Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-01-31
Crews of Both Ships Mute
Until Federal Investiga-
ton is Made.
CHARGES OF NEGLECT.
1l-Fated Steamer Will be Blown up
After Search For Bodies Has
Been Completed.

Norfolk, Va, Jan. 31.--Officers and
seamen Of the steamers Monroe and
Nantucket are grim and taclturn, to-
day.
Bowed under the grief Of tragedy
which sent forty-one souls into eter-
nifty and apprehensive lest the inves-
tigation on Monday brand them gull
ty of negligence in not preventing the
loss of life, the survivors resent in
QUESTION.
Stories accusing Captain Berry, of
the Nantucket, Of carelessness arc
met by counter charges from the
Merchants and Miners line officials,
who say Captain Johnson, of the
Monroe, made errors of judgment.
Norfolk, Va, Jan. 31.-The story
of how IS souls went down to death
in the chill waters of the Atlantic
when the liner Nantucket rammed
and sank the steamer Monroe early
yesterday was brought to port last
night by the 81 survivors of the
sunkcn ships passengers and crew,
who were rescued and brought to
shore by the Nantucket.
1t was a story of awful and sudden
death, sweeping out Of the dark and
fog, and taking unawares the doomed
voyagers with the heavincss of sleep
safll ugcG ;',ts.,y tod ...a@ EtF.e
stricken Monroe, with her side gored
deep by the knifelike steel prov of
the Nantucket, filled rapidly, rolled
over On her side, and in few min
ut.s turned completely over and
plunged to the bottom, carrying with
her the Inflated passengers and
members of the crew who failed ia
get clear of the wreck.
The revised lists prepared by Capt
Johnson, of the sunken vessel, who
survived, showed:
Lost: Passengers, 10; crew, %.
Total, Al.
Saved: Passengers, 80; crew, 60.
Total, %.
officials of the steamboat inspec-
tion service intend to conduct a
thorough investigation Of the coils
son.
II. B. Walker, of New York city
president and general manager Of
tie Old Dominion Steamship Com
p..ny, owners of the Monroe, left
here last night by boat for Norfolk.
One of the most thrilling stories
tcld by survivors was that by Miss
Sally McCombs, whom a crazed negro
caught by the hair III lifeboat, and
had to be beaten into insensibility
before he would free her. She WAS
one of the nine members Of the Mac
aria theatrical company who survive
Miss McCombs owes her life to the
bravery Of Charlie Sutton, native
of Hertford, N. c., and member of
the Monroe's crew. who leaped over
board from the laundering ship and
kept her afloat in the Icy waters un-
Il! they reached one of the Nan
;ucket'S lifeboats.
The heroism and death of Chief
Wireless Operator kuenn was de-
scribed by Captain Johnson, of the
Monroe, in these words:
"Kuehn was standing by lifeboa1
No. 3, and was about to leave the
ship. He had a life preserver' on
l saw him unfasten the preserver
place it about the waist Of woman
and after seeing her safely away
miss his footing and fall overheard
He swan for while in the; cold
troubled waters, but before we coulr
reach him he sank and was gone.NHs
had stuck to the last" sBi7
New York, Jan. &i-Dispatches ado
further touch Of horror to the ses
tragedy off Chesapeake Bay in the
report at Norfolk that the Monroe
was top-heavy, and in an unsea
worthy condition. whereby her rapic
sinking after the collision was .accel
Grated. Ten minutes after she wa,
struck the Monroe sunk beneath tn,
waves. go
Captain James Leyland. superin
tendept of the Old Dominion line. la
ter charged that the captain of tn