Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-17
SHIP OFF SEA GRIT
RAMS DESTROYER
Seven Members of the Graham's
Crew Injured by Big Liner
Panama
CRASH IN CLEAR WEATHER

New York. Dec. Il. Seven scamen,
injured in the collision between the
liner Panama and tho United states
destroyer Graham. off Sea Girt. last
night, arrived hero early today and were
taken to the naval hospital in Brook =
lyn.
The men. all Of whom were Of the
Grahnnl. were W. II. Kelly. Raymond
\. Smith. f. W. Thompson. !. T..
Wright. BENJAMIN MeggisOn. +. A.
Reed and !. Brogcrs. Kelly was most
seriously injured. having suffered con =
'uSsion Of the brain and sends from
Il broken steampipp. The others had
received severe bruises and decorations.
nut none Of them was dangerously in =
jured.
The mru were brought 10 this. city
on board the Panama. which procSpdcd
under her own steam after the accident
win them were brought fifty Scamcn who
were being taken to Charleston on board
the Graham for distribution among
various naval stations in the Southern
states The Graham. attended by tho
coast guard boats Seneca and Gresham
and the tender Snndpipcr. came into
Port several hours after the Panama
arrived
Say Signals Were Mixed
Confusion Of signals was said by thc
Graham's crcw TO have caused the col =
llsi0n. There appeared to be mlsun
Outstanding between the heimsmcn of
the two craft when they met off Sea
Girt shortly after dark. and as a result
the Graham laid her course across the
bow of the Panama. which was on her
way to this city from Cristobal.
The Panama was not seriously dam
aged. but the Graham had a large hole
torn in her port side. For time after
the crash the vessels clung together. and
1t was In this period that the injured
men and fifty shipmatcs were trans
ierred to the liner. The seventy other
men on the destroyer remained with the
ofhcers and worked the boat into the
hHrbOr.
Captain Oakley. the panama'> mas.
ter, realized the Graham had been
lady torn and he kept the stem Of his
vessel in the crack he had made in the
Graham's side. phc crash occurred nt
> 20 L. NJ. and ut . o'clock tonight the
two ships were reported locked together.
the liner virtually poking the low lying
Warcratt out Of the wafer with her nose.
There was only II slight breeze blow
ing and very little sea. 1t also wns
clear and the lights Of rescue fleet that
had answered the $ q : calls were
closing in on the two.
Across Liners Bows
"Glaham is lying easily across our
bow Captain Oakley then wirclcsScd.
Soon aftcrward came the word that
most of the crew Of the destroyer had
been taken aboard the Panama. but
4 1lIn
Graham, was sticking to his shin. A
few Of his men remained with him.
1--WE will render every assistance. "
was the assuring word Captain Oakley
then sent through the air. Tie followed
that with: believe Graham will float
when we clear hcr.''
The liner G.. w. GOethalS. which Jeff
New York in the afternoon for the Canal
Zone. was one of the first vessels TO pick
up the s 0 $ calls sent out by her
sister ship, and Captain Foster. her
commander, raced 70 the scene. He put
his surgeon over the side in n lifCboat
and sent him to the Panama to aid the
latter's surgeon in caring for the in
iurcd. Then he stood by.
Doctors and Nurses Sent
In response to Il radio that had come
from the Graham for the naval hospital
in Brooklyn that medical assistance was
needed, the mine sweeper Sandpaper
with doctors and nurses aboard. wa,
hurried out to the Brooklyn Navy Yard
She was sent rs an ambulance. as navy
men say.
Two wrCcIing tugs of the Merritt &
Chapman Company. the ]. j. Merritt
and the Willard. went out of the New
York harbOr in the wake of the coast
guard cutters. Gresham and Seneca
which got under way from the anchor
age at Tomkinsvilc. Radio report,
from dozen ships at sea told of THEN
having picked up the distress calls an,
being headed for the scene. When they
learned they could render no nSsistanc,
they turned away again.
The Panama was coming to New
York with 107 passengers from the
Canal Zone and the destroyer was
bound from New York to Charleston
s. G.
The Graham carries complement Of
five officers and about sixty five en-
listed men.
Pocketbook Snatched on Street