HEAD-ON CRASH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20331, 14 June 1934, Page 5

HEAD-ON CRASH.

British Destroyer and Irish Steamer. SAILORS’ NARROW ESCAPES. (Special to the " Star.”) LONDON, May 11. The British destroyer Whirlw*ind and the Irish steamship Luimneach met in head-on collision in fog in the English Channel yesterday. Both vessels were badly damaged. They were able to reach Dartmouth under their own steam. The destroyer had her bow smashed lown the whole length, and her stem post torn off. The steamship had her starboard bow badly damaged, and reached Dartmouth with a slight list to port. No one w*as hurt in the headDn collision, though two men in the steamer had narrow escapes. In the fog it was impossible for either ship to avoid the collision. They remained interlocked for half an hour, then sngines were astern, and they separated. William Malloy and S. Mobeek were in the forecastle of the Luimneach at the time o§ the collision. Both escaped injury.

“We were off watch,” said Mobeek. ‘and were in our bunks, which were luckily away from the bow. We had no warning of anything until I was shot 3iit of my bunk by the force of the collision. As I looked up J sa.w t*he leek above me come in pieces, and a huge casting of iron was poised above my head. I could not move for fear that this casting would fall on me and kill me, but luckily it jammed. My bunk, which was made of iron framework, was crumpled and smashed; the two bunks on the bow side of mine were twisted out of recognition, and must have been struck by the bow of the destroyer. Anyone in them could not have missed death.”