The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-25 00:00:00

THE TRANSATLANTIC STEAMER
" AMERIQUE."

rnder date Plymouth, Saturday. the ISth Inst., The Times
gives the following account of the arrival of the Amerinue,
which had been brought into that port

The French Transatlantic Company's steamship
Arn6rique, which was reported to have foundered 100
miles from Brest., while on the homeward voyage from
New York, on the 14th inst., and which appears to
have been abandoned by her crew, was brought into
Plymouth Sound in tow of two steamships on Saturday
afternoon. Phe vessel, which is bark-rigged, is at least
3,500 tons ourden, fitted up in magnificent style. From
the statement of the engineer and mate of the Spray,
there was about 6ft. of water in the stoke-holds, which
stopped the engines, and two of the deaddights had
been burst in by the sea, which, of course, tensed two
or three of the berths to be flooded. No attempt
appears to have been made to mend this, but, on the
contrary, there can be no doubt thathere the real fright
commenced, and, the pumps being choked, every one
at once thought of leaving the vessel.
_ - -

The Spray, Captain Thomas Clark, which was the
first to take the Amirique in tow, is a screw steamer,
owned by Mr. Watson, of West Hartlepool, bond
from Newport, Monmouthshire, for Gibraltar, with
coals. She left Newport on the 12th, experiencing agale
on the following day from the N.W., which necessitated
her putting back on the Lundy Island anchor gerund,
and lying there until eight o'clock the next morning.
She then proceeded on her voyage, and at eleven a.m.
on the following day, when in lat. 77 40 N. long.
630 W., sighted the Amerique. The mate, John
Cooper, called the attention of the captain to the fact
that the steamer was making signals of distress, the
French ensign being at half mast and a signal flying
which said, "I am in distress." As the Spray was
going towards her, a boat from a bark which WA
alongside left the Amerique, as those in the boat
found they could do nothing with her. Captain
Clark, finding that with such a large vessel in his
charge he would be shorthanded, borrowed two men
from the bark, the Hebron, of Sunderland. The mate
of the Spray and the engineer then boarded the
steamer. All the boats, with the exception of a
small gig, were gone. Cooper and the engineer went
below and surveyed her, reporting that there was not
a great quantity of water on board, and that if the
weather moderated she might be taken safely intorrt.
It was then blowing half azale. The crew of the Spray
were sent on board with some large warps, which
they bent into the Am6rique's cable chain. The tow-
ing then commenced (Wednesday, the 15th), and was
continued until 8 p.m.. The weather again beginning
to look bad, the crew of the Spray were taken from the
mail boat on their own ship, previously setting the fore'
topsail, foresail, jib, and forestaysail. The towing, was
continued throughout the night, the vessels heading
for Brest, with the wind from the north. At four a.m.
on Thursday the crew boarded the Am4rique again to
endeavour if possible to examine the engines, but this
could not be done because of the water in her. From
the easy manner in which she was towed the cap.
tam expressed the opinion that the propeller was gone
On the Thursday morning an effort was made to get
some of the cable chain in on the port side, there being
too much out for towing purposes, but in doing this
the chain slipped and all the cable ran out. This,
then, had to be cut away, and while this was being
done the steamship F. T. Barry, of London, from
Pomaron, with ore for Gerstein, was signalled. She
came alongside and an arrangement was made that she
should assist the Spray in taking the valuable prize
into port. Both steamers then commenced towing,
still heading for Brest until four p.m., when the wind
shifted to the west. Captain Clark then thought it
would be better to get into an English port if possible,
and headed straight for Plymouth, which port was
sighted at two p.m. on Saturday.

The engineer of the Spray states that, so far as he
has yet been able to ascertain, the Anaerique is built in
water-tight compartments. The engine-room and
stoke-hold are entirely separate. On boarding her, no
water was found in the fore compartment ; no ex-
amination was made of the after compartment, but
the impression is that there is no water there
either. The whole of the hand pumps were choked
and the donkey pump was broken, portions of the frag-
ments being found lying about in all directions. All
the coal-bunkers were full of water, as well as
both stoke holds, there being aboflt 6 ft. in the engine.
room. This of course rendered the engines entirely
powerless. Three or four of the dead-lights were
knocked in, but this was speedily remedied by their
ban boarded up. The only thing found against these
apertures for the purpose of keeping the water out was
some bedding, which appeared to have been piled
against the lights in the vain hope that it would be
effectual in stopping the inflow of water. A consider-
able quantity of water was found in the soloon, which
got in through these holes.
The chief mate, who was the first to board the
Am(vique, states that he found from 6ft. to Bft. of
water in the stoke-hold, some in the engine-room,
none in the fore part of the vessel, but there was no
means of ascertaining whether there was any aft, as
no sonniling pumps were to be found on board. The
vessel he discovered to be laden with grain and general
cargo. All the nautical instruments and charts were
taken away. She was under two close-reefed topsails,
with the mizzen hauled out on the starboard tack, and
with a strong list to port, the cargo evidently having
shifted. On being brought port side to the wind she
righted herself again, and at the present time there is
little or no list.

The mate found all the valuables gone, although
there was a number of portmanteaus and cases left
behind, all of which appeared to have been ransacked
in a hurry and the valuables abstracted. The
Amarique is now lying in Plymouth Sound. Pumps
have been put on board, and she is by this time clear
of the water, which since Wednesday increased from
ift. to lift., making from 12ft. to 14ft. in the engine-
room. The lowest value that can be placed on the
vessel and cargo is 2250,000, but a few thousands must
be deducted from this amount to allow for deprecia-
tion in value.