A serious disaster, happily unattended by loss of life, occurred
in Cowes Roadstead early on Wednesday afternoon. The Olympic,' the largest liner afloat, with three thousand persons on board, was on her way, via Cherbourg, to New York from Southampton when the first-class cruiser Hawke,' which had been carrying out her steam trials, came up from the Needles abeam of the ' Olympic' at a high rate of speed, with the apparent intention of crossing her bows, but suddenly slackening speed crashed into her starboard quarter near the stern, tearing a large bole both above and below the water line. The damage to the Hawke' was even greater, her stein being completely smashed, the plating ripped open, and the bows twisted round to starboard. There was no panic in the liner, and the crew of the Hawke' behaved with perfect discipline. The Olympic' returned to Southampton Water, anchored there on Wednesday night, and was berthed in the New Dock next morning, and the 'Hawke,' which made her way back to Portsmouth after the collision, was dry-docked on Thursday. The accident, which recalls the disastrous collision of H.M.S. ' Gladiator' with an American Liner in the Solent, will be made the subject of a Court of Inquiry.
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