No Time to Escape.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 27, 2 February 1914, Page 5

No Time to Escape.

COLLISION IN SEA FOG.

DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.

[By Eleotrio Telegraph—Copyright" 1 [United Press Association. 1 New York, January 30.

According to the Merchants' and .Miners' Shipping Company, owners of the Nantucket, twenty-five passengers have been lost. The Monroe lost twenty-five of her crew, and thirty passengers were saved. She had a crew of forty-live. The two vessels were locked by the collision. The Nantucket then staggered back, releasing the Moiiroe. The latter backed and sank in ten minutes in the glare of the Nantucket's searchlight. Several members of the Maearia theatrical company are amongst the drowned.

< Captain Johnstone with ail the officers except one, are saved. The Monroe was struck on the bow first, in a dense fog. Only those who awoke through the fog siren's shrieks were able to escape. The Nantucket sent out lifeboats to pick up onany of the figures struggling in the icy waves. Thousands awaited the Nantucket's arrival at Norfolk, Virginia. The survivors were landed wrapped up in blankets and carried to the hospital, many of them being in a grave condition. Thomas Harrington described how he helped his wife in the water. Both maintained themselves on the surface till they were picked up/ The Monroe, after the collision, turned sideways, and many passengers crawled along the rails til' the vessel carried them down to their death. Several persons spent an hour in the water before being aided, owing to the difficulty in seeing them.

Another passenger stated that the crew behaved splendidly. The captain gave up his place in the boat to the only man visible on the deck, then, as there was still room, he en tered himself. *

It was impossible, owing to the vessel rapidly settling in the water, to warn any of the passengers below.

THE WORK OF RESCUE.

New York, January 31

The captain, crew and passengers )f the Monroe state that everyone behaved with great coolness. The captain and eight volunteers launched the lifeboat, which picked up 27 persons. The first officer (Mr Tlorsely) launched a boat with ten passengers aboard, and rescued 2-? persons^

Two of the Nantucket's boats savid 14, and others were saved by means of the Nantucket's life-rafts.

Altogether it is known that 91 persons were saved, of whom the passengers numbered 36. The heavy loss of life is attributed to the Monroe's beam-ending, thus ■u-eventing the boats being launched. The fog was so thick that the Nantucket's searchlight was unable to pierce it. The officers and crew are being detained pending an investigation.

THE NANTUCKET BLAMED.

New York, February 1

Captain Johnstone asserts that the loss of the Monroe was due to the Nantucket's carelessness, and he has filed a writ claiming a million dollars' damages.

Johnstone alleges that the Monroe was proceeding at half speed, but the Nantucket hit him with such speed that the accident could not have been avoided..

Officials of the Dominion line have announced that a search will be prosecuted for all of the bodies.