New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-04
THE FRENCH STEAMER AMERIQUE.

THE CAPTAINS REPORT OF THE CAUSE or HER
ABANDONMENT.
From the report of Capt. Rousseau in regard
20 the abandonment OF rAm6rque, u appears INIT all
was well until the noon OF April H. wheh the VIM
became furious and increased to hurricane Az ABOUT
O'Clock I'm the evening vessel was seriously strained
from the immense which struck her 10 Keep the
water ont OF the engneroom the graugs were covered
with thick sacloths The following is translation OF
the remainder OF the report
1 was shortly afterward Informed by M keeson,
chief engineer. that the water was increasing Ia the
engine and furnacer00ms. Assisted OY his men, nc
abored without relaxation and with remarkable energy
to master the position and every hoar gave me n hc
eff rts the state Of things ana NOT grow WORSE unlu
about the morning Of the ltth; me hght OF wass
in the stoke had seemed to remain the same pnt W
fact now became evident that we had a leak and
that il was assuming dangerous proportions Inc en-
gneer moi outstanding the means employ Cd could no
longer suffice with all his stan, whom ne animated WIN
his Courageous example the fires became extingusned
the water reached the furnaces one hteI to 9tuu
ali the seamen and all the servants were nti1Sd anu
each one srvaed with t9e Os" ai ON rantdIy.
my second lieutenant, NJ G1liard. iuiornleu
me that vessel was near ,o u si1uaI Please
remain in slght;" understood by tue captain ana,
while redoubed our eorts ne epOyeu ES ose
able TO keep at SNORT distance uher ciose
reefed topsas. Al about O'Clock an nope OF Saving
PAmGrque was gone she was FsDs , SU , % eond
zee the nave Of her screw, and the inclination 10 iar
board enormous. then aSemDed my omceis' M, a
all decided on abandoning luueuldNy Vli 81 ' az
but unfortunate steamer; consequently L. ue
spair, ordered the BOATS 10 90 i aa us,:
cnorp1usly high and the wind stu violent,
neverthelrss it effected WITH order ana inteiEence
aud, will add, with pcriecI 0Otuehce DuIing lna'
time AN the passengers provided themselves with swim
ming belts the boats ranged themselves alongside ~
embark m turn the ongboat was kept apart from the
rest as to help those VINO might nave Sen '1 'u
sea. In the mean time two othtI shlps were SUI W o
by Providcnce English ana Norwegian Inc rcacns
began at 81 O'Clock WIN the women sh9 oniuIon a.
was the last quit the vessel win NJ keeseh, chlsI
engineer, my second, NJ. Gairay, aud NJ VIe' comhis
Before we embarked ". Kcesen and I took final and
rapid survey of the sinking snip; we eatmdtel al I'VE
meters In depth the water III tie engne Iool ,h
catastrophe fast approaching, shd on leaving tnc
deck observed, IN spite Of ne darkness Ol inc .sn,
that The water Sas appr0icns Ilo VI t6
great saloon The result OF tue inquiry VIII sno" VIII
what success aud cOOlness the rescue wa enecleu anu
III what weather. hope thL IusIico WIN UU a.
my and devoted officers My unfortunate seconu'
NJ Garray, In trying 10 get on BOARD tue EsaQ croio,
fell into the sea, and all tho tiOrts mace 10 saw nun
frutess propose 20 inaKe special IepVrE a %
tue worthy conduct Of the captain OF the lhh snip,
who landed US ls6 in number at Bres on me lDn ,ns
al tho date the Norwegian Two hOaT aIer uls 'I
barked 40 passenger at that port the English vessel
which had but four. had not YET appeared
ACCOUNT OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE VESSEL Al
PLYMOUTH-HER CONDITION WHEN DISCOVERED
Tile London Times of April 20, in giving an ac-
count OF the discovery of EAmeriqu6 by the Spray on
the 18Th of April in lat 10 40 y, Ion G. 80 W. says
The mate John Cooper, called the attention OF the
captain to the that the making signals
of distress, the French ensign being at bamast ana
sigual flying which said II III distress" As the
SPRAY going toward her, boat from bark Wllen
aongde eit the Amegue as those IN ne STbt
finding that with such large Vessei III MS
charge he would be shorhanded 1Sro%sa Two Two mea
of the Spray and the engineer then boarded Tue
I, were gone Cooper ana the engineer below
ana surveyed Der, reporting that there was not great
GnIntity of water on board, and that il the weather
might
then blowing half gale The crew OF the spray were
sent on board with some large warps, which they
bent into the AmGrique's cable chain The towing
then commenced "wednesday, the l5ib), ana was COLI
timed until u. m The weather again beginning to
look bad the crew OF the Spray taken from the
mail boat board their own Snip previously settlnS
the foretopsai foresail, tb. ana forestaysail The
towing was continued throughout the ght, the vessels
heading for Brest with the wind from me north At
Thursday the crew boarded tne AhedllIe again
10 endeavor possible to examine the engines D TINS
could not be done because OF me water IN 1er From
the easy manner IN when she was toWeu lno cav
tam expresses the opinion that the propeller
is gone. on the Thursday morning a; an effort ,nt
made to get some OF the cable chdln III on Tue
port side being too much out for towing purposes,
ont This 1her had 10 be cut away and while this was
being done the steamship +. l. Barry OF London, from
alongside, and an arrangement was made that she
should the Spray in taking the valuable prize into
heading for Brest until m when the wind shifted
TO the west. Capt Clark then thought 1t would be
better 10 yet English port II possible and headed
straight Plymouth which port was sighted at p H.
Saturday.
vet been able to ascertain, the Amengue Is built III
waterght compartments. The eugiuc-rOOm and stoke
entirely separate. On boarding her no water
was found ia the fore compartment; no examination
was made OF the after compartment, but the impress
sion Is that there there either. The whole
of the hand pumps clicked and the donkey pump
was broken, portions of the fragments being found
lying about III all directions. All the coal
bnnkers were full Of water, well as both
stokhods there being about six feet IN the engine
room This of course rendered the engines entirely
poyerless. Three four OF the Headlights were
knocked in, but tins was speedily remedied by their
apertures purpose Of keeping the water out
some bedding winch. appeared TO have been piled
against the lights the vain hope that IL would be
Unequal in stopping the inflow Of water A consider
Dle onantity water found In the saloon, which
got in through these holes. The cnicf mate VINO
fne frat to board the Amerique, states that he
foupd from 6 feet TO 3 feet OF water IN the stoke
mold some in the engnerOO none III the fore part OF
whether there any aft, as no sounding pumps
were TO be found board Tne vessel he discovered
10 be laden with grain and general cargo. All the
nautical instruments ana charts were taken away.
zen hauled out The starDoard tack, and with a
strong list port the cargo evidently having shifted
ON being brought port side 10 tho wind she rRhted nor
self again. the present tune there Is little
list The mate found all the valuables gone, although
there was number OF portmantesus and cases left be-
hind. all OF which appeared To nave been rasacked In
hurry and the vaudOles absricted. Tue An6rlquo Is
now lying in Plymouth Sound. Pumps have been put
which since Wednesday increased from feet TO feet
making from II feet TO feet in the engner Tue
be placed on the vessel and Is
s250OOO bur IA few thousands must be deducted from
this amount TO allow for depreciation III value
HER ARRIVAL AT HAvRE.
HAyRR, May 3.-The French Transatlantic
Amorioue we'd I'm this hnrbor from,