COLLISION.

Waikato Times, Issue 12186, 22 September 1911, Page 5

COLLISION.

LINER AND CRUISER. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. NO PANIC. RETURN TO PORT. (Per Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received Sept. 21, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21. The Olympic was passing Cowes for Cherbourg and New York with 3000 souls aboard, 732 being first class passengers, including a dozen millionaires, when the cruiser Hawk overtook her in drizzling rain, and steaming alongside slowed down to pass astern. She was apparently drawn by suction and crashed into the Olympic's starboard side. There was no panic. The collision doors were promptly closed and the cruiser returned to Portsmouth with her fore compartments filled. The Olympic returned slowly to Southampton with her plates badly buckled, leading to a huge gap, and with a distinct list. LATER. TERRIFIC IMPACT. NEARLY TURNED TURTLE. FAULTY STEERING GEAR. (Received Sept. 21, 10.15 p.m.t LONDON, Sept. 21. The impact was terrific, the crash being like the report of a heavy gun, which was heard a mile away Forty feet of the Olympic's plates were torn, the cruiser's stern penetrating the second-class cabins. The Hawk looked like turning turtle, but quickly righted herself. Her stern was smashed from the water line back to the hawser holes. The suddenness with which the cruiser changed her course suggests that the steering gear was faulty. TEMPORARY REPAIRS. OLYMPIC'S PASSENGERS TRANSFERRED. (Received Sept. 22, 9.40 a.m.'* LONDON, Sept. 21. The Olympic, after effecting temporary repairs, goes to Belfast to be refitted, the passengers being transferred tc other .steamers.