Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-05-26
GREAT SHIP SINKS;
HUNDREDS 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 Near
Brest-FeW Rescued.

Paris, May 22.-The British steam
ship Egypt of the Peninsular 4 Orient
al line, London to Bombay, was sunk
with heavy loss Of life. 1t collided in
a dense fog with the French freighter
Seine off the coast of Brittany, be-
tween the Island of Ushant and the
port of Brest.
The Egypt carried 800 persons, of
whom only 20 so far as known were
rescued. These survivors were brought
to Brest by the Seine, which also
brought 20 bodies. The Seine was
not badly damaged.
Three hundred persons are listed as
missing and it is feared all have been
drowned. The heavy mist is blamed
for the mixup in signals The fog
prevented the rescue of more than the
- taken aboard the Seine.
Half dozen lifeboatS were low
cred by the Seine and they circled for
hours near the scene of the collision.
but the thick fog cloud badly impeded
the rescue work and the Seine tnally
turned toward Brest, giving up as
hopeless the task of further rescues in
the prevailing weather.
Prominent Men Lost.
The Seine sped toward Brest after
receiving wireless messages tina. other
craft were Fastening to the scene and
would sarch for other possible sur
vivors and for othe' bodies.
In the steamers first cabin were,
many prominent government officials
and British army officers going to
their posts. Many oe these are thought
to have been drowned.
The passenger list contained the
names of women and children of the
families of these government officials
and army omcerS, some of whom are
among the dead.
Reports thus far received are vague
as to how the collision occurred, as
the area in which it 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 hazardous course.
Ushant, near which the crash oc-
cured, is Is miles from the mainland
The coast nearby is strewn with
wrecks that have pounded on the
rocks or have been victims of col
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,
if any, opportunity for the launching
of her own lifeboatS.
The Egypt had a tonnage Of 7,491
and was regarded as one of the beauty
ships Of the Peninsular & 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 boat built
by Card & Co. in 1897 at Greenock.
1t was owned by the Peninsular &
Oriental Steam Navigation company
and registered under the British flag
The vessel was 500 feet long and "a
feet wide and had draft of "a feet
The Seine is a. :, steel built and
registered 1888 tons. 1t was built in
1899 by w. Dobson & Co., Newca stle,
and registered under the French flag.
It's length is 236 feet, width "a feet
and depth Is 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 Egypt and the Seine came to-
lgether. No loss of life was reported.
Both vessels made port.