Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-01-27
From the New York Etr,AG, Jau II, 1879
LIZ on The . 'caG Ware.
agnrvAE. or IRE STEAMSHIP OCEANIC,
WHITE : LINE
4 HERLLnIS EuI4GE

The fine steamship Oceanic, Of tie
White Star liuc, arrived AZ this port yes
t-r'lar. Her voyage from Liverpool was Il
perilous one. Runners lad gone abroad
that Tie vessel l.sTing become disabled hy
the great storms which prevailed towards
the cad Of last month, Lad put back 10
Queenstown. Others Is, er:aining that the
vessel WAS nanr days beyond lirr time,
were by no means reserved in expressing
the opinion that the Oceanic had founder
cd, several wrecks having been reported
Just about the time she was due The
recklcssness with which these assumptions
were vcntured affords a striking example
OF the nonscnsical and utterly absurd no
tons which not untrCqucntlv possess the
minds OF poctical and incompetent judges
of the situation. To be sure. terrible gales
have, of late, been sweeping over the broad
Atlantic, and ships that went bUoyantlv
out OF port will never he heard OF again,
but when il comes 10 Passenger vessels,
upon whose construction money, ant and
experience have been las iSLiy expended. ii
is dangerous affair to circulate report,
calculated to create alarm. From the first
no really serious apprehension was enter
tanned in regard to the Oceanic, and al
though due several days ago, it was con
tidcntly anticipated that her wei,-knoNn
Stj-HcisiS 'lltiilititS Ntlllll tllubit lltG W
weather any storm that might retard her
progress. Her performance during the
recent series Of hurricanes and terrific seas
amply confirms the opinion long since
formed of her capacity.
Starting from Liverpool en- December
Fl and from Queenstown the day after,
with i3 cabin passengers and 1873 in the
Storage, the Oceanic steamed toward the
Empire CITY. For Tic first few days the
Wtnii2: ~as very fair. On Christmas day,
however, the wint i0kc from soiItlI-south
west, with heavy @ca, AID although the
vessel WAS heavily laden with freight, the
increasing gale seentd To affect the vessel
bat very 3:tt1e Eunning afterwards head
to wind, the big steamship pl0uShcd her
way, needless, Us II were, of the terrific
seas that dashed her sides. Under the cir
Cumslanccs she proved exceedingly buoy
ant, anil in the words of one of the pas
Sengcrs, "glidcd over the waves like an al
dermanic duck On the day following,
however, an accident occurred that at
once tested the ability of the commander
and the confidence of the passengers In
The midst OF ii full Gale. accompanied by 4
mountainous sea, three of TIE propeller
ha,lcs were broken, only one being LEFT
unharmsd. Il VS. a TlrC Serious prcIlc-
ament, considering tic difficulty, to say
nothing OF the comparative WGrthlGeSncsS
OF setting sail Captain Thomson, afcr
duly considering matters, frankly informed
the passengers of the state OF affairs, and
although having made up his own mind
what 10 do in tAe premises, courtcously
consulted the wishes of those for whose
+ lives he WAS in a measure responsible. BY
singular harmony of feeling, the general
response was in consonancc with the de-
sire OF the commander, in whom the ut
most confidence was resposed and the
! Oceanic steamed on her course. Heading
10 westward, sal, were set to assist the
ship, hu; the squalls were so terrific dur
ing the prevailing gales, that the canvas,
although new, was blown To shredS. For
days the spacious deck was covered with
binding spray, aud it Was with no little
difficulty that other sails were set. De
cember 30, when in latitude As II, longi-
tude 81 %, the Oceanic fell in company
with brig rugged steamer, lound west
/ Moderate weather cnsued for Il while, ant!
on January g, when in latitude 40 o., and
longitude &c %, a brig was sighted to the
north-northwest. with colurs flying Union
.Iaci; down 1t must he borne In mind
that the Oceanic was much disabled, but
:,istanding The urgency of her mis-
SiDu, titt tt.il'tii Hi'.N L'.C tt' " TAG ttS-
cue
He found the sinking vcssf! to be tht
Mountain Eagle, laden with coal, bound
from Elizabeth to Portland. Her deck
was foot under water. and the sea was
washing clean over her 4 boat Was
promptly launched from the Oceanic, in
charge of Mr.. Shac,:ford, the second officer
Tie captain of the brig. the mate aud five
scamcn, who had been mp to their waist.
in water for twenty hours, without;
food, were taken off and kindly cared for
:;eamcn usually "caIl a spade spade" and
when the log of the Oceanic sets forth
that tie Gales were terrific, landSncn may
rest assured that the caves Of Euli!s stood
wide open Under the circumstances, the
I Oceanic behaved splcnditliy and the ilc.
that a vessel such rs she is bat il ii: to en-.
counter bad weather and heavy seas is
pretty well refutcd by the hu"yancv anl
capabilities which she DISPLAYED The
voyage by the way, was not unattended
| bv imminent dangers to both officers and
men, and the manner in which some o: the
( pasSCnmers sneak of The vigilance and cour-
acc Of Mr.. Bristow, the first officer, ana!
Mr.. Shackford, the second officer is not
only crcditahl. to them, hut likewise re-
bounds to the sound discrimination of their
! employers. As tie Oceanic Wa. coming
! into port Yesterday, a meeting Of the cabil,
passengers was hcli in the saloon, and n
committee consisting of Congressman
! John Fox. Mcssrs. c. II. Allen, C.. +. CHS