Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 November 1908 — PERIL 111 A THICK FOG [ARTICLE]

PERIL 111 A THICK FOG

Two Vessels Come Together and One Tears a Great Hole in the Other. SCORES OF LIVES ENDANGERED Discipline and Cool Action Avert a Terrible Disaster. Only Four Go Down with the Sinking Ship—Tragic Death of a Woman Who Resisted Rescue. New York, Nov. 27.—1 n the thick of a fog off Sandy Hook the stout steel freighter Georglc, of the White Star line, rammed and sank the Mgttly laden Panama Line boat Finance, outward bound, with eighty-five passengers, The Finance went down within ten minutes after the collision, carrying to their death three of her passengers and one of the crow. The rest of the passengers, who Included nineteen women and fourteen children, as well as others of the crew, were rescued by the boats of the Georgic and Finance. The freighter was not damaged. Clung to the Sinking Ship. Of the passengers lost one was a woman, Miss Irene Campbell, of Panama, who clung frantically to the rail of the sinking vessel and could not be persuaded to release her hold; nor were the men who manned the small boats able to forcibly remove her. She was seen clinging determinedly as the vessel was engulfed. William H. Todd, third assistant engineer, jumped overboard and was lost. When a roll of the passengers of the Finance was called it was found that Charles H. Schweinler, a policeman of Panama, and Henry Muller, a railrod conductor of Panama, had disappeared, and there is little doubt that they were drowned.

Description of the Collision. The Finance was picking her way down the Swash channel when Captain Mowbray, wbo was on the bridge; heard the whistle of an approaching liner. The Finance was Immediately ordered astern and was slowly backing when the Georgie, in-bound from Liverpool, loomed out of the fog and a moment later crashed into the port side and just abaft the beam of the Finance. The prow of the freighter penetrated the aide at the Finance nearly ten feet, leaving a ragged hole through which the water rushed in. The passengers, a wakened from sleep, rushed to the deck tn a panic and many threw themselves overboard, but were picked up by the boats lowered from the Georgie and Finance. Those who stayed on deck were taken off by the boats before the ship sank. Lobs of Todd and Miss Campbell. The explosion of an ammonia tank drove Todd, the assistant engineer, on deck half blinded by the fumes, and he jumped overboard to his death. When all were thought to have been taken off Miss Campbell was discovered holding tenaciously to a poet in the rail. Appeals to her to throw herself into the water or allow herself to be taken into a small boat failed. Then two sailors clambered upon the half submerged deck, and seizing the terror stricken woman, one at either arm. struggled to force her from her position. A powerfully built woman, bar natural strength seemed magnified by madness, and neither reason nor fore* could break her hold. The man abandoned her only in time to save themselves, the vessel sinking under their feet as they climbed into a lifeboat. With a, despairing cry the woman disappeared. It was only the fine discipline of the crews of both ships that prevented what might have been • terrible disaster.