A GRAPHIC STORY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 183, 28 April 1908, Page 7

A GRAPHIC STORY.

CUT INTO RIGHT tO THE ENCINE ROOM. CRIPPLED CRUISER STRIVES FOR, THE BEACH. \ ■ ■ (Reo. April 11.58 p.m.) London, April 27. The Glkdiator Was returning from Pork land to Spithoad in a blinding sfibwstor'm. .When "she iwafc steaming past Port Victoria; well inside the first pointj. at a Bpeed of ton khotS an hour,.vsh'e sighted tWSt; Paiil approaching at a 'tatli'er fastbr sji'eed.\ THE LIN'ER'S CRASHING BOW; When about 200 yards away, the liner gave orders to. reverse engines, and went full speed astern, biit a collisibh was unavoidable. The liner's bow. crashed into th& Gladiator's starboard side,- nearly amidships, cutting into her up to her centre lino, arid cut-1 ting into the engine room. The liner wont astern, and the cruiser began to list heavily. . Tho latter steamed for the boach,. taking ground '"'aboiiis, 40(3 yards from the shore. She then turned completely' on _ her starboard side, her stern being almost dead towards the shore. ■ . HOW tHE GREW FARED; ; When she heeled, a number of . her crew jumped into the water;'. Others were thrown into' tho water, and tried to swim ashore. The rfest of the crew clambered over to the port aide, which wa's ' standing: well out of the water, aiid iemainied. there , until . they were rescued by boats. . , ' Ah inrush of the sea into the boiler-room followed tho liner's backing out from tho 'cruiSer. Somo . sav tho water caused a 'boiler to explode, scalding and injuring many. ■' The closing of, tho. water-tight doors pre-, vented thd Glftdiatb'r foundering. With her fore boilers and engines working at high prossurej;'sho -got' close; in-sliorb; beford .she became Unmanageable: KILLED ON THE BPbT. • A stoker who waS below at tho time'''states that tho first VarYiing was the crash of the liner's bow into. l >the. messfoo'm. , it killed 'a man oh the shot. The crew displayed 1 perfect discipline, quietly awaiting their turn to be taken ashore. ' : / ' ': ■ ThO' linfer's' fire bulkhead averted N very seriou& damag"e, : though ■ her- sterni was ' injured, both ov'or and below tho water-line. > It is known that six of tho Gladiator's brew were. dfowii'bd or died froiti their injuribs. Six' niorO who were irijWbd , fa.roiii hospital. FATE OF THE MISSI|SIG. . Lieut. Graves and thirty, h'ands are missing, and, it is feared, have perished. " The Gladiator lie 6on :a soft bottom in a. sheltered position. It is expected that the salvage operations Will be successful; / i The cr'eW of-the Gladiator, numbered 300. The St. Paul had 500 pas'sensots oii board. .'The; .Gladiator, 5750 tons, is a; twin-screw protected/cruiser, second diss. The . captain ■is Walter I/urbsden, the commander Reginald E, Carr. . . . . .. .. . , Tho lieutenants of the Gladiator.. are 1 G. P..'Graves Geoffrey N. Herisoh (Navigating), Alf. W'. D. j Broughtori (Marines). ~ The American t liner, St. Paul is a steel.tfrihSscrefr, 'steamer 'it 11,62? tons, .built _at Philadelphia iii 1895; belonging to the Morgan 'com-