The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-14
AN ENGLISH CABIN PASSENGER.


AN ENGLISH CABIN PASSENGER.
Mr.. NJ. Large, of Leeds England, made the fol-
lowing statement: We lett Liverpool the
National steamship Greece, Captain Thomas, March
%; arrived at Queenstown the next day, and left
il a few hours after our arrival. We encountered
rough weather from leaving queenstown. We had
a series OF gales, head Winds squalls and heavy
seas, and we had settled down determined to
make the best OF what, as far as we
could see, was going to be very unpleasant
passage. as lar as the weather was concerned. On
the I'd OF April the wind was not so strong, the
sea went down ana we began to Halter our
selves that we were going to have little fine
weather after the knocking about we had expert
enced. About ten A. NJ. we sighted steamer that
appeared TO be running a parallel course to our
own. She was in sight when we saloon passengers
went down to dinner at Jour p. NJ. ABOUT twenty
minutes past four O'Clock Mr.. Buck, the chief
officer, came in and informed the Captain that
the steamer was running down to us
with distress signals flying. Our Captain
promptly gave the order to change our
course and stand towards her, and we came up so
close that we could distinctly see the mass Of men.
women and children clustered on the decks, and
their captain standing on the bridge. Some one
called out In a clear and distinct voice, 1--WE are
sinking.n We could not hear this in the saloon,
but we could people motioning with their
hands, Several OF our passengers got up and
went deck hut the steamer seemed to
rde so buoyantly the waves that some
OF us would not believe that they were sink
ing, and stayed below and finished our dinners
On going on deck found the steamer carrying
French flag, and, as she was hove to a very snort
distance of, read the name europe" on her.
She had her boats lowered. In the meantime we
had our side ports opened ready to receive them
and ropes sung over the side ready TO secure the
boats when they arrived. Our third officer, Mr..
Palmer, stationed at the port TO assist In get
ting the unfortunate people out OF the boats. DR..
Page, our medical ofiicer on BOARD with thought
fitness for which he deserves the greatest
praise, stood ready to give each one glass OF
brandy as they came on board. which am.sure
they needed, for many OF them were drenched to
the skin, and most or them were terribly shocked
and frightened. believe that with the exception
OF half dozen people the whole 374 had glass of
brandy. believe am correct In stating that one
OF our boats was hall way across before they had
lowered single person. We had two boats out
one in charge OF Mr.. Buck, our chief officer, tho
other under Mr.. Hubbard. our second officer who
had with him the assistant medical oncer, Mr.
MEG uire. There was
VERf HEAVY SWELL
on but the wind was light, which was very fortu-
nate. AS it was we expected the boats would
swamped, but they got safely over. We were ali
in readiness. and when the first boat came along
side we secured 1t Immediately and mad ropes over
for the people to tie round their waists, which
they did, ana we then hauled them up as quickly
as we could. noticed that they all had cork lie
preservers when they came alongside. The scene
was very strange one, and never wish TO have
it repeated. Down several leet below us was the
little boat crowded with people, at the mercy
OF the waves. Every aud then they were
tossed with great violence against the side OF the
vessel, and expected every moment to see them
struggling in the watet As stood by with Mr..
Kinnisb, OF Philadelphia, ready TO bear a hand at
hauling the poor things on board, could not help
contrasting their behavior some were quite
calm and collected, others we're very much
excited, and there regular Babel Of
sounds But what red me more than
anything else was 10 the Frenchmcn
actually fighting one another rather than
let the women aud children come up FIRST. We give
the French the credit of being possessed OF great
bravery; bnt In this IL had deserted them. /
don't think an American or English sailor would
have done this. ! know / heard several hearty
curses from our Engllsa saliors vnss tney saw 1t.
Some, in their ea2srness ~ ass oDs ~ ,ae boat, fell
into the sea. 1t psil.sl ~ sss Mia what eager
looks the mothers wsDhs1 gas3s Asge ones
a. they were poiIeo ~ asG INV thank.
full they appeared nkea iAsy saw them
safe. My opinion In tnzs tts sD2ssn behaved
better than the men. The ooaH arrived
so quickly that could mo- get them up fast
enough. ana some CALEB oui, ''For Gods sake
get them up quicker, or ven not save them all"
on board the Greece the greatest excitement pre-
vailed, every one, from the highest to the lowest
being interested in the proceedings. As we drew
them up one by one we could scarcely resist cheer
ing The utmost sympathy was expressed for the
sufferers. noticed one brave action that deserves
recording. one or the boats was just I'M
der one OF the exhaust pipes. The boat
contained several women, and when the hot
steam gnshed out OF the pipe one OF the French
men stepped right in 'front.' OF the pipe and endeav
ored 10 shield the woman. To great extent he
succeeded, but he was very badly scaded. Our
great difficulty on board the Greece was The num-
bcr OF French and Italian passengers we had with
US, VINO naturally DESTROYS OF assisting, laid hold
/ Of The ropes but when told to
STOP HAULING
would haul away "a II their lives depended upon
H. THIS caused large amount OF confusion. 1t was
very toucnlngto see the little ones crying lor their
K parents, husbands seeking their wives. mothers
y their children &c. How anxious they were when
\ they found they had not lett the leaking vessel
\ noticed several OF the women crying silently.
while others seemed thoroughly Frustrated and
stapeGed. In about three hours we had them all
on Doard-zIs passengers and l55 crew, max
ing total OF 37i people saved in
farce hours. Taking into consideration the