructure
through port holes. windows and com
panionways. until they rested. JUS
out Of reach of the waves on the up