New-York tribune., 1885-02-10
THE ALASKA SAFE IN PORT.
A STORMY VOYAGE HAPPILY ENDED.

ship Alaska left her anchorage outside the bar ana,
surrounded by tugs which had been sent down to
her assistance on Sunday night, came up to the
city, stopping at Quarantine to transfer her passen-
gers and their luggage to the Barge Office. tenders
The Alaska left Queenstown on January 30 and as
soon as she dropped the Irish coast, began to ex-
perience heavy weather. On Monday, the 26th it
blew gale and the ship was soon plunging into
tremendous head sea. great wave boarded her
and carried three sailors off their feet hurlng them
against the bulwarks. Two of them were only
slightly injured, but the third received compound
fracture of tho left thumb.
There were 132 cabin and 158 steerage passengers
on the Alaska, and though they began to realize
that they were in for a stormy passage they had en-
tire confidence in the ship and her officers and
made arrangements to while away the time as best
they could 1t was impossible to go on deck with
any degree of safety but there uninterrupted
poker party In the smoking-roOm, concerts were
given in the cabin and in the dimlit steerage the
emgrants sang songs of the land they were leaving
while the great waves rOared and thundered
against the hollow bows
On the morning of January 27, the Alaska was
fairly in the thick of the Storm and from that time
until February 2 she fought her way westward in
the belt of westerly gales and high seas. Every
mile fierce battle with one of the most terrinc
storms that has been encountered on the North
Atlantic for years. and one in which less sea-
worthy ship must inevitably have foundered. The
Alaska rode the waves like duck, rising to the
huge pillows lightly and steadily, shipping very
little water and neither starting rope oil her rig
ging plate of her hull.
On the morning of February the Alaska was In
latitude 42o2', longitude 61o37', and the storm
had somewhat abated. But now new danger
threatened for at o'clock that morning the snip
| suddenly refused to obey her helm. and 1t was
found that the rudder was broken. An effort was
made to steer the ship by drag but the sea was so
rough that il could not be done. SAIL was put on
the ship TO keep her head in the wind and prevent
| her breachng.to. This was partially successful.
| The Alaska was about so miles southeast OF SABLE
Island at the time she broke her rudder and by noon
of the next day had drifted 5S miles in south
westerly direction. A strong northwest wind. ac-
companied by snow squalls set in and at midnight
on the Sd it was blowing gale again. Sharp look
out was kept for passing ship, and on the evening
of the 4th, after drifting for thirty-sx hours.
steamer's lights were seem The Alaska immedi-
ately ran up signals of distress and the unknown
steamer. which proved to be the Lake Winnepeg
came up to her.
USING ANOTHER VESSEL As RUDDER.
The wind and the sea had abated by this time
and Captain Murray went aboard the Lake Winhi-
neg. explained the situation TO Captain Jackson
and requested the use of his ship as rudder That
night the Winnipeg lay by the Alaska and at day
break the next morning two chain cables were run
out over tho quarters of the Alaska and made last
to the Lake WinneDegs bows. Then the two steam
but proceeded slowly The method OF steering was
this When the Alaska wanted to port her helm IN
hers efhs threw the head Of the Winnipeg over to
port and drew hard on the starboard cable, which
threw the head Of the Alaska TO starboard. When
the Alaska wanted 10 stafDOaru ner hcIin tic opct"
AZ I0:45 o'clock on rhe night of the day on which
the Alaska took the Lake Winnipeg In tow q
northwest gale set In and the vessels were Obliged
to lay-to and ride IL out. The next morning tue
weather moderated and the Alaska again headed for
this port. The wind now sprang up again ana Dy
$40 In the afternoon was blowing gale lhe sea
began to run heavily, and "a fierce binding snow
storm swept down on the ships. Again ihey iay To-
waiting for the storm to abatc AT midnight both
cables parted. The Winnipeg lay by the Alaska
until daylight, but when morning broke the sea ana
connect again with the Lake steamer Instead
Captain Murray got the fore ard aft sails on his
ship and worked her as best he could, steering Dy
the sails About J. o'clock that night the sea anu
| wind went down and the Alaska stopped TO iasten
| again to tho Lake Winnipeg. il was o'clock
the next morning before the steamers were ready 70
| proceed At noon OF that day plot was taken on
| board and at 4:35 in the afternoon the Alaska
| anchored outside the bar TO wait Tor yesterday
While the Alaska lay of the hook on Sunday
night a meeting Of the cabin passengers was heIu
aud resolutions expressing gratitude 70 the oleeLs
aud crew for their work III bringing the snip saicy
| 10 port were passed. The sum OF tloO was col
| lccted aud divided as follows t0O 70 Capla,h
| Murray Gi2 to the other officers, ana tlS 10 the
sailors. The Lake Winnipeg will. OF course, oe ah-
titled to salvage for the aid she rendered 10 tno
Alaska he amount will be settled by arbitration.
Whether the Alaska will go into drydock 10 haye
n new rudder put on, whether the repairs can oe
| made by using coerdam has not-yet been detetS
mined. When the long overdue ship reached % her an
| the pier and on the ships lying near
EXPERIENCES OF OTHER VESSELS.
The few Transatlantic steamships which arrived
Yesterday all bore marks of their experiences in
the recent ocean storms The British steamer
Yesso. from Sunderland to Baltimore. was obliged
| 10 put into this port for repairs. On January ~,
| in latitude 47o 49' north. longitude 43' Oh
west. she encountered a tempest, which continued
| for four days. the seas breaking over hex ana uo-
ing great damage. The weather was intensely
cold and heavy snOw-squalls were frequent, M .iie
| crew suffering greatly therefrom During ao .ne
broke and the vessel lay heplessly in the trsugh
of the for several hours until repairs were nau
| While repairing the steering apparatus tne . Eessei
| was put undor sail, and the tempest way 30 neaky
that the foremast carried away close te tno
deck, Several OF the life-bOats were swept from
| the davts and demolished and considerable other
damage was done about the decks. On iuesday
last the vessel encountered another gaie' anu v"
| Thursday SHE met q hurricane. -, It'll
| The captain of the steamer Teddlngton, wnlcn
arrived from Japan ports, reported that on 5atui
| day. about 400 miles southeast OF SANDY ho9k' Ino
| schooner Lizzie Hickman. from Richmond, va,
was spoken. She had lost oil her sails severai Oh
the crew were badly frost bitten and tho schooner
| was short of provisions. A. supply OF ProvlsionS
aud medicines was furnished by the Ieddlngton.