forty three went to death.
Collision at Sea Resulted in Sinking
of Steamer Monroe By the Nan
tucket—Vessels Bound to and From
Norfolk—Monroe Went Down With
19 Passengers and 24 Members of
The Crew. Wireless Operator Gave
His Chance to Be Saved to An
other and Went Down to Death
a Hero.
The story of how 43 souls went
down to death in the chill waters of
the Atlantic when the liner Nan
tucket rammed and sank the steamer
Monroe early today, was brought to
port tonight by 91 survivors of the
sunken ship’s pasengers, rescued
and brought to shore by the Nan
tucket. It was a story of awful and
sudden death, sweeping out of the
dark and fog and taking unawares
the doomed half hundred with the
heaviness of sleep still upon them.
It told how the stricken Monroe, with
her side gored deep by the knife-like
steel prow of the Nantucket, filled
rapidly, rolled over on her side and
in a few minutes turned completely
over and plunged to the bottom, car
rying with her the ill-fated passen
gers and members of the crew who
had failed to get clear of the wreck.
Tonight the revised lists prepared
by Captain Johnson, who survived the
sunken vessel, showed:
Lost: Passengers 19, crew 24; to
tal 43.
Saved: Passengers 36, crew 55;
total 91.
Under the thick bank of fog that
hid the heavily running sea, both big
ships were making their way slowly
and with difficulty in the early morn
ing. The Monroe, with Captain John
son on the bridge and a double look
out peering into the fog ahead, was
edging under half speed to the north
ward. having left Norfolk for New
York last evening. The Nantucket,!
heavily laden with freight and with
but two pasengers aboard, was nos-(
ing her way southward, bound from
Boston to Norfolk.
The crash came about 1:40 o’clock
without warning. Out of the gray i
black fog that shut out even the J
waves from view, the gleam of the j
Nantucket’s searchlight scarcely
touched the dripping side of the
Monroe before the high steel prow of
the southward bound vessel cut into
her side with a ripping and crashing
of plates that threw the stricken ship
aback. The Nantucket, with her bow
crushed in, backed out of sight into
the fog, as Cantain Johnson, seeing
that his vessel was fatally stricken,
shouted an order for the lifeboats.
When the crash came those aboard
the Monroe were in bed and asleep.
Only Captain Johnson and the watch
on deck were up and about. But
the shivering of the stricken vessel,
as the water poured through the gash
in her side, awakened the passengers
and sent them clamering toward the
deck. Warned by the officers, they
hurriedly adjusted life-preservers and
made for the tilted deck. But the
time was all too brief. Those rescued
agreed that from the time the Mon
roe was struck until she settled be
neath the waves, not more than a
short ten minutes elapsed.
Baggage, clothing, valuables, all
were forgotten in the flight. Paja
mas, nightgowns and bathrobes and ,
blankets were the common apparel of
those who reached the deck. And;
most of them wore that garb when j
they left the limping Nantucket at
her dock here late today.
As the half-clad, excited throng of
passengers reached the deck, they
were hurried toward lifeboats by offi
cers and crew. Three of the life
bots were gotten away from the
side, freighted mostly with women.
By the time these were away the
Monroe was rolling over on her side,
and it was impossible to launch the
other boats.
With a sudden lurch the liner roll
ed over her side. With a chorus
°f shrieks the unfortunates left on
the sinking vessel turned, and crawl
*n£ like rats, made their way over
the superstructure, through port
holes, windows and companionways,
tmtil they rested just out of reach
of the waves on the upper side of the
half-capsized vessel. Even this slip
pery security was not long available.
^ ith a rumbling sound the ship
plunged beneath the waves, leaving
her human freight afloat in the icy
ocean.
Meantime the Nantucket, herself
badly damaged, had stood by and
Captain Berry had aroused his sleep
ing crew. As the rays of the search
light failed to picture the blanket of
fog, Captain Berry ordered out his
lifeboats and one by one they slipped
away into the fog to search for the
Monroe. They found only the strug
gling survivors afloat in the icy water,
crying frantically for help. Many of
those picked up were utterly exhaust
ed and unable to help themselves.
Thomas R. Harrington kept his wife
afloat by swimming with her hair in
his teeth, only to have her die a few
minutes after he was hauled aboard
the Nantucket. Lieutenant L. B. Cur
tis, United States army, was rescued,
but died after reaching the Nan
tucket.
Captain Johnson of the Monroe and
all of his officers got away from the
sinking vesel and were rescued. All
of the officers and the crew of both
the Monroe and the Nantucket were
held here tonight to await an investi
gation of the catastrophe which will
be begun immediately by the Federal
steamboat inspection service.
There were notable deeds of
heroism by Assistant Engineer Oscar
Perkins and First Wireless Operator
Ferdinand J. Kuehn. Perkins, when
the inrush of water put out the main
dynamo and left the Monroe in com
plete darkness, rushed below and put
to work an emergency dynamo. He
is among the rescued.
Wireless Operator Kuehn gave the
first S. 0. S. call and after adjusting
a life preserver which would doubt
less have saved his own life, re
moved this from his body and put
it on a girl. Kuehn was lost. His
assistant, R. L. Etheridge, was saved j
and walked into the arms of his wife 1
who stood to greet him as the Nan
tucket docked with the rescued this
afternoon.—Norfolk, Va., Dispatch,
January 30th.
DR. POTEAT TO SPEAK HERE.
VVill Be Here When The Debating
Contest Is Held On March 6th.
Wake Forest, N. C., Feb. 5.—Dr. W.
.. Poteat, President of Wake Forest
Jollege. r been secured by the John
ton Couiuy Club of Wake Forest
JoUe-e to make an address immedi
ately after the final debating Contest
if the schools of Johnston County, on
he evening of March the 6th, 1914, in
omithfield. Dr. Poteat is a very able
peaker and his address will add
greatly to the event.
The order has been placed with
Mahler’s Jewelry establishment, in
Raleigh, for the medal for the best
debator. On the face of the medal
will be this engraving: “Best Debator,
Johnston County, 1914, W. F. C. Club.”
The design is neat and attractive and
will be worth the hard efforts of the
contestants. The Club is expecting to
place it on exhibition within the next
few days. It will first go to Selma
and remain a short while, then to
Benson for a short while, then to
Smithfield to be kept until the con
test comes off.
The libraries have about completed
their circuit and will be called in in
a few days. The State Library is
yet to go to Selma and the Wake For
est Library yet to go to Smithfield
and Benson.
An occasional letter from some of
the contestants shows that the boys
are hard down at work and that they
are going to present a rare treat to
the people of Johnston County. Ev
ery effort has been made to furnish
each town with sufficient literature to
thoroughly acquaint the speakers
with the subject of Immigration.
This subject of Immigration is a
live issue in the South now, and vi
tally affects the farming class. Every
farmer, who can possibly be present
should be at Smithfield on March the
5th and hear this question discussed
from every standpoint.
Disastrous Fire At Four Oaks.
Four Oaks, Feb. 4.—A disastrous
fire occurred here tonight about 7
j’clock when a planing mill, saw
mill, shingle mill, dry-kiln, grist
mill, and large quantity of lumber
it the plant of the Johnston County
Lumber Company went up in smoke.
Approximate loss, ten thousand to
twelve thousand dollars, partially
covered by insurance. Origin of fire
unknown.
By the heroic work of a volunteer
jacket brigade another building, near
jy, containing a planing mill and a
iarge quantity of lumber was saved.
CONFERENCE ON CHURCH WORK
Will Be Held In Smithfiled Next Mon
day Afternoon and Night. Dr. Liv
ingston Johnston and Rev. Chas.
E. Maddry to Make Addresses.
Preachers, Sunday School Superin
tendents and Church Workers In
vited to Attend.
A meeting of more than usual im
portance is scheduled to be held in
Smithfield Baptist church next Mon
day afternoon and night, February
9th. The conference has been called
for the purpose of mapping and plan
ning the work for the churches in this,
the Johnston County Baptist Asso
ciation, in order that a more system
atic and more efficient campaign may
be carried on against the powers of
darkness. This is an age of progrss
and the Church, if she is to measure
up to her opportunities, must be ex
ceedingly busy and work with intel
ligence To be able to do-this a knowl
edge of the needs must be known. It
is for this that this conference is to
be held in this county.
Addresses will be made at the night
service by Dr. Livingston Johnston,
Rev. Charles E. Maddry and others.
These are among the foremost lead
ers of the denomination in the State
and are speakers of rare charm and
ability.
The meeting in the afternoon at 2:30
o’clock is for the special purpose of
making plans and finding out what
needs to be done. All the pastors of
the Association, all the Sunday School
superintendents, and all the church
workers are given a pressing invita
tion to be present, and are expected
to be here.
The meeting at night will be devo
tional and inspirational and the people
of the town are given an invitation
to be present and enjoy the good
things in Store for all who attend.
A Wonderful Little Machine.
Among the many wonderful ma
chines that man in his ingenuity has
made the cash register is one that
holds a high place. One who does not
understand the mechanism of the won
derful little machine stands amazed at
the many strange and accurate bus
iness transactions it is able to record.
A few days ago the writer had the
pleasure of seeing the machines made
by the National Cash Register Com
pany, of Dayton, Ohio, demonstrated
by one of their special agents, Mr.
J. R. Creel. This company makes a
large variety of machines for all
kinds of business, whether large,
or small, ranging in price from
fifteen dollars each up to
six or seven hundred dollars. With
one of these machines a merchant
can keep right up with his business
and see which of his clerks is worth
most to him, and also keep an accu
rate record of every transaction made
in the store. The National Cash Reg
ister people claim that with a cash
register a merchant or business man
may be able to stop the leaks in his
business and by doing this alone save
more than the price of the machine.
While here last week Mr. Creel and
Mr. Gerken sold several machines,
among the number being two electri
cally operated machines for the
Cotter-Underwood Company for their
large and commodious stores, at the
price of $1260. With these machines
this concern will be able to keep track
of every transaction made by the
clerks in the various departments.
The representatives also sold machines
to The Austin-Stephenson Company
and the Cotter Hardware Company.
These cash registers are most won
derful and interesting machines and it
is surprising to note the number of
various records which can be made
on them.
Thieves at Pine Level.
Pine Level, Feb. 5.—Wednesday
night thieves entered the store
through the glass door of Floyd Ci
Price’s place and got several items,
shoes, suit case and a little cash
that was left in the change drawer.
However, the damage and loss is
only small.
Meeting Farmers’ Union.
The Johnston County Branch of
Ihe Farmers’ Union will meet in
Smithfield February 14th, 10:30 a. m
All Locals will please send delegates.
W. C. HARPER, Secy.
GOING TOWARD THE SUNSET.
Notes of a Voyage Ob the Bosom of
the Pacific. From San Francisco to
Honolulu. Some Incidents of In
terest.
(By A. M. Noble.)
U. S. Naval Station, Tutuila, Sa
moa, January 15.—It was one o’clock
in the afternoon of Tuesday, October
21st, that we boarded the S. S. Ven
tura, a steamer of 10,000 tons dis
placement, for our island home. Both
the upper and lower docks were lined
with passengers and all looked so
happy it made us forget, temporari
ly, that we were leaving home for two
years. The scene just as we were
leaving San Francisco was most beau
tiful. Just before the gang-plank was
pulled aboard, the stewards passed
through the crowds that lined both
decks, giving to each passenger sev
eral spools of paper streamers of
many colors. The passengers would
hold to one end of the paper and throw
the spool to some friend or acquaint
ance standing on the pier. Those,
like ourselves, who had neither friends
or acquaintances to bid farewell,
threw their streamers to someone
else’s friend. The sun was shining in
all its glory and the effect produced
by the tangled mass of paper stream
ers of almost every imaginable color
was most pleasing. As soon as the
gang plank was pulled in, there were
two long whistles; the band played,
“Should Auld Acquaintance be For
got”; the engines began to throb and
the steamer glided slowly out into the
bay. As soon as we left the pier
hundreds of sea-gulls took after our
boat, and at midnight, when we were
perhaps 175 miles from shore, we
knew from the noise overhead that
they were still following us.
Although the sun was shining
beautifully when we left the pier, we
had not gotten outside the harbor be
fore we encountered a heavy fog, in
land bound. This caused deep regret
to all on board, as we were deprived
of seeing the Golden Gate, the beauti
ful entrance to San Francisco har
bor.
When we reached the ocean proper,
we began to get some very rough
weather, and the boat certainly did do
the “bobbing up and down” act. One
by one the pasengers began to desert
the decks and seek refuge in their
staterooms, where they could relieve
themselves, as they could, from that
awful feeling of sea-sickness. It was
a slim looking crowd that answered
the call for supper that first night
out, Mrs. Noble being among the ab
sentees. I considered myself quite
fortunate in not being troubled to any
extent by sea-sickness.
At dinner the following day we
were assigned reguar seats in the din
ing hall. All the Honolulu passen
gers were given seats on the port
side, and those for points beyond that
place were seated on the starboard
side, since it would be cooler on that
side as we neared the equator. Mrs.
Noble and myself were assigned
seats at the ship’s doctor’s table,
and he, with the others made
a jolly good crowd. The ship’s
doctor, J. G. Evans, is a native of
South Carolina and had traveled
through Smithfield quite a number of
times. ’ 7e found him a splendid type
of the Southern gentleman. There
were seven at our table, the doctor,
two middle-aged Englishmen from
Australia, a young Englishman from
London, an actress from New York,
Mrs. Noble and myself. The young
Englishman from London was about
nineteen years of age, and was tak
ing his first trip from home. His
father was a man of considerable
means, being interested in enterpris
es in Australia, and had at the re
quest of one of the Englishmen from
Australia, with whom he was asso
ciated in business, permitted his son
to take this trip which was to extend
around the world. He was a most in
teresting chap, a perfect Chesterfield
in manners and free from those airs
and appearances which are so often
associated with the rich. He was ev
ery inch an Englishman. He never
saw the point in a good joke until
the others were through laughing^
and seemed dumb-founded when list
ening to a crowd of Americans talk,
in which a good deal of American
slang was being used. He could see
no sense in it. No doubt he was jus
tified in not being able to. There was
one passenger on board who was al
ways using the word “some,” when
“very” or some other word of like im
port would have been proper. The
use of this word seemed to appeal to
the Englishman, however, and he was
interested in the proper use of it. He
would often come around and ask;
“Would you say, the ocean is rough
some, or, the ocean is some rough;
the boat is rolling some, or, the boat
is some rolling.”. Many would try
to explain, always at his expense.
By the time we reached Pago Pago
he was trying to use the word in
most of his expressions, and when w*
told him good-bye he wished us
“some” pleasant time during our stay
here.
The two Englishmen from Australia
were making the last lap of a trip
around the world, having been away
from home nearly a year. They were
very jolly and had many interesting
accounts to tell about the places they
had visited. The little actress from
New York was on her way to Mel
bourne, Australia, to play in, “The
Land of Nod.” Last season she
played the leading part in, "The
Balkan Princess.” She was quite
clever and seemed far above the av
erage.
Among the first cabin passengers
were several actresses and actors on
their way to Australia to fill engage
ments. Some of them possess quite
a little talent. How we whiled away
the time will be told in my next arti
cle.
Jurors for February Court.
A Superior Court for Johnston
County will convene in the court house
in Smithfield on Monday, February
1(5, for the trial of civil cases only.
It will be a two weeks’ term and will
be presided over by Judge R. B. Pee
bles.
The following have been drawn as
jurors for this term:
FIRST WEEK—A. W. Bltnson, Z. V.
Stephenson, P. L. Wood, R. A. Lang
don, C. B. Barbour, A. E. Surles, T. L.
Hudson, Norman Langston, Jesse Wil
liams, A. J. Webb, H. A. Parker, D.
R. Webb, S. L. Johnson, J. F. Batten,
D. L. Dixon, L. E. Phillips, J. E. Cor
bett, C. H. Carpenter, Ellis Waddel',
J. E. Parker, A. L. Ray, Needham
Munden and J. H. Brady.
SECOND WEEK—J. L. Green, B.
B. Stallings, W. A. Williams, Joseph
J. Pleasant, Ira Allen, A. P. Tart, 0.
T. Hockaday, Len E. Cox, G. P. Dunn,
Wade Worley, B. J. Rose, Harvey
Brown, W. J. Wilder, L. A. Pounds,
A. J. Jones, J. R. Starling and J. W.
Baker.
There will be a term of the court
for the trial of criminal actions to
convene here on Monday, March 9th.
The list of the jury for this term
will be published in our next issue.
Washington News Notes.
The Secretary of War and Mrs.
Daniels entertained at a beautiful
dinner party Friday evening at their
home, “Single Oak,” in compliment to
the Secretary of State and Mrs. Bry
an. The additional guests were the
Brazilian Ambassador and Mme. de
Gama, Senator and Mrs. Ollie ames,
Congressman and Mrs. Edward Pou,
Congressman and Mrs. obert L. Hen
ry, the Superintendent of the United
States Naval Academy and Mrs. John
H. Gibbons, the Commissioner of Pat
ents and Mrs. Thomas Ewing.
Abdo-KaliL
Yesterday afternoon at 5:30 at
the home of Mr. Wadi Abdo, his
brother, Mr. Nackley Abdo, and Miss
Teresa Kalil, of Roxboro, were unit
ed in marriage, the ceremony being
performed by Rev. Father James
Golder, of Raleigh. The ceremony
of the Catholic church was used in
uniting these two young lives.
The out-of-town guests present
were: Mr. Abraham Kalil and Mr.
Nassar Kalil, of Roxboro, father and
uncle of the bride, respectively; Mr.
N. Shyne and his mother, Mrs. Shyne,
of Rocky Mount; Mr. Tom Joseph, of
Selma; and Mr. Sam Parker, of Dunn.
The happy young couple will make
Smithfield their future home, the
groom being a partner in the fruit and
commission business here conducted
by Abdo Bros. The contracting par
ties are both Syrians, having been
born in Mount Lebanon, Syria. They
have been living in America for" the
past several years.
The best wishes of their friends go
with Mr. and Mrs, Abdo on their voy -
age over life’s matrimonial sea.
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MEXICANS ON EQUAL TERMS.
President Wilson Has Lifted the Em
bargo On Arms So That Revolu
tionists and the Government of
Mexico Placed On Same Footing So
I ar as Arms Are Concerned.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 4.—Pres
ident Wilson, by an executive order,
dated yesterday, and made public at
the White House last night, removed
all restrictions against the exporta
tion of munitions of war into Mexico
from the United States, placing the
contending elements there on a basis
ol equality with respect to the pur
chase of arms and supplies in this
country.
The executive order emphasizes that
it was the desire of the United States
to be in the same position of neutral
ity toward the contending factions in
Mexico as were the other powers
The text of the proclamation fol
lows:
“Whereas by a proclamation of the
President issued on March 14, 1912,
under a joint resolution of Congress
approved by the President on the same
day, it was declared that there xist
ed in Mexico conditions of domestic
violence which were promoted by the
use of arms or munitions of wrar pro
cured from the United States; and
“Whereas by the joint resolution
above mentioned it thereupon became
unlawful to export arms or munitions
of war to Mexico, except under such
limitations and exceptions as the
President should prescribe:
“Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wil
son, President of the United States of
America, hereby declare and proclaim
that, as the conditions on which the
proclamation of March 14, 1912, was
based have essentially changed, and
as it is desirable to place the United
States with reference to the exporta
tion of arms or munitions of war to
Mexico in the same position as other
powers, the said proclamation is here
by revoked.”
Accompanying the order, the White
House issued the following statement
of explanation:
“The executive order, under which
the exportation of arms and muni
tion into Mexico is forbidden, was a
departure from the accepted practices
of neutrailty, a deliberate departure
from those practices under a well
considered joint resolutio cf Con
gress—determined upon i ircum
stances which have now ceased to
exist. It was intend ’d to discourage
incipient revolts against the regular
ly constituted authorities of Mexico.
Since that order was issued the cir
cumstances of the case have under
gone a radical change. There is now
no constitutional government in Mex
ico, and the existence of this order
hinders and delays the very thing the
government of the United States is
now insisting upon—namely, that
Mexico shall be left free to settle her
own affairs, and as soon as possible
put them upon a constitutional foot
ing by her own force and counsel.
The order is, therefore, rescinded.”
American embassies and legations
abroad were instructed last Saturday
to inform foreign governments of the
above decision. Similarly, Secretary
Bryan late on Monday informed the
members of the diplomatic corps here.
This w'as in line with the present ad
ministration here of keeping the na
tions of the wTorld informed of the
developments in the Mexican policy of
this government.
Shipments of arms and ammunition
from the United States into Mexico
has been one of the principal levers
of American influence in the Mexi
can situation, and has bee1 the storm
center of agitation ever since armed
revolution began in Mexico in Novem
ber, 1910. It was charged by the Diaz
government, then in power, that the
rebellion waged by Madero was sus
tained by arms purchased in the Unit
ed States. President Taft ordred
troops to Texas to enforce neutrality,
but notwithstanding this the Madero
revolution was quickly successful. The
border patrol of several thousand
troops has since been maintained,
chiefly to prevent smuggling of
arms.
When Gladstone was asked to
speak something into the phonograph
that might be used fifty years after
his death, what do you suppose he
said? Simply this “I owe my life
and vigor, through a long and busy
life, to the Sabbath day with its bless
ed surcease of toil."
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