LINER BEACHED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16495, 30 July 1924, Page 3

LINER BEACHED.

IN SINKING CONDITION AT DRYDOCK.

THREE MEN MISSING

ST. JOHNS I , Nfkl., June 20.—N0 trace has yet been found of the three men who went adrift from the Metagama in the fog, shortly after her collision with the Italian steamer Clara Casus. The American coastguard' cutler Tampa and other craft are still searching tor the missing men. The Mctagama lies at the entrance to the drydock, her how being fastened to the deck pier, while she had an anchor out astern. The ship’s pumps gained on the water lust night, with the result that she is alloat in the s,hallow water over .the mud Hats.

A tale <>f panic among 77 passengers, averted by the cool-headed action of officers and stewards and 1 of how a> captain, brought his virtually sinking ship safely into port nearly seventy miles from the scene of the accident, was l old when the Canadian Pacific liner Metagama arrived here on Thursday night, after colliding off Cape Race with the Italian steamer Clara. .Casus in a, dense log curlier in the day. Both vessels, with plates twisted, leaking and, with pumps going, limped into this port more than eight hours after the collision. As the ship came to anchor in St. John’s harbor, she appeared in a critical condition, and passengers implored boats and tugs to take them off. But with time apparently too short for safe transfer, her captain rushed l lie Metagama, towards a- shoal where she was beached oil a. mud bank. CABINS STOVE IN.

The vessels made their way to port through a dense fog off the Newfoundland const. Th,f> Clara, Casus crept in with her forward deck driven back to the forecastle winch by the force of the collision, and l the Metagama. listing heavily to port, with the inrushing water gaining on her pumps, was beached on a, shoal in, St. John's harbor. Both ships reported that, almost miraculously, loss of life had been averted in the crash;, which s,tove in cabins on, the Metagama., which were temporarily empty of occupants. Cool-headed action on the part of the Metagama’s officers averted a panic aboard the craft when the passengers rushed from the. decks after the force of the collision had sent the craft reeling. Further cool-headed action under the supervision of the officers, while the water poured into the forward stokehold, resulted in the filling of the port side bal'kist tanks and the consequent lifting of the injured, starboard side out of the water. The ensuing 30 degreo list to part resulted -in reducing the flow of water into the hold and made it possible for the pumps to keep up the unequal! struggle until the liner was safely beached. ' IMPROMPTU CONCERTS. Passengers highly praised the captain, officers and seamen for their handling of. the situation as they found: their way ashore. During the long race, one sea man, a skilled piper, providing music with a set of bagpipes, the ship’s string band played continuously,, impromptu concerts and phonographs; were pressed into service on the vessel’s tilted decks to help maintain the courage, of tho.se aboard. Although within a few hairs of the collision other ships had offered aid, among them the steamer Rosalind, and all had been made ready for launching lifeboatsi and transferring passengers had the occasion required—the captain did not halt to attempt a transfer m the dense fog. glories somewhat at variance were told by the crew of the two steamers. The crew of tlie Clara Casus, a 4000ton vessel, said that their slpp bad been stopped!, owing to the dense fog, when the crash occurred. Her forehold filled with, water and she made for port, arriving at St. John’s a full hour ahead of the Metagama. RUSH OF PASSENGERS.

According to the crew of the Metagama, she was running slowly through the fog about 9 o’clock in the morning, sounding her whistle every minute, when another craft crashed into her, then whistled thrice and backed aw(iy. There was a- sudden rush of passengers to tlie decks, but through the exertions of stewards and officers order was restored, and measures taken to ensure their safety as the race to port was l>egun. Boats were made ready, and arrangements for transfer made, when, h6urs later, other vessels reached the crippled ship.