ATLANTIC PERILS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 100, 26 April 1912, Page 2

ATLANTIC PERILS.

EARLY EZMrSISCES'CES. Mr._J. C. Helmore writes reminiscently ci some early experiences in Atlantic ■crossing?, and of tiie fate of two of tire eariie=t liners. Maaj years ago, he says, in- fciw early- days of the-Giinard line, am ■Anierioaa Coiapaay started a line of i steamers called the Collins Line, in com-1 petition with the Cunaxd Line, and to wrest the la-urels from the latter comjiuny, built an up-to-date steamer, probably the President, to compete against and" beat- the celebrated Cunard liner the Persia, a paddle steamer, then and for :years after the fastest and largest liner afloat, which used to do the passage in Bine days some hours, then considered record-time. Both, on their first voyage, rnced across the Xorth Atlantic, the Persia starting from Liverpool for >;*•«■ York and' -the Collins boat from Boston or Xew York, for Liverpool. .- By calculation of time and latitude, it was believed that on the voyage they both struck the same iceberg, the Persia on the eastern side and the American boat on the western. The latter was never heard of again, .and the Persia w?.s so "shattered and i shaken- from stem to stern by the impact that she had to be practically rebuilt. I cirae- pcross the Atlantic in the Persia I ?or>-e time after her mishap. Captain I .jnn'-in?. who was then in command i of the-Persia, and the.commodore of the 1 CViJiart? fieel, to!J mc eVervone - . was, thrown down who \vs,s standin? on the I ship, .Tid people in their berths ■were thrown violently out of th«m. and tons' of 'Cβ fell from the iceberfr on to the' deri-'s. and ft she hid been built of iron, in , fpad -of—ww =h<» Afovild have b<»»n i ci'i'TTTilfri vr> v.hA >nr,"'. It was not the rn*tom for mail steamers, evpn in those; dp-- to 'isr-kPti s"pp«>d thrpat»r, e d ', wi-h rlnnn-pr. for I- TTneTn>>er. when ? ,->iTiT uri c, :. Channel, bptwpen I T—-l-r.,1 <i*»';-] Vp <t!nnd. wp TfTi into so j flf;p, ? f o that -r"i\ oo'ild not' see' i"!'','!' 1 " Jrnorth of _ Hip =hii>. _ and the ' A T^*O"*, ■'OTI Tin -GPTirrpra ot» r>oarn rn-vf no a ) EjTT*nf»ri Ht*»*" +*i«rp TTr* , f>oTli«srtT) if) i f! V p tori. Gf+oen. or tWr*v minrjte* s'nii r?7;r : th = t Httip T heard «hiT>=' Mia a]] ■ m". , ?.' 4 tt* ..""'' some -were so close ♦'hn.t < yon conM fliet'nctlv h°ar voi>e=. v h »'i | c r>** '**»eri it WT 5 TO Pll■ I)'' cir) w ' trL3-t 'W** lifls -linu Tim . SOTT»«»f-TniTie. I fnr- +fipro Tr-ofo shins vi evprv direction. I |V-i-' VJ.-_-.l~e ( 1 ,*■ T *° '"1" Tl = **** i n'ft!e Tfflrt """H I »1 \VK '_ll . I