Show A BIG TIDAL WAVE narrow escape or the steamer itagia in mid new york sept 16 away out on alj with land on either side 1500 mlle anav and on a vessel which they believed to be sinking was the position in which abo cera of the steamer italia fourd themselves on september ath the italia did not sink but came safely into port today with as scared a crew and passengers as were ever found on shipboard that something fatal did not occur a marvel for nothing short ot a miracle made tho italia stand the wear and tear of a battle with the waves she reached port today she presented only a faint resemblance of the craft that left here two months ago for the mediterranean most of the lifeboats missing and such as were not were unfit for use they were staved in and battered in while the interior of the iron hulled vessel at least as far as the passengers quartets concerned was almost a total wreck the damage was all due to one wave the italia was not the onla craft that bad rough passage the hindmo from hull luckily without passengers had a similar though not quite euch a disastrous experience peri ence she too was badly damaged six of the and crew of the italia were injured second officer was washed off the starboard ladder and thrown against ft ventilator sostain inc serious bruises captain craigg and boatswain MeFa were thrown into the lee sc uppers and when tho steamer rolled were landed against the smoking room the captains leg was injured and the boatswain received severe internal injuries the third engineer was severely injured about the back and left leg on september ath the storm increased in fury and at 3 captain craigg ordered the vessel headed toward the sea for three hours the passengers huddled together in the cabin laitine for what athey supposed to be their last moments the steamer rolled from side to side as if she were going to keel ove while the voices of nearly all the crew could be heard over the storm repeating the orders from the bridge the steering gear biad parted leaving the steamer at the inerny of the aea an attempt was made to ship and man the hand gear but before it could bo done a big wave boarded the steamship over the port bow and rolled along the deck carrying everything before it lifeboats were smashed end carried away the smoking room and hospital doors were burst in and tho steam pipes on the deck were broken and bent the chairs screwed to the floor were torn up the cabin flooded and considerable other damage done the crow who had been putting the land steering bear in place completed their work and the ship was more headed for bort the following day the storm abated |