The New York herald., 1921-12-17
Naval Vessel Caught on
Bow of the Panama in
Darkness.
ONE OF INJURED MAY DIE
Wrecking Tugs Towing War
ship to Port-Injured Are
Brought to Quarantine.

The steamship Panama Of the Pan
anna Railroad Steamship Company
rammed the United States destroyer
Graham late yesterday afternoon
while about four miles off Sea Girt,
N. j., between Barnegat and the Am
brose Channel Lightship. The crash
cracked the starboard plates of the
destroyer, flooding her No. 1 fire room
and injuring six men of the crew at
work there. One of these men was
said early this morning to be in a
critical condition, and may not re-
cover.
AS soon as possible the injured men,
and the others of the Grahams COM
plement, totalling IS officers and en-
listed men, were transferred in small
boats to the liner, where the injured
were put In the sick bay and treated
by the surgeons of the Panama and
of the Graham. The Panama was not
badly damaged, but the Graham was
unable to make headway under her
own steam and was taken in tow for
the New York Navy Yard, in Brooklyn,
by two wrecking tugs sent to the
scene of the accident by the Merritt
Chapman Wrecking Company.
The destroyer was flooded and for five
hours lay across and upon the bows of
the Panama Neither ship had the nee
essary apparatus for removing her. and
she stayed there until the wrecking
4 -
moved. however, she was taken In tow
and thu Panama proceeded to Quaran-
tine with her own passengers and the
crew a<d the injured from the Graham
She was met at Quarantine by the
United States minesweeper Sandpiper
and q naval tug The injured were
taken off and hurried to the Navy Yard,
whence they were sent to the Naval
Hospital.
The ship bearing the injured men
reached the navy yard at o'clock this
morning. The name of one of the men
could not be ascertained, but the Tiers
are:
w. II. Kelly, fireman. 10 years old,
seaman. conclusions of the brain con-
dition critical; may die.
II. w. Clarke, 90, fireman, 1acerations.
Raymond A. Smith, %, fireman, lacer-
ations.
F. w. Thompson. 25. water tender,
right leg injured
j. T. Wright. 10. fireman. lacerations
The man whose name was not made
public was cut and bruised.
Rescue ships stand BY.
The steamship George w. Goethals,
owned by the same company that owns
the Panama. heard the distress signals
sent out by the Panama and the Graham
and stood by the injured vessels until
they had been pulled loose from each
other and there was no further need Of
her assistance. She then proceeded on
her voyage to South America and Gen.
tral American ports. The United States
Coast Guard cutters Seneca and Gres-
ham also answered the signals and stood
by and accompanied the wrecking tugs
when they started for the Nary Yard
with the Graham In tow.
Radio messages for help sent out by
the Panama and the Graham also
reached Coast Guard life saving sta
tions along the Jersey coast. Capt.
Cook OF the Manasquan station sent
word along the beach to the stations at
Asbury Park, Avon. Belmar. Bay Head
and Sea Girt. and life saving crews
put out in rowboats and power boats.
The lights OF the Panama, the Graham
and the other ships surrounding her were
plainly visible from the New Jersey
shore. but reports from the shore sta
tions at midnight said that the life
guards had not returned. Consequently
the people there had no direct informa-
ton of what had happened. AS late as
eleven o'clock last night, however. there
had been no signs of movement by the
lights at sea.
The Panama. carrying 107 passengers
and her crew, was to have reached this
port last night after a voyage from the
Atlantic end of the Panama Canal
The Graham had left New York at noon
for n destination which has not yet been
made public. What caused the collision
is not known. but Il is supposed that in
the gathering darkness between and s
o'clock tho Graham. not seeing the
Panama, attempted 10 steam across the
bows of the liner. She was smashed
solldly on the starboard side. her plates
cracked under the impact and the sea
poured into her engine room.
The first wireless message was from
the Panama and was received at Naval
Communications and the Navy Yard nj
8 :25 o'clock. IL said:
IS. s. Panama in collision off Sea
Girt. Requires immediate assistance"
The second message. from the Gra-
ham. was received at AS. II said
IS o s to Navy Yard and all ships.
s. s. Panama In collision with destroyer
Graham (No. 1922 Ave miles southeast
OF Sea Girt. Collision at 8 40 p. M.
Try TO beach In shallow water. Want
assistance to beach her"
At :55 o'clock the Coast Guard cut
ter Gresham wirelessed her position and
said
Proceeding to the assistance Of Pan
anna. Arrive about 8 :32'
A few minutes later another message
came from the Graham:
"Rammed starboard SIDE. No. ] fire.
room flooded. Ship In no danger o sink
ing"