The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-02-10
SAFE IN PORT.
Eventful Trip of the Steamer
Alaska.
The Story Told by the Passengers.

NEW YORK, Feb. 9.-The overdue and dis
abled steamship Alaska Of the Guion line
reached this port late yesterday afternoon in
company with the steamship Lake Winnipeg
OF the Beaver line, also from Liverpool The
two came in tandem fashion, the Alaska tow
ing the winnipeg by means OF two strong steel
chain cables.
The story told BY the passengers of the Alas
ka is story Of weary days Of humping and
tossing about the Atlantic. Everything was
lovely on the swift steamer for the first three
days out OF Queenstown, then il came on to
blow from the northeast, and from that time
until today, nearly ten days, hardly passen-
ger appeared on ueck. Ror the next three days
there was one continuous gale. The weather
was bitterly cold and the officers and crew suf-
fered terribly.
Then came heavier sea than ever, with
floating ice, and great wave carried away
the rudder, with part OF the rudder-chains
For three days and half, from Sunday until
Wednesday, when the Winnipeg came to the
rescue, the vessel was no more than foatin g
log at the mercy Of every wind and wave. Fu-
tile attempts were made to rig jury rudder
and to make steerage way by means Of sails,
but to thus guide the great 5000 ton ship was
impossible. So, driven hither aud thither,
with the les encasing rigging and decks, the
vessel pitched about for three days, Ali the
ladies remained in their cabins sick, and not
twenty persons in all escaped without touch
OF sickness. 1t was the toughest passage ever
made by the Alaska.
The rest of the story was told by the captain
OF the winnipeg this morning. He said: cat
p. M, on Thursday last, when the sea and
the wind had Gained down somewhat, and the
winnipeg was something more than 200 miles
southeast OF Halifax, the lookout saw signals
OF distress in the form Of rockets shooting up
from steamship about thirteen miles away.
Inc Inc Winnipeg turned her bow to the disabled
ship, and was within hailing distance of her in
lesd than an hour. She was the Alaska. Cap
tain Murray said that her rudder was broken,
and that she was unable 10 steer They were
about $50 miles from New York.
The two steamships lay to and waited for
the sea to abate. Captain Murray then had a
boat lowered, and was rowed to the Winnipeg.
He boarded her and told Captain Jackson he
wanted the Winnipeg to steer the Alaska to
Nav York.
CAPTAIN Murray returned to his ship and the
two ships got close enough together to allow a
line to be thrown from the stern OF the iAlasks
to the bow Of the Winnipeg. Two cables ere
drawn on to the Winnipeg with the line and
made fast. The other ends of the chains ere
held on either side of the stern of the Alaska,
forming bride tow.
While this was going on the steamship City
OF Chester sighted the two vessels.
The Alaska proceeded at $40 O'Clock Thur g.
day morning, with the Winnipeg steering her.
A heavy gale arose a. 5 o'clock in the after
noon, and the Alaska stopped her engines and
10Y w! slocnoHiuS tuo clainS 30 as 10 prevent
breaking them.
Early on the following morning the weather
became milder and the ships went on. Then
strong northeast gale arose, accompanied by
piinding snow storm, and the Alaska lay to
again. AT 8 O'Clock in the afternoon the snow
storm and gale spent their fury, and the ves-
sells ontinued on their course.
At LILO on Saturday morning their chains
parted at the windlass to which they were fas-
tened on the Winnipeg, and the a laska, with
out a rudder, steamed about in q drunken
fashion for awhile. The chains were repaired
and after six or eight hours the two ships were
connected again. Then they steamed along
until they got to Sandy Hook, when they vol.
unfairly parted company.
"The Winnipeg was about two ships lengths
behind the Alaska, and the people on our ship
knew little Of what was going on on the Alas
ka, but her passengers seemed to be taking
things comfortably.
The passengers of the Alaska were landed at
the barge office at o'clock this morning.
Among the passengers were Henry George,
Count +. de Goutan Biren and Marquis Man
uel Ce Peraita.
The first mate and boatswain OF the Aneri-
can ship j. +. Chapman, charged with killing
sailor namsd Jansen, were taken off the
Alaska, and three witnesses in the case landed
at the barge Office. All the passengers express
themselves as glad to be once more on terra
firma.