The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-02-04
slipped away into the fog to search
for the Monroe.
Only Scattering Humanity.


Only Scattering Humanity.
Hhey found only the struggling sur
Vivors afloat In the icy sea, cry
ing franUca[ly for help. Many Of
those picked up were utterly ex-
hausted, and unabel to help them
selves. Several had to be hauled over
the side OF the Nantucket with ropes.
Thomas II. Harrington kept his wife
afloat by swimming with her hair in
ms teeth, only to have her die few
minutes after she was hauled aboard
the Nantucket. Lieut. L. p. Curtis, U.
S. A., was recucd, but died after reach
ing the Nantucket
Capt. Johnson Of the Monroe and all
of his officers got away from the sink
ing vessel and were rescued. All OF
the officers and the brew Of both the
Monroe and the Nantucket were held
here tonight to await an Investigation
OF the catastrophe, which will be be-
gun Immediately by the fc,leral steam
boat inspection service.
E. j. j. Ncwby, United States navy.
chief petty officer who was on ten
days leave, intending to spend it in
New York, was among the survivors.
Newly gave the Associated Press an
interesting description OF the acct
dent
Just Before Two.
Judging from my watch, which
stopped after l went into the water,
the accident happened at 1:4S My
watch stopped at :5S and judge that
1t was not more than ten minutes from
the time the boats struck until l was
in the water.
Il was In bed when the crash came
and Immediately grabbed my trousers,
coat and cap and what little money I
had. Almost Immediately the vessel
listed strongly and in going up on
deck. had to crawl like monkey.
THE officers Of the vessel acted
with promptncss and efficiency. In an
incredibly short time all Of the Off
GERS were at their posts and the mem
bers OF the crew not caught in their
hunks were in their proper places.
There was no panic in the ordi-
nary sense Of the word, as used in de-
scribing accidents at sea. There was
excitement, Of course, but the passen-
gers and crew all conducted them
selves, as far as could see, in a
proper manner. Efforts were made
RI 1NDn
very little success. There was hardly
time for anything.
Floods Engine Room.
THE engine room was evidently
flooded almost Immediately, as in a
few minutes the lights we're out and
undoubtedly this caused a greater loss
or life among the passengers than
would otherwise have occurred. Many
unfamiliar with the ship evidently lost
their way in their efforts to get on
deck and were swept down in the
whirlpool.
Many OF the passengers and crew
who lost their lives were evidently
killed In their hunks or pinioncd there
so that they could not escape. The
vessel was struck on the starboard
side just forward Of amidships and
SO quickly did she go to pieces that,
as | was leaving I noticed the paint
on the bulkhcads was crumbling and
scaling off,"
TO the Associated Press Capt p.
Nelson Of the Old Dominion steam
ship Hamilton, which conveyed the
Nantucket from the scene Of the
wreck into Norfolk harbor said:
I'VE were able to do very little, as
the work was all over before we
could get on the scene. Our wireless
picked up S. O. S. at about 2:3O this
morning, when we we're in a very
heavy fog and running quite slowly.
We were 80 miles away, but, only
proceed very slowly, so that it was
4 o'clock when we came within sig
mailing distance OF the Nantucket.
at that time the Nantucket show
ed badly broken nose and the crew
were engaged in putting her in as
good shape as possible We stool
alongside to render whatever aid was
necessary, with life boats and ladders
in readiness and in the meantime on
the lookout for anything that could
be picked up.
"Wc found only one lifeboat and