MAURETANIA RAMMED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17567, 18 June 1925, Page 7

MAURETANIA RAMMED.

SMALL CRAFT WRECKED IN COLLISION. LINER DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT WAS HIT. The Mauretania, of the Cunard Line, arriving from Southampton. was rammed in a thick fog off Ambrose lightship recently by a motor boat from which three men were rescued before their wrecked craft sank. Two of them were badly injured. None of the Mauretania’s passengers knew the liner, had been hit, but the impact was sufficient to smash the bow and cabin of the motor-boat. The rescued men said they were William Kerr, of Atlantic Highlands, N.J , who sustained a fracture of the left leg: AYilliam Bush, of Atlantic Highlands, who said he was the skipper of the motor-boat, and who sustained lacerations about the face and head, and . Edward Farrell, of Red Bank, N J , who escaped injury. “ Did you know that you had hit the fastest ship on the ocean?” Farrell was asked. “ No: it seemed as if it was the Bunker Hill Monument or a pyramid,” he replied feebly. John Adams, special agent of the Treasury Department, and other special agents went on board the Maui c-tania-.at her pier to question the three men. Treasury and Customs agents were interested in the case after the Mauretania’s officers reported having heard shots in the vicinity of Rum Row, just before, the accident to the motor boat. They were informed later that a coastguard boat was chasing a suspected rum-runner. Judging by the way the small boat was splintered against the hull of the Mauretania, seamen estimated that it must have been making its best speed when it rammed the liner. According to the rescued men, the motor-boat was equipped with a Liberty motor, and had a speed of thirty miles an hour. They denied that their craft carried any liquor. Captain A. IT. Rostron, commander of the Mauretania, was on the bridge at 4.52 when the small boat rammed the ship. In describing the collision he said: “ The chief officer came to me and said: ‘I think I hear voices calling for help.’ 1 replied: ‘ That’s impossible. There arc no ships about.’ The fog wa.s too thick to proceed to Quarantine. After I went to my room another officer came and said the men on the lower deck had reported hearing cries for help. “ I returned to the bridge and ordered the emergency boat lowered. Ten minutes later the boat came alongside and in it were three men.” Captain Rostron said when he asked the three men how he should list them on the ship's manifest, Buslr replied: “ Simple fishermen." Farrell was asked what he and his companions were doing in the neighbourhood of Ambrose Light at that hour of the morning, and he replied: “ Bottle fishermen.” When asked what he would have done if a Coast Guard cutter had come along at the time of the collision Farrell said: “I’d have been glad. They’d have towed us in. We had nothing on board to fear. The Coast Guard are never where we want them." The injuries of the two men were treated by A. W. Mackenzie, surgeon, of the Mauretania, Preparations were’ made as soon as the ship docked to send them to St Vincent’s Hospital.