LINER STRIKES ICEBERG.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10474, 9 October 1912, Page 3

LINER STRIKES ICEBERG.

After a startling adventure in mid-Atlantic the Allan liner Corsican was safely docked at Liverpool. Her hows were ■ badly twisted and dented. Captain Cook, the commander, told the story of the incident that might easily have led to the Corsican sharing the fate of the Titanic. He said that on Monday, Angnst 12th, the weather, which had been moderately clear until 4 p.m. became hazy. Speed was reduced to dead slow, and at 5 p.m. the lookout sighted a large iceberg right ahead. The engines were immediately put astern, but before the ship had got her way she touched the berg with her stem head, setting that back ten feet of the waterline. From that time a fog was experienced for two days, and the vessel proceeded at a moderate speed. As the fog cleared the upper forward decks were bulkheaded as a preventive measure. Immediately after the impact the crew wer a called to their stations, and the boats were swung out, but were not lowered. A few minutes afterwards the watertight doors were closed and signals blown. A wireless message to the Lake Champlain was sent to stand by, but this was rescinded when it was found there was no danger. Two passengers said there was no panic, and that the impact was so slight that it could not be felt below deck. _ On the other hand, Messrs A. D. Bethell, Birmingham, and J. K. Stevens, Cambridge, two Cambridge University men, stated that they were almost thrown out of their bunk. Several passengers were, they state, panic-stricken. The crew were prevented from sleeping in the forecastle after the accident, and on August IB there was 19 feet of water in the vessel. Several people they added, had very narrow escapes. The bell boy had his bunk smashed by falling ice, of which there were 100 tons shipped. Some Italian dagoes, seized with panic, grabbed their money bags, and jumped into the boats, ‘ ‘lf we had taken to the boats, Mr Stevens added, “there would have been no chance of being picked up, for the fog banx was said to be 100 miles wide, and we did not sight a boat until two days afterwards. ’ ’ A largely attended meeting of the passengers was held in the' saloon for the purpose of presenting an address, together with a gold watch and a purse of gold, subscribed for by the passengers, to Captain Cook, in recognition of the skill and care with which he handled the vessel during the emergency. On entering the saloon the captain received a great ovation.