COLLISION BETWEEN ATLANTIC STEAMERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 147, 24 June 1887, Page 2

COLLISION BETWEEN ATLANTIC STEAMERS.

The Celtic Buns into the Britannic.

SEVERAL STEERAGE PASSENGERS KILLED.

On Thursday, May 19bh, at 7.25 p.m., when the weather was calm and the sea smooth, the British steamer Celtic, of the White Star line, from Liverpool, came into collision with the British steamer Britannic, of the same line, bound from New York for Liverpool, striking her on the port side aft and doing considerable damage. The Britannic's boats were lowered and filled with women and children from the cabin and steerage in an orderly and expeditious manner. It is to be said to their shame that several men forced themselves into the boats. Meanwhile an examination was made, and the damage to the Britannic ascertained ; and it being found that the vessel was not likely to founder, such boats as were in hail were recalled and their occupants received on board. The others had boarded the Celtic. A pad was made, and placed over the hole in the Britannic's side, and she was turned about toward New York, having arranged with the Celtic to keep company. The saddest and most deplorable result of the accident is that several steerage passengers who were lounging aboufc at the time, of the collision were killed and several others were injured. Both vesbels, accompanied by the steamship Marengo (British), from Swansea for New York, and the British Queen (British), from Liverpool for New York, returned to New York. The Celtic's bow is stove in, but otherwise the vessel is not much damaged. The Britannic's aft compartment is full of water. The Celtic left Queenstown on May 13th with about 1,000 passengers aboard, and the Britannic left her pier at West Tenthstreet at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, with about 180 cabin passengers, mostly pleasureseekers and tourists; about 300 people in the steerage, and a miscellaneous cargo. Outside the Hook she encountered fog at intervals, which increased in density. As the afternoon on Thursday wore on, the vessel was making about 16 knots an hour, and from all accounts was blowing her whistle at regular intervals. Towai-d evening the fog broke up into rifts, but still hung at times thick and heavy on the water. The sea was as smooth as a floor, and the passengers, .both saloon and cabin, were congratulating themselves on the fact, and had up, thought of danger. The decks were crowded, when all at once the hoarse fog'whistle of a steamer, nob. their own, eounded close fa the Britannic, and almost simultaneously with the whistle the high, sharp bow of a steamer, looking gigantic in the mist, appeared on the port side, making almost at right angles for the Britannic. The steamer, was the. Celtic. The lookout and officers on board of her discovered the Britannic at the same instant, when those on the latter became aware of the presence of the Celtic. When the sharp prow of the, Celtic was first noticed looming through.the fog by the people on the Britannic, she was not more than four boat lengths from the latter. The peril of the situation was comprehended immediately, and there were : warning shouts and the rushing" about of terrified passengers, and dire confusion on both vessels. Once the danger was seen, the officers of both ships acted with commendable courage, and to their coolness is probably due the fact that the loss of life was not greater than it was. While the signal to go ahead at full speed rang out, the Celtic's motion could not be checked, and she crashed into the Britannic, striking the latter a glancing blow on - the port side, about six feet abaft of the engine room, cutting a great yawning hole in the vessel and then sliding along to the stern, ripping off about seventy-five feet of iron plating,, smashing her rails and shaking down paifa of the rigging of the Britannic. Three of the lifeboats of the latter were smashed by the impact. The bows of the Celtic were stove in and otherwise she was much damaged. Panic After the Collision. After the shock of the collision the Britannic was the scene of the utmost consternation and confusion. Panic reigned all over the ship for a few' minutes. .Fortunately, the officers kept their heads and the sailors obeyed their orders with alacrity. As always in a crush some weaker than the rest were unable to get through the crowd to places of safety, and they fell and were caught by falling rigging, struck by flying debris, or were jammed and crushed by broken timbers. Those who were killed were mangled frightfully. One report from the company is that four lives were lost, a man and three women, all steerage passengers. Many of the steerage passengers protest that more were lost. The bow of the Celtic crushed in the plating over compartment No. 4 of the Britannic, and immediately after the blow the water rushed iii and filled the compartment. This part of the vessel wa,s occupied by the male steerage passengers and steerage passengers from other parts of the steamer assert that when the water is pumped out bodies will be found there.

Captain Perry,of the Britannie,is the commodore of the White Star fleet. He is a goo 4 disciplinarian,arid all his men, except some firemen, were promptly at their posts after the shock. Believing the vessel was in a sinking condition, Captain perryvgaye orders to have the lifeboats launched, intending to transfer the passengers to the Celtio, The first one that was lowered provoked-d critical situation,..., The captain' shouted out from the bridge that noiie but women should get into the boats first. His orders fell unheeded on the throng of panicstricken men.whocrowded forward in a mass pell-mell, determined to get into the boat at allhazards. Had one-twentieth part of those who tried to get in the boat succeeded they would have swamped it. The cowardly creatures shoved back the terrified women and proceeded to take possesion of the boat, when one of the mates drew a big, uglylooking navy six-chambered ' revolver, and flourishing it in the faces of the mob, swore that he would shoot the first man who tried to get jnto the boat. The crowd fell back and women were hustled into the boat as rapidly as possible. < At the other side of the steamship,, however, the women' were not so well c"hampidned, and many men crawled over the side and jumped into the lifeboats as they were being rowed away. One boat was entirely appropriated by the firemen. ;One steerage passenger, sliding down into a boat already too full, had the rope he clung to cut by the sailors, and the luckless man fell into the sea. He could swim, however, and after bobbing around they threw him a lifeline, and he was hauled in none the worse for his ducking. r Description of the Vessels. The Britannic, with the exception of her sister ship, the Germanic, is the largest and finest vessel in the White. Star fleet. She is 3,174 tons net register, and 5,004 tons gross;' 455 feet in length, 45 feet 2 inches in breadth and has a depth of hold of 33 foet 7 inches. : She is an iron-screw four-masted steamer, and her compound engines .are of 700 nominal horse-power, and : capable of working up to 5,400 horsepower. Water-tight arid fireproof bulkneadßriinfvom top.to bottom of the vessel, and these have self-closing doors and other appliances designed to confine the effect of a leak or jf an accident to that part of the vessel to which the mishap may have occurred. -; / .. -.

The Celtic was built at Belfast in 1872. She is of 2,438 tons net register, and of 3*BBB gross, and has a nominal horse-power of 650. She is regarded as a staunch vessel of the most approved construction. Her length is 437 feet and 2 inches ; her breadth 49 feet, and her depth 31 feet. She has four masts, a propeller worked by a compound engine, and water-tight compartments like those of the Britannic.