New-York tribune., 1875-09-27
DISABLED IN MID-OCE1N.
The BROKEN SHAFT OF TIE STEAMER
ETHIOPIA.

HE BROkEN NtiA1 OF liz 81 i'.i'i-h
ETHIOPIA.
A SERIOUS ACCIDENT skIILFUILY OVFHCOME-fiGHi
DAYS srENr IN REPAIRING TUE rRAcTUEE-THE
MAGNITUDE OF TIE woRK--A REMARKABLE MI
CUANrCAI uIEyEMENT-CoNiIDENCE or TIE
PASSENGERS IN TIE OFFICEES-AREIYAL OF THE
VESSEL Ar THIS PORE
The Anchor line steamship Ethiopia, concern
inc which at one time much anxiety was felt, and which
was reported last Monday by the steamer Mas as having
brokon her snaf reached NewYork yesterday morning
much TO the relief Of passengers and their fllehds
correspondent OF THE TRIBUNE was on board ana gives
full details OF the delay IN the voyage and its cause
The Ethiopia sailed from Grcenock on Saturday, sept
4 at o D. H. stopped at Moyilc the following morning
for her Irish passengers and then proceeded ON her Vo
age having 10 cabin and 1S2 scorago passengers ana
the usual complement OF about 100 men, Light variable
winds and heavy rains were encountered on Sept D.
ON Friday, Sept. 10, pretty sun gaze W"s
blowing and the vessel labored heavily in
Ligh sea- During the night the gale subsidized
and on Saturday morning the sea was comparatively
quiet when about o'clock, all on board were startled
from their berEs by n sudden shcck which shooR the
vessel from stem to stern and was followed Dy tne
instant stOppage OF tho engines It" minutes i't''
the melancholy news brought from belo" that the
shalt was broken. The accident occurred in latitude 40
3D. longitude 4G7 AZ about 200 miles from Ne"-lorh
and about 30 miles from the coast Of Nova Scotia
An examination showed ha, the fracture was diago-
nal one, about twenty inches long ana very dicuit 10
rcpar Tie broken portion Of the shait, Weighing about
five tons, had fallen into the bottom OF the tunnel Ihc
break occurred about yfour feet from the propeller
The Chef Engineer James Murray aud capt Craig had
consultations aud it was decided TO attempt repair OF
the shaft though in tho face Of almost insupctaDe o
cuy should this effort fail, nothing remained TO do but
to put about for Queenstown under sal as the strong
westerly winds rendered IT impossible to make St. Johns
even il il were desirable to approach snch dangerous
Ttp
back 800 miles by sail not an agreeable one, ana
II was impossible to tell how many weeks it would re-
GuiIe to reach Queenstown. All hope was centercd
either in splicing the shaft or in meeting some steamer
which should take the Ethiopia in tow Fortunately the
weather became exceedingly favorable for tho proposed
repairs, the sea becoming smooth as glass
REPAIRING TIE SHAFT.
Tn order TO work on the broken part 10 advantage and
TO release the propeller not to rctard the sailing o
the ship found necessary to disconnec the length
of shanng the propeller Ii was then discovered
that this part OF the Shaft had been badly sprung being
III inches OH tho center This was one OF the greatest
difficulties the on noer had to contend with No hollow
place or pcrccptbe flaw discovered at the fraetu
ut the IRON did net TO be perfectly homogeneous
on one side the break appearing bacher than on the
other and, discovered on boring the shat one oi
the fractured parts much harder than tie other ILc
broken length rasel BY means OF j1casciew, ana
the ragged edges were smoothly beyeled of and brought
y
the broken parts. This was work of much labor 1t
had 10 be done in tho low tunnel which surrounds the
shaft the working entirely by ialnpsht, III every
imaginable position, in close atmosphere their eyes al
most blinded at times by the smoke irom Their Tampa
OF course no machine drill could be introduced The Ell
tire work drilling this fournch hole and subsequently
other holes in the coupling had TO he done with hand
ratchet. A ia-ineh hole first bored. This was en-
argcd TO tireo inches. and by third boring TO -four
inches To bore this hole and lit bolt to ii took about
three days
The break being Only twenty inches ionG admitted Only
one bolt -Four steel divers, foar inches long ana IA
inches broad and three uarter5 OF an inch Thick were
sunk int The shaft 1us with its surface just across the
line of fracture serving bind the parts more closely to
gethcr. Large clamps then bolted on the SHAFT
holding the steel drivers in place binding the whole to-
gether tightly. still difficulty presented Itself III
the spring. bending OF the shaft IGree men, Win
an The power they could get ont of ackscrew were not
able to reduce tie part which bent more than quar-
ter OF an inch So badly bent the length of shaft
back Of the break that it was found impossible to couple
them together before. The old holes Ia the coupling
would correspond, and three new holes three inches
in diameter and 1--we inches through, had To hc bored
through the couplings Two the bearings and plumber
blocks under tie shaft were broken, and new sup
mort had to be devised THE work carried on night
and day. and after eight and half days the job was com
plete.
THE VOYAGE RESUMED
Three days after the accident TIE scicr !laHS "is
spoken aud word sent NewYork. While the shat was
repaiing tie steamer sailed and dred some 100 miles
The break occurred Sept H. and on the lSth ut mid
nigh; the engines were working again. With the shat.
rclaircd the Ethiopia made between seven ana eieht
knots an hour on sept % the shaft was again endan-
gercd by the brcakage OF the fournc bolt used In re-
pairing it, The engine promptly stopped and new
holt put in after delay Of three hours careful watch
was kept man being stationed in tie tunnel constantly
ia communication with the engineer. Proceeding slowly,
making runs Of about l60 nautical miles daily, the
steamer reached the lghtshp off Sandy Hook abont7
O'Clock Saturday night. When within two hours OF the
lcLtship the steamer Bolivia, sitter ship 10 the Ethiopia,
was spokcn and immediately put about and conveyed
the Ethiopia the lig,hp, sending aboard also ifehh
PROVISIONS , a.,
ncp the nature Of the break is considered, and the
extraordinary difficulties With which the engineers had
ocontcnd-bcng unable To use either cranes OI tackle 10
m the shaft AMI obliged Ia forge on board the special
tools required the work. well as compelled 10 wOsk
under aips: dbadyanagc in the unnelthe repairing of
this shaft will I've locked upon great mechanical M
umph by every who l. COMPETENT to form technical
Judgment IL not thing for steamer 10
break her shaft hut 1t s worry rare thng 10 repair IL ~
sea, especially when tho ehaft IL the sHr-lo
that on the Ethiopia. Happily the weather was 80 ihIot
able after the break that no extraordiha! s"n was
ciertcd on the shalt.