Show i passengers GERl GERSTELL TELL OF DISASTER southampton april 26 interests Inte interesting resti I 1 ng details concerning the collision between the st paul and the cruiser gladiator in the solent yesterday and of the rescue of the in men en of the british cruiser were told to today by various rious of the passengers on the liner J T hilus ot of london speaking of the delay in lowering boats from the st paul said in res response ponso to 10 our offer of assistance the captain of the gladiator replied that it t was not needed that accounts for the fact that some time it seemed to rae about 20 minutes elapsed after the collision before the st pauls boats were put in the water at that time the cruiser was turning turtle some of tho blue jackets on board of her cried lower your boats As tha vessel heeled overawe over we could see the blue bluel jackeTs ackels climbing elim bing to the uppermost side and those who failed to got get a secure hold slipped into the water the discipline on the gladiator was t we could soe see every man at hi dispost there alere was no excitement on either pablp one would woold have thought it was a moving picture instead of a real disaster it was lucky thai the collision happen edgo close to land that very fact gave the seamen seamed and passengers more confidence 11 the passengers on the st paul who acted so BO coolly during the trying few minutes following the collision could hardly haye bave realized the danger in which they they ac v were assured by the who hurried among thorn them directly tho boats camo came together I 1 that there was no danger but the con 1 of the steamers bows disclosed as aa sile she lies it at the dock shows chows eliut she had a narrow escape from meeting the same fate as the gladiator As it was tho the st paul was more seriously damaged than at first supposed she shipped a groat quantity of df water through her broken plates and from the mo ment she backed away from the wrecked cruiser until she reached her wharf all her pumps were kept going to their full capacity the damaged bows of the st paul indicate that she foicey her nose at least 20 feet through the cruisers side but fortunately the greatest damage she received was above the water line the bow post was buckled while the plates on both the port and starboard bows were crushed in and gaping cracks exten extended dod along the side just along the water line the paint has been scraped away but from that downward there Is no damage although the bolts must have started which would account tor for tho the water pouring into her hold captain passow and the first farst third and fourth officers were on the bridge with alth pilot george cgeorge bowyer the american america 11 com banys regular pilot at the time of tho the accident and the closest lookout was being kept two men being stationed in the bows and two in the crow s nest both a channel and a french pilot also were aboard but of course they were not on duty neither captain passow passo nor any of his officers would discuss the accident preferring to wait until they can submit their r reports to fo the proper officials it is learned however that captain passow is sorely grieved at the disaster this being his first serious mishap A friend who has been much with the captain of 0 the st paul since his return here in speaking I 1 of the collision and doubtless giving the captains version of it said saida that I 1 it could not be avoided 1 the he snow I 1 was vas falling so thickly thit that it was impossible to see a yard thead it was far worse than the th thickest ick es t tog fog the wea weather thero had enad cleared before tho the st I 1 paul left her dock but snow commena com ed to fall agaIn las soon as the solent was wag reached it was then impossible to stop as a very strong tide wai waa running which might have carried the steamer on the rocks the only atter alternative 1 ter tor native was to go ahead and keep the closest lookout and this he ex pla ined was done I 1 had ther the r cruiser been painted any other color than slate she might have been seen parlier earlier and the collision averted but great britain has decided that her ber warships attract less attention when thus painted and what is considered the necessity of weir war purpose has contributed to a serious accident I 1 I 1 from an officer of the st paul who did not wish to be named it was learned that the slight delay in getting out the boats of which some have cony complained pla ined was due to the tact fact that more than two feet of snow fell in southampton during friday night and satur day morning and had continued intermittently up to the time of the accident this had bad to be cleared away be fore the boats could be manned but it took very little time every member of the crew even including the cooks lending a hand the boats when lowered were manned partly by stewards I 1 as it was necessary to keep many of I 1 the able seamen aboard to assist in repairing the damaged bows 01 T to sail all on teutonic I 1 cherbourg Cher bourg april 26 the passengers g 0 r S who were to have sailed by the steamer st paul for new york will be taken by the white star liner teutonic which will sail on wednesday |