The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-15
THE ENGINEER OF THE GREECE.

The Engineer of the Greece, Mr.. Douglas was
again seen by HERALD reporter yesterday after
noon. and was asked further as to how matters
stood when he went on board the Europe to ex-
anime her. He SAID -
"When. with Mr.. Buck, on the evening OF the
day when we sighted the Europe and after trans
ferring all her people to the Greece, went on
board the French ship, we found that with the
exception OF the middle compartments, all was
dry in the ship. l sounded and found seven feet
OF water In the hold The water just reached the
door OF the fire room, and was, perhaps, about an
men or. 80 above it, l can say decidedly, because
IL did not cover my shoes. The water
was fully fourteen inches away from the fires, and
the French engineer must have imagined that the
water had put out his fires. All the fires were
burning-some quite brightly, and there was five
pounds OF steam on. In fifteen minutes we could
have got up seventy pounds OF steam; but, as
had no ORDERS but was simply told to examine
her. did not do it, found that the Frenchm an
had rugged up hand pump in the fire room, and
this was all that was used TO get the water out.
REPORTEK-Did You consider her In proper con-
dition to take into port'
wish never had worse vessel to take charge or
than that 0ne 1t was the easiest thing in the
the pumps would not work IN the fire room, they
were in good condition In the engine room and
more than powerful enough to have emptied a. the
would have been no danger to the hres, which
was the main point. Now, there was u bulkhead
between the fire and engine rooms, which pre-.
vented the water getting into tie latter. Had q
mole been Knocked through this bulkhead the
water would have Moved into the engine ROOM
and have been pumped out from there without
trouble. But this seems never to have struck the
Frenchmen, and they let the chance go by, which
would have saved them their ship. There was as
much ignorance about the whole thing as there was
cowardice. understood that the French first en-
gneer. had been in bed since he lett Havre with
rheumatism, and do not think he was down IN
his engine room during the voyage. His second
did the work; but he now says he was wading Tor
twentyfour hours in the water, endeavvring to
find where the trouble was in the bottom OF the
ship. AS for the Europe herself she is a fine YES
sci and s fOating still. don't believe she can go
down unless she receives q great deal more
damage than she suffered from when saw her.
The Dulkhead compartments II they last out land
the Board OF Trade Obllges them to De made to re-
slst any pressure OF water), Will keep the vessel
ahoat for an indefinite period, and expect TO hear
one day OF her arriving IN port The bulkheads are
solid mass OF iTOn and In vessel like the Europe
will keep her anOaJ Tor months.
REPoRTER-Did You witness any trouble on
board on the morning OF the accident?
CHIEF ENGINEER-l did not. went on deck to
see one of my engineers of to the Europe and
noticed the French officers standing In a group
near the stern. None OF them made any motion as
If intending to go to the Europe, and Mr. Buck was
busy at the time that he certainly did not think
OF interfering with them As for the chief engineer
OF the Europe he was in bed, and renamed there
until we were of Fire Island. l was convinced
throughout that there wasn't Frenchman on the
Greece who had any desire to so back to the Eu'
rope.