Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-05-31
GREAT SHIP Sinks;
HUNDRED PERISH
Steamers Collide in Heavy Fog
Off Brittany Coast.
MANY OFFICIALS ARE LOST
Reports Say Twenty Bodies Have Been
Observation-Disclosures IN Signals
During Fog Causes Crash hear
brsst-Few Rescued.

Brest, May 22.-Ninety-eight per
sons are missing and a. We're saved
OF those who were on board the Brit
ish Peninsular and Oriental liner
Egypt, 3.OUO tons, bound from London
TO Bombay, when il was sunk OF the
island OI UshanI IN dense log by "A
collision with the French cargo steam
er seine. according 10 the latest off,
cial figures.
Among those missing are Swo Ameri-
can missionaries, Mrs. NJ. L. Sibiey
and Miss v. ~. Boyer. who were on
their way To India. X. h. Bevan, the
only other American passenger. said
that they were drowned.
Half dozen lifeboats were low
cred by the Seine aud they circled for
hours near the scene OF the collision,
but the thick fog cloud badly impeded
the rescue work and the Seine 'haily
turned toward Brest, giving up as
hopeless the task o. further -escues Ia
the prevailing weather.
Prominent Men Lost.
The Seine sped toward Brest after
receiving wireless messages tina other
craft were Fastening 10 the scene aAd
would sarch TOR other possible sur
yiVOrs and for Jthe bodies.
In the steamers first cabin were
many prominent government officials
and British army officers going 10
their posts. Many o. these are thought
10 have been drowned.
The passenger list contained the
names of women and children of the
families Of these government officials
aud army OIncers. some of whom are
among the dead.
Reports thus far received are vague
as To how the collision occurred. as
the area In which IL happened has al
ways had terror for seamen. The
treacherous character of the coast and
the almost constant succession OF
heavy fogs have made the ocean In
that space a hazardous course.
Ushant, near which the crash oc-
CURED. is 10 miles from the mainland.
The coast nearby Is strewn with
wrecks that have pounded on the
AMNhN VI Nftu NANAAAhS Va WI
lisions similar TO this catastrophe.
Marine men say that the Egypt must
have suffered a tremendous wrenching
In the collision and probably went
down so quickly that there was little.
IL any, opportunity for the launching
Of her own llfeboats.
The Egypt had a tonnage of 7,491
and was regarded as one of the beauty
ships OF the Peninsular x Oriental
line. She carried in her career many
thousands OF officials and officers and
their families TO and from England
and India.
Was Steel Steamer.
The Egypt was a steel boa. built
By Card & Co. I'm 1897 at Greenock.
IL was owned by the Penlnsular x
Oriental Steam Navigation company
and registered under the British flag.
The vessel was 500 feet long and 81
feet wide and had n draft OF "a feet.
The Seine is a steel built and
registered 1888 tons. II was built in
1899 by w. DObsoc & Co, Newc; stle.
and registered under the French flag.
It's length is 90 feet. width 3: feet
and depth 10 feet. Both vessels were
equipped with electric lights and wire
less outfits.
A little over two years ago the
American steamship Rock Island
Bridge collided with another vessel
within a few miles Of the place where
the Egynt and the Seine came to-
gether. No loss Of life was reported.