Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-27
LINER RYNDAM COLL|DES
WITH TRAMP STEAMER
Scventy-Seven Passengers, Saved
From Possible Death, Reach
Port on Battleship.
100000 CARGO DESTROYED
Big Warships Hear S. o. S. Call and
Reach Side OF Injured Liner in
Less Than Two Hours-Neither
Vessel Sinks.

NEW YORK, May 25.-Seventy- seven
passengers. saved from possible death
when the Holland American liner Ryn-
dam collided carly to-day with the
tramp steamer Joseph j. Cuneo, off
Nantucket Shoals Lightship. were
brought to port tonight by the battle
ship South Carolina. which participated
in the rcscues
The Ryndam. conveyed to Ambrose
Lightship by the battleship Texas.
reached the harbor before her pas
sengers arrived. She was drawing
thirty-six feet of water. and much of
her cargo. valued AT 81 .00o. 900. was de-
stroyed. A hole in her side below the
water line was stopped with canvas.
The Cuneo damaged, was proceeding
upon her own steam TO this port
The steamer Thomas j. Millard
carrying friendsand relatives Of pas
sengers and officers of the Holland
America Line, went down the bay to
meet the South Carolina to take on
board the rescued passengers.
The Ryndam left here for Rotterdam
yesterday with fiftyfour cabin and
twenty-three third class passengers.
nc ''t" numbered ABOUT lJV. The
Cuneo left Boston last night for Bara
Goa, Cuba. shortly before o'clock
this morning, in heavy fog, the
steamers rammed each other.
CALL PICKED UP
BY BATTLESHIPS
The Ryndam's operator flashed the
Iirst IS. o. S." at 4:o5 a. NJ, and the
call was picked up almost instantly
by the battleships South Carolina,
Texas and Louisiana The big war
ships headed at full speed through the
dense fog that had envelopcd Nan
tucket all night, and reached the side
of the injured liner in less than two
hours. the South Carolina arriving
thirty minutes before her consorts
The REndam al that time was ap-
proNimately $50 miles east of Sandy
Hook
Officials of the Holland d-American
Line in this city received at 9 o'clock
the following message from the Ryn-
dams master. Captain Van Der Heuvel:
one hundred and fifty miles from
Ambrose. Hold No. full Of water.
Hold No. water gaining. Engine
room water we can master. Am pro-
ceeding thirteen knots. Passengers
aid; sixty crew on board Cuneo. Amer
ican squadron standing by"
At that time Captain Van Der
Heuvel did not know that the passen-
gers had been retransferred from the
Cuneo to the South Carolina.
An earlier message from the captain
expressed fear that he would have to
abandon the ship, as the water in No 6
hold was gaining.
Tho pup1o,,
are numbered from the bow aft The
hrst three holds are forward OF the
engine and boiler rooms
STRUCK ON PORT SIDE
AT POINT NEAR STERN
The Ryndam was struck by the Ceuno
on the portside at n point somewha
nearer the stern than amidships. and
explained a later message from the
captain reading:
"Ryndam l24 miles east OF Ambrose
Channel. 10 a. NJ Tunnel much
strained. but holding OUT
The tunnel mentioned is the shaft
tunnel on the port side. II this tunnel
had filled with water. there would
have been no way Of Keeping water
out of the engine room.
The South CaroIina's report of the
collision was received by the Naval
Radio Station at Newport. r. l.. and
read:
steamships Joseph j. Cuneo and
Ryndam. of the Holland Line
In collision off Nantucket Lightship
Messengers and part crew of Ryndam
were taken off in small boats Efforts
now being made to take Ryndam tc
New York. In response to radio calls
Texas and Louisiana coming to assist
The Ryndam is one of the slowest
vessels in the Holland America Lines
fleet She was built in 1901. She sailed
from her pier in Hoboken at noon or
Tuesday for Rotterdam. Her cargo
which was valued at more than 81 1000
600. was the largest she had ever car.
ried. and was consigned to the Mother
lands Overseas Trust Company, the
commercial agents for the Dutch gov
ernmcnt.
1t consisted OF 266,114 bushels OF
corn, five bags of corn starch, 2o0t
.tContinued on Ninth Page,l