Het stoomschip"Gothland"van de Red Star Line kwam Woensdagnacht jl. te New York aan na een zwaren strijd tegen een heftigen orkaan. Zelfs de kapitein van de Äquitania"was van oordeel, dat de zee, toen de storm op zijn hevigst was, zeer gevaarlijk was. De "Gothland"dreef gedurende 42 uur rond, terwijl zware zeeën voortdurend over het dek sloegen. Het schip werd 80 mijl uit den koers geslagen. Plotseling zag de kapitein het vrachtschip "Menominee"op minder dan een mijl afstand van de "Gothland"verwijderd. Kort daarop, toen de "Gothland"zich bevond op de kam van een vijftig voet hoogen golf, zagen de officieren de "Menominee"in een anderen golf. Een aanvaring scheen onvermijdelijk, daar beide schepen hulpeloos rond dreven. Drie vaten olie werden op de ziedende golven uitgegoten. De "Gothland"moest haar machine stop zetten.
Op een gegeven oogenblik dreef de "Menominee" vlak voor den boeg van de "Gothland". Tusschen de beide schepen was een afstand van nog geen 200 voet. Door een groote golf werden de schepen gelukkig uit de richtinge geslagen. De draadlooze installatie, de vlaggestok en de loglijn, van de "Gothland"werden weggeslagen terwijl de ruiten op de brug werden verbrijzeld en verscheidene sloepen van het dek geslagen. Maar er ging een zucht van verlichting op: een aanvaring was voorkomen.
A heavy battle with the waves.
The steamer "Gothland (Gothic Country )"of the Red Star Line came last Wednesday night in New York after a heavy battle against a violent hurricane. Even the captain of the "Aquitania "was considered that the sea when the storm was at its worst was very dangerous. The" Gothland " drifted for 42 hours around while heavy seas continually on the deck beat. The ship was 80 miles from the track.. Suddenly the captain saw the freighter "Menominee" less than one mile away from the "Gothland" removed. Shortly afterwards, when the "Gothland" was located on the crest of a fifty foot tall wave, saw officers the "Menominee" in another wave. A collision seemed inevitable, since both ships floating around helplessly. Three barrels of oil were poured on the seething waves. The "Gothland" had their machine stop.
At one moment drove the "Menominee" just before the bows of the "Goth Land." Between the two ships was a distance of about 200 feet. By a large wave, the ships were happy directional been beaten. The wire installation defenseless, and the flagstaff ,the leadline of the "Goth Land" were swept away while on the bridge windows were shattered and several boats beaten from the deck. But there was a sigh of relief: a collision was avoided!
The steamer "Gothland (Gothic Country )"of the Red Star Line came last Wednesday night in New York after a heavy battle against a violent hurricane. Even the captain of the "Aquitania "was considered that the sea when the storm was at its worst was very dangerous. The" Gothland " drifted for 42 hours around while heavy seas continually on the deck beat. The ship was 80 miles from the track.. Suddenly the captain saw the freighter "Menominee" less than one mile away from the "Gothland" removed. Shortly afterwards, when the "Gothland" was located on the crest of a fifty foot tall wave, saw officers the "Menominee" in another wave. A collision seemed inevitable, since both ships floating around helplessly. Three barrels of oil were poured on the seething waves. The "Gothland" had their machine stop.
At one moment drove the "Menominee" just before the bows of the "Goth Land." Between the two ships was a distance of about 200 feet. By a large wave, the ships were happy directional been beaten. The wire installation defenseless, and the flagstaff ,the leadline of the "Goth Land" were swept away while on the bridge windows were shattered and several boats beaten from the deck. But there was a sigh of relief: a collision was avoided!
"The Gothland was a 7,755 gross ton ship, built in 1893 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast as the "Gothic" for the White Star Line's New Zealand service. Length 490.7ft x beam 53.2ft (149,55m x 16,21m), one funnel, four masts, twin screw and a speed of 14 knots. Launched on 28th Jun.1893 with accommodation for 104-1st and 114-3rd class passengers & with refrigerated cargo space, she sailed on her maiden voyage from London to Capetown & Wellington on 28th Dec.1893. In June 1906, she was damaged when her wool cargo caught fire & was beached & flooded at Plymouth. Converted to an emigrant carrier with third class accommodation for 1,800 passengers, all in 4 berth cabins, she was purchased by the Red Star Line, registered under the Belgian flag & renamed "Gothland" in 1908. She commenced her first Antwerp - New York voyage on 11th Jul.1908, made a single round voyage between Hamburg, Antwerp, Quebec & Montreal on 6th May 1911 & started her last Antwerp - New York sailing on 24th Jun.1911. Between 1911-1913 she resumed the name of "Gothic" & sailed on the UK - Australia/New Zealand service for the White Star Line. She went back to the name "Gothland" & returned to the Antwerp - New York route for Red Star Line on 23rd Apr.1913. On 23rd Jun.1914 she stranded on the Gunnar Rocks, Scilly Isles, was towed off after three days & was repaired at Southampton. On the 20th Apr.1916 she commenced the first of three or more voyages between New York, Falmouth & Rotterdam for the Belgian Relief Commission & returned to Antwerp - New York voyages with cargo only on 6th May 1919. She resumed passenger voyages on 7th Aug.1920 & commenced her last voyage between Antwerp and Philadelphia in March 1925. Sold in Nov.1925 and scrapped at Bo'ness the following year. "
