STRUCK HEAD-ON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11093, 2 June 1914, Page 1

STRUCK HEAD-ON.

BIG LIER HITS ICEBERG.

CLOSE SHAVE IN CABOT STRAIT.

BOWS BUCKLED BUT NO LEAK.

By Telegraph—Piqss Association—Copyright. LONDON, June I. The Royal Edward had a. great welusme afAvermflu't'i- - Tic declare jhat Captain Wootlon'a pinmptitudo averted a disaster in Cabot Strait. ' The vessel had reduced her speed owing to thn Euipresh of Ireland's tireless warning. An iceberg was seen two thousand yards distant. Captain Wuotlon reversed the engines, but the ship struck head on. The boats, were Mvung mil • The pa*seuKeis were mustered, and some were placed in tho boats, but the ship did not leak, though her bows were badly buckled. The Royal Edward is an. 11, turbine steamer owned by .the Cana-dian-Northern Steamships, Ltd. bliqwas originally the Cairo,, and she arid her sister ship, tho Heliopohs, were built six vears ago for the Ivhedivial Steamship Company, to run between Marseilles and Alexandria. Ihe company failed, and the vessels were sold. The' Roval. Edward, was built, by die ■builders'of the Empress of Ireland-tho-Fairfield Shipbuilding -Compan?, Govnn.' ■-■■■ " !

■ Ho¥7 THE:TEIITOMC.AYOIDE!) ;HUGEI€EBERGjN ATLAITOC.;; CAPTAIN'S COOLNESS. WITHIN A FEW YA« OF DISASTER IN •. , DENSE. FOG. V remarkable escape from collision with an enormous iceberg which was encountered by the White Star liner Teutonic while crossing the Atlantic from Canada was reported on the arrival of the steamer at Liverpool. In the' course of her passage Jhe; liner was delayed off both the Newioiiudlaud and the English coasts by tog, which prevented her from making her usual fast. time. Some fog was encountered when off the Newfoundland Banks', and.'speed was "slackened for a while until a cleaver atmosphere was reached. - ' ~ , The passage through the btraits oi Belle Isle was made, in safety,.and the steamer was reported 172 miles east of Belle Isle. It .was., hereabouts that a bank of ihick white fog was encountered. Captain James immediately gave orders for the speed of the vessel to be reduced "until her progress was so slow that- she was only just making heacl■wav A strict look-out was kept by W> men. in th» crow's-nest and two men and an officer at the forecastle bend, in addition, to • Captain James and other officers on the hridcro. So douse was the fog. which enshrouded the ship like a ■ huso . white blanket, tn-'t'ic was imnossible to see more than a' few vards ahead. This condition of affairs "lasted tbroti'diout .the wholo i of the day. In the afternoon a warning tint ice was about was" received from a pnsvii;o- steamer, and.'tho bitterly cold atmosphere confirmed the tact. FULL SPEED' ASTESN.. Most of the passengers were below in the well-heated.apartments, passing the time awav by singing and reading, when "at'abntit ball-past' throe,, rhe officer posted on the forecastle bead made a frantic rush across the deck to report to Captain James that, an enormous iceberg'bad. been .sighted, right ahead. Captain-James promptly ordered t lie helm hard anort and the engines full speed astern- The liner quickly responded, moving away in the right direction and allowing, the iceberg to pass on the port side. Owing to the density of .tie. fog. it was not until jthe-icebsrs was almost on top. of thsm that the look-out mfea obprasd it. Sore© idea of ths enormous size of ths berg mav-bo obtained from the, feet, ds testified to by passengers and members of the crew! that it towered'above | the bbat'dcek of- the • Teutonic. It I parsed within, a few yard* 'of the'liner's i-sieni as she >--heered--off-.-and if.--\viis | obvious that the captain's orders Lad i been given iioL-a-moin'ei'it too-soon.