New-York tribune., 1922-05-22
Peninsular & Oriental's
Ship Egypt Struck by
Freighter Off the Coast
of France During a Fog
23S Saved; 2 u. S.
Women Are Missing
Rescued Say That Indian
Sailors Seized Lifeboats:
Seine, e,ThoughDamaged,
Picks Up Many From Sea

BREST, France, May q by The
Associated Press).-Nearly 100 per
sons perished last night when thu
Peninsular and Oriental Line steam
er Egypt sank off the island o.
Ushant after collision with the
French freighter Seine.
The Egypt sailed from London
for Bombay Friday with forty-four
passengers and a crew Of 29O. A
roll call on board the Seine after the
disaster showed that at least fifteen
of the passengers and eighty of the
crew of the Egypt we're missing.
A dispatch from London quoted
the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
ship Company's officials as stating
that only thirty-eight passengers had
salled on the steamship Egypt. which
was sunk last night OFF Brest. Ths
he company gave out q list Of tho
names of twenty eight Of these pa.
sengers who were rescued and land
ed at Brest On the basis Of these
figures the death list in the wreck
of the Egypt would be ninety.
Two American women, Mrs. NJ. +.
Sibley and Miss Y. NJ Boyer, were On
board the Egypt and are missing. az
cordlng TO statement by Peninsular
and Oriental Line officials in London,
Their home addresses are not known
TO the company. R. F. Bevan, another
American, was saved.
Goes Down in Twenty Minutes
The collision occurred during a dens.
fog within twenty-five miles Of tho
Armen lighthouse. The dinner gong
vas about to be sounded on besrd the
'gypt. Many OF TIE passengers and
most OF the crew were on deck. The
shock threw many persons into the sea
others jumped and number went down
with the ship, which sank in twenty
minutes. The Egypt was rammed amid
ships on the port side.
The Seine, badly damaged, reached
Brest to-day with twenty-nine rescued
passengers, more than 200 Of the crew
aud the bodies of twenty dead The
captain Of the Egypt is among tae
saved.
1t was said late tonight that thers
might be more survivors of the disas-
ter, since the steamer Cap 1rgcon was
nine miles away at the time of the
collision and hurried to the spot and
may have picked up some Of those in the
water who were missed by the small
boats of the Seine
1t also was learned late tonight that
the tugs Naillante and Cannoniere had
landed twenty-five bodies
Charge Sailors Took Lifeboat.
When the collision occurred there
was rolling sea. Some OF those res
cued charged that the Indian sailors
on board the Egypt took to the life
boats immed stely the vessel crashed
so that large number Of the passen-
gers and crew had to shift for them
selves. Those who jumped into the sea
and who could swim scrambled about
for bits Of wreckage to which they
might cling. Mary Of these were res
cued They foatcd about in the fog
after the Egypt went down, calling for
help. The sound of their voices directed
members of the crew of the Seine In
small boats, who were patrolling the
sea, picking up both living and dead
In some instances the rescuing crews
came upon persons clinging to bits Of
debris who let 20 and sank just as aid
for them was at hand The small boats
on numerous occasions sought vainly
in the fog to locate persons making
cries of distress. Among the known
missing are the doctor and chief engi-
neer of the Egypt.
Captains Story Of Disaster
The Egypt was vessel of 5000 tons
The Seine was bound for Havre wher
3. the disaster occurred.
Captain LIE Parzic, of the Seine, II
describing the disaster, said:
az was at my post on the uppel
| bridge Saturday evening at 7 O'Clock
We were fifteen miles from Armer
light. The sea was calm with sllgh
/ swell The fog was veIy dense. wa
listening for fog horns and proceeding
at the slow speed of five knots.
.Tn less time than it takes to tell
great steamer emerged from the foe
Il struck my ship and tore away tn
! forward works and moved on at grea
/ speed. | Immediately ordered our en-
gines reversed.
Guided by Cries Of Despair
"I saw nothing further. But the
began to hear cries Of horror tha
told me of catastrophe. ! went i
search Of the stricken vessel in tn
fog and darkness. l found her !
twenty minutes.
"She lay on her port side. read
to turn over. Water was pouring int
long, deep tear in her side plateI
Cries and walls Of despair were to
heard coming from the steamer.
Passengers were seen running abor
on the decks as the steamer was abo,
to go under.
81 saw man throw himself int
the sea with two little children in h
arms. The shipwrecked people in tn
sea clung to floating debris. l had d
my lifcboats lowered. 1t was partic,
larly perilous work, for we were {
the main path of vessels going fro
the open sea to the English Channe
I stayed at the scene Of the wyes
| until twcpfv tputas oftar Asr.a<