Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-15
A STORY OF THE SEA.
The Rescue of the Europe by
the Greece.
Something Like British Piracy
Or straightforward French Lying.
Or Is itkfhe National Animosity of
Thousand Years?

Thousand Years?
New YORK, April 1.-THE statements
made by persons on board the steamships
Europe and Greece conflict very much.
None doubt that of Capt. Lemaire, that he
believed his ship in a sinking condition or
speak otherwise than in the highest terms
ofthe discipline exercised on board the Eu-
rope when her condition was made known
TO the passengers; but Capt. Lemaire makes
statements in regard to the officers of the
Greece which are emphatically denied. On
the other hand, statement is made by the
chief engineer of the Greece that at the
time he boarded the Europe, at the time of
her abandonment, her fires were not put
out by the water, but that, had the crew
remained at their posts, no difficulty would
have been experienced in keeping the
water under and safely continuing the voy-
age.
Statement of the French Captain.
Capt. Lemaire of the Europe has pub
iished letter in which he says: The sec
ond officer Of the English vessel in making
his last trip came on board, and begged
me strongly on the part of Capt. Thomas
OF the Greece to go on board his vessel and
with him, stating that my vessel would be
watched until morning, promising formally
before my officers 10 put me back on board
my vessel if nothing happened during the
night to prevent my returning. On reach
ing the Greece | saw the Captain and it
was decided that to ascertain for certain
the gravity of the leakage, boat should be
sent with me, second officer and the second
engineer of the Greece, who would make
thorough examination. They came back
reporting seven feet of water everywhere.
Afterwards made with Capt. Thomas q
verbal convention, that two of my officers
heard perfectly, by which 1 should go back
TO my ship at day break to examine
the progress Of the the leakage,
tranship some provisions and
baggage and afterwards adopt a formal
determination by assembled council to
abandon the Europe if necessary, or attempt
to bring her under sail to the nearest port
if it were possible. In the morning, when
the boat was got ready to be sent off, pre-
pared to embark, and was rebuffed in a
brutal manner. The Chief Engineer of the
Greece came back, declaring the water had
gained two feet. Later ON, another boat,
commanded by the first officer of the Greece,
left TO take possession of my steamer as a
derelict vessel; and, in so doing, violated
all laws of honor and honest dealing. A
second boat was sent out, and with a like
result; and had the same kind of recep-
ton. l appealed TO Capt. Thomas, who
was surrounded by some officers, and told
him protested against his act, and said it
was piece of bad faith. He replied that
the first officer of the Greece was going to
take my steamer to England. sOlemnly
protested. 1 was helpless and without
power, and was a prisoner, with all my Of
ficers and men. l had therefore but the
last resource left me to prevent mutiny,
which evaporation had driven my crew to
the verge of. To avoid this inevitable col
lision and certain bloOdShed, suffered the
last humiliation; but l say boldly in my
defense that | acted with humanitarian
views, TO save the human beings entrusted
to my care, and that in this acted without
other motive, and with all the conscien-
tiousness of right of an honest man. add,
in justice, that, with the exception of the
aforementioned outrage, myself, crew, and
officers were treated with urbanity on board
of the Greece.
Similar Statements.
Chief Engineer Leroux makes, in sub
stance, the same statement as the captain,
and he was a witness to the promise made
Capt. Lemaire, that he should be allowed
70 return to his vessel next day, and to the
| violent manner in which he was pushed
back when attempting to visit his ship.
! He also says he himself was prevented
from entering another boat to get on board
the Europe to examine the condition of
affairs. He regards the whole proceeding
as a conspiracy to prevent the crew of the
French vessel from getting back to her.
The son of the New York agent of the
line, who was passenger on the Europe,
saws he heard the chief engineer of the
Greece say, when' pushing back Capt. Le-
maire, " Y GU have no business here. We
will take that ship, and don't interfere"
The Other Side.
Capt. Thomas, of the Greece, pronOunces
these stories of Capt. Lemaire and his chief
engineer absurd and without particle of
truth.
Accident and Incident.
In the transfer of passengers NJ. Vaisin
bound for New Orleans, was badly bruised
and his wife has almost lost her reason.
When Mr.. Reid was about to descend to
the boat from the Europe, he threw in a
valise containing a number of useful and
valuable articles. A sailor threw the valise
into the sea saying no baggage could be
taken. Several days after the bag was
found in a state room. 1t must have been
picked up by following boat. Curiously
enough among the things in the yalise was
a watch which belonged to Miss Hunter,
who was saved from the Vile du Havre.
The watch had been injured by the water
when Miss Hunter was found floating and
had been left in Paris for repairs. Mr..
Reid was bringing it to the owner when it
was asecond time wrecked and rescued.
A Protest.
Capt. Lemaire, of the steamer Europe,
submitted to the French Consul, to-day, a
formal protest in regard to the part played
by officers of the Greece in the late diSas-
ter. The protest is to be forwarded to the
maritime authorities of France. Some
serious trouble is likely to arise in connec-
ton with the loss of this steamship.