The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-14
l. EUROPE.
CONTINUED PROM FIFTH PAaE.l
THE PURsER OF THE GREECE.


who has filed that ONCE for the past our or nye
years. ana who has been an officer OF the National
Company for seven years, made the fol-
owing statement
On Thursday. April 2, we were eight days out
from Liverpool and seven days rom Queenstown
There were 555 passengers on board including
cabin passengers. There were besides lo4 OF the
crew, and the vessel was commanded by captain
Charles Thomas, the first officer being MI Alien
Buck. On the morning OF Thursday we nrst saw
vessel with smoke ana knew her TO be steamer.
She was astern TO the southwark OF u.s. and she
gradually crept up to until about three O'Clock,
when we knew her then by her sides to be a
French boat. Some OF the passengers saw the
nash of gun from her spar deck amldships. She
bore up TO US and we bore down TO her. Captain
Thomas ordered the course OF the Greece to be
altered and TO go to the stranger whom he sup
posed to be in distress. There was very heavy,
lumpy anu fearful sea on and 1t was blowing
strong from the westward. We were at noon OF
Thursday in latitude Is deg. q mn., north longi-
tude 30 deg. 03 min. west The decks OF The Greece
became crowded Immediately with men, women
and children to witness the excitement, and the
engine bell added to the camor. AT five O'Clock
the vessel was about abeam OF us six or seven
miles TO the southwark. The stranger made
signal ave are snking,n We then immedi-
6 and s. and Mr.. Buck was placed in
charge OF No. 8 boat and was the first to get away
with seven men beside himself Mr. Hubbard, the
second officer, was in charge OF boat No. 5, and
had over half dozen men with HIM. The men
pulled away nom the Greece, and after
hard struggle they got alongside OF the
steamer, which proved to be the Europe.
The French boats were already in the
water being loaded. Mr.. Buck and Mr.. Hubbard
first, and several officers OF the Greece went
BOARD OF the Europe and assisted in getting some
OF the passengers into the boats OF the Greece.
About twenty women and children were taken or
on the first trip Of the Greece's boats, and when
they came to our vessel they were all drencted
with water from the terrible sea which
was on at the time when they came on BOARD
Myself and Dr.. Page stood by with bottles OF
brandy 10 comfort the sufferers. There were three
trips made by the boats OF the Greece, and they
brought on board about 100 persons mostly women
ami children. In the last boat were principally
men. and the Two stewardesses OF the Europe were
also passengers in this boat. The Europe had eight
boats, and, after they had been nlled with people
ma brought board of the Greece, and their car
goes OF live freight discharged, they let adrift
and but one was kept, when was tied
Rstern with one or our own boats which
we could not haul up owing to the
two public mails, consisting OF five or six bags,
and lett the passengers baggage and vauables on
board or the Inflated vessel one OF boats No.
8, was lying alongside, and had Just discharged
her last cargo OF passengers and placed them on
board OF the Greece, when the drove
her INTO the port side OF the Greece
from huge wave. and the wave falling
away again, rose and banged the boat
with mighty force against the side of the Greece
and stove her in. The crew in her at the
time and one or two passengers Quartermaster
Roberts was in turn badly injured, but none
Of his bones were broken. The passengers
were all lifted on board by the armpits
with ropes run in bow-line. Every pas
genger OF the Europe had Lie preserver
fastened to his or her person, and last as they
came on board we took them to the galeys and
gave them a drop OF brandy. The women were all
crying bitterly, and, it being very cold their teeth
chartered. ana they were all in a halfdead, fant-
Ing condition. The first officer OF the French yes
BEL to touch our deck was the purser OF the
Europe. who came with the first officer of the
Freedman. They came with the mails and valua-
bic samples. We made them comfortable as
possible. although we could not give them provi-
Bl0ns to very great extent, surprise
party Of 372 persons is something that
we do not get every day. We stopped
by the wreck until twelve O'Clock or Friday, the
next day after she sighted the Europe, and think
the last men on board OF the Europe were our
chief officer, Mr.. Buck, and our chief engineer Mr.
Joe Douglas. Mr. Douglas reported, when he
came back. that there was eight feet OF water IN
she engine room Of the Europe; but they found
no water In any other compartment OF the
vessel Our carpenter, Mr.. Sutherland. sounded the
vessel with a sounding rod and declared that the
Europe could be saved. / heard that Captain
board OF the Europe part OF the salvage crew,
but did not see it. Mr. Buck. our first, and Mr..
Weber. our fourth oficer, volunteered to go as a
part OF the prize crew. Our assistant surgeon,
DIR. Constantine Mcclure, who had been in the
Irish ambulance department in the Franco-Prus-
sian war-he is a great fellow, tell you-he also
volunteered; he has the cross OF the Legion OF
Honor Then came the carpenter and boat
swain OF the Greece, and lot OF sailors,
In ali TWENTY-FIVE men. There was a poor
stowaway who was pretty well frightened,
and he stole on board OF the Europe
In the press suppose he thought that he would
be punished. so he took his chances to get ont.
The two boats, Nos. and 10, belonging to the
Greece were lowered full OF men from the davits,
containing the prize crew. in charge OF
Mr.. Buck, first officer. II was eight
O'Clock, Friday April 3, when the crews
reached the Europe. Mr.. Buck made sail
on her directly alter he got his boats hoisted The
nres were all out on the Europe and she had to de-
pend solely on her canvas. Mr.. John G. Hecksher
was one OF the most sensible gentlemen on board
OF the Europe. He got his overcoat and placed his
jewery and number OF precious souvenirs In his
stocking, and came on board OF the Greece from
one Of our boats. But all OF the passengers
OF the Europe were so lucky. Many only came on
board In the clothing that they stood in and the
ladies-there were thrty-seven cabin passengers
lost all OF their valuable jewelry nearly and the
best and most precious part Of their wearing
apparel decline to make any statement "a to
my opinion OF the conduct OF the French officers
! suppose there viii be great number
OF people who Will give their opinions very freely
and without any hesitation. We saved 373 per
sons and got to quarantine this (MondayD evening,
April 10. The last news we heard when we got up
last evening that one OF our steamers-the