CRUISER SUNK BY A LINER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 223, 13 June 1908, Page 10

CRUISER SUNK BY A LINER

S.S. ST. PAUL RAMS H.M.S. , GLADIATOR. TERRIBLE DISASTER DURING A BLIZZARD. s April, 1908, will long he remembered as a black month in the .annals of tlio British 3 Navy. It saw four disasters to British warships, involving the loss of sixty-three lives. Tho catastrophes were: Lives i Date. Lost. ? April 2.7-Torpedo-boat Destroyer Tiger a sunk in collision with H.&t.S. Ber--3 wick during night manoeuvres ... 35 1 April 25.—2nd class Cruiser Gladiator j rammed by American liner St."' Paul in tho Solent during blizzard ... 27 ® April 28. —Torpedo-boat Destroyers Gala ' and Ribblo rammed by scout Attentive, tho Gala being cut in two aDd 5 sunk .. 1 3 April 28.-r-Doiler explosion on board batj tloship Britannia (o injured) ... — j ,Total number of lives lost ... 63 Tho most amazing of tlieso disasters ocs purred on Saturday afternoon, April 23, dur'i 'jig n. terrific blizzard. Tho American liner ) St. Paul, ono of the express mail twin-screw > steamers engaged in tho Now York-South- • ampton passenger traffic, rammed the, 1 second-class protected cruiser Gladiator' off : Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, tore a 40-foot hole in her stokehold, and so damaged her that she was beached to prevent tho total loss of her crew of 300. This timely action unr doubtedly saved scores of lives, for even as the cruiser touched tlio ground she heeled • ?? or ' wounded starboard side resting on. . the ground, thus bringing her deck at right angles, to the sea's surface. • CAUSED BY THE BLIZZARD. Tlio blizzard was the solo cause of tho disaster. As the St. Paul steamed down tho bolent at a speed of ten knots an hour, 1 , . ,"' md howled from the north-west, ana whirling snow blinded tho vision for mors than a short distance ahead. The Gladiator was cruising from Portland to Portsmouth 111 tho teeth of .this gale. The two vessels ■ were opposito Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, nt half-past two o'clock in the afternoon. At that timo the Gladiator was making nine knots an hour. 1< rom evidence given '-at tho innuest on tho identified victims of tho dma'stor, it' soems that the - collision was caused by some misunderstanding as to how tho vessels should pass .each other. This matter/ was onlv briefly dealt with nt the inquest, but will bo carefully inquired into at tho subsequent court-martial. Ifc iu generally be-. lioved, however, that the calamity was caused by. the confusion of tho siren signals in the noise of tho gait;. FORTY-FOOT HOLE. _ Whatever may bo the explanation, the St. Paul struck tho Gladiator on the starboard side 111 the fore" end of tho after stokehold, the vessels at that moment forming a perfect T. .The impact tore a 40-foot hole in the side of the Gladiator lame enough to drive a wagon through. The groat liner's bows drove four or five feet into tjie cruiser's interior, tearing aside steel plates as though they wore of cardboard. The Gladiator's plates aro 110 stronger than those of a liner, for all her armour lies forward, tho vessel baring been designed for ramming. . The St. "Paul ■ remained ciuhcdclcd in tho cruiser for some minutes, and was then ordered to back out by the _Gladiator's capr?? 11 '■ ifc'ohco' tho cruiser began to fill. Only tho'magnificent norve and selfpossession.. of the officers and crew averted a more terrible disaster. CAPTAIN'S COOLNESS. Captain Lumsden, who was on tho bridgo when the St. Paul struck his ship, was tho embodiment of coolness, good'judgment, and ( celenty. :"Closo -all watertight compartments," ho commanded. "Away all boats. Draw all tires." The orders woro transmitted to all parts of tho vessel and promptly obeyed. ' . .. Meanwhile the Gladiator was filling rapidly. Water gushed into tho stokeholds, but tho stokers, remained breast-liigli in water to draw tho fires. Tlio vessel listed strongly to starboard, and was hopelessly doomed, yofc every one of the men 011 board went about 1116 work as if he wero performing routine drill. That, of coursc, is a way they have .in the British Navy. _ Straight for the beach b.v Yarmouth pier Captain Luiiisden steered his ship. Fifteen minutes later she touched ground and heeled over, her wrecked starboard sido being filled ' with water. Her port sido was dry, for in this class of vessel tlio bulkhead doors run, foro and aft, dividing tlio ship into two' water-tight halves.

SINGING IN OF DEATH. Directly the collision occurred, such of tno Gladiator's crew as were not wanted elsewhere mustered oalmly on deck. Standing to attention, tho. men waited their turn to enter the ship's boats. As tho cruiser list- ' cd nioro and moro to starboard, tho men had less and less 6paee. _ Even when she heeled right over strict discipline still prevailed. Scores of men then clambered 'over tho now horizontal gunwale and pei'cliod themselves on the vessel's slippery side. They, had a torriblo time rfljilo they clung to the upturned side of tlio cruiser, being numbed by tho snow and the icc-ccld water.. , 'Then the SOO people on board the American liner, witnessed a never-to-be-forgotten sight. Clustered round their officers,. tho gallant sailors chorused lustily the * wellknown patriotic song "Sons of 1 the Sea.'-' It was an awe-inspiring incident, exciting the admiration of all,_ demonstrating as it', did tho marvellous spirit and unabated courage of tho British bluejaclcot. ' TWENTY -SEVEN DEOWNED. Many of the sailors were flung into the sea when tho Gladiator took ground. These eithor swam ashoro or were piokedup by boats which those who witnessed the disaster on shore speedily launched. Boats wero launched by tho St. Paul, but owing to the vessel hav-. ing to manoeuvre into a position, from, which' her boats could reach the Gladiator, over 15 valuable minutes were lost. . . Twenty-seven of the Gladiator's crow .found a watery gravo. Many, it'is expected, wero drowned in the cruiser. It also is suggested that tho closing of the watertight doors may have cut oif the escape of some of.tlio crow. One officer, Gunnery-Lieutenant'Graves, was drowned. Ho was seen by several men swimming towards the shore, and was spoken to l)y other swimmers, but ho : disappeared.

CAPTAIN THE LAST TO LEAVE. At last all tho men who had taken refuge on the Gladiator's hull were taken off. Captain Luinsden was the last to" leave. " Aren't you giving ashore,'sir?" asked a potty officer. "I must havo another look round," said tho captaiu, and, true ix) the traditions of tho navy, he niado a last survev, and, satisfying himself that 110 0110 was left, was himself tho last to leave tho ship. ' Many are tho remarkable incidents of tho disaster. When the bow of the St. Paul was momentarily locked in tho wreckage "of the cruiser's hull somo of tho bluejackets climbed over 011 to tho dcck of tho liner. One of them, as soon as 110 had planted his feet on the St. Paul's bow, saluted, but he seemed to bo temporarily dazed by the episode. Rapidly recovering himself, 110 saluted again. Then, looking round, 110 seemed to realisi his position, and gasped out: "Oh, my God, what have I done? What will my captain say?" Then 110 jumped back to his own ship. BURIED BENEATH THE COAL. Ono stoker was completely buried in a coal bunker. . Another, a mere youth, at the risk of his own life, stayed behind till lie had dug him out, and so saved him. Tho stem of tho liner St. Paul below tho water lino has been carried away and her plates havo been damaged for about 20ft. abaft of tho stem. Armour plates and a steel bulkhead, torn away from the Gladiator, wcrs found in tho great cavity in the-liner's stem. She returned to Southampton after tho disaster, and was thorc dry docked. Her passengers were sout to Liverpoorfor transfer to 1 another liner. Tlio Glnrljntov i* regarded as a totnl wreck.' Hex guns aad.fittiuga will probably be salved,