Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-25
A TERRIBLE VOYAGE
On Board the America-A Fire Panic-Ar
Insane Passenger.

On Board the Amerfca-A FIRE fanic-An
Insane Passenger.
New YORK, October 23.-The last yoy-
age of the steamer America seems to have
been an eyentful one. The following is
the story as given by the log: The Amer
lean left Queenstown on Thursday morn
ing a week ago with fair weather, but
within two hours after leaving the harbor
a storm came up, which the officers of the
ship describes as the most violent that
the ship ever. passed through. Captain
Grace went to the bridge at the first sign
of bad weather and remained there for
forty two hours. exposed not only to the
wind and rain, but to the waves which
during Thursday night washed clear over
the bridge, filling the life-boats with water
and clearing everything from the decks
that the force of ten feet of water could
move.
In the midst of the storm a stoker, who
had narrowly escaped being hurled into the
fire by the pitching of the vessel, deserted
his post and rushed upon deck with the
avowed intention of jumping overheard
rather than risk again the danger of his
work. He was forced bacd to the furnace
room, but his fright soon developed into
insanity and he was found crouching be-
tween two furnaces in abject terror, await
ing another opportunity to commit suicide.
He was placed in irons.
At the same time
A PANIC
was created in the steerage by the cry of
''Firer" and several hundred men and wo-
men rushed to the matches ~endeavoring to
get to the boats. Dense volumes of what
seemed to be smoke throughout the ship
is what caused the alarm, and the officers
in charge had a desperate fight for some
time to control the frightened steerage
passengers. Investigation showed that
the ''smoke" was merely steam caused by
some water having washed over hot steam
pipes. But again fright had developed
into a case of insanity, and one of the steer
age passengers, an Englishman, who had
deserted his family and his position on an
English police force, attacked the stewards
with q razor and threatened to kill any one
who tried to prevent his jumping over
board. He was placed under watch after
being disarmed, and became quieter after
the storm had subsidized. 4 cook was also
severely injured during the storm bv being
thrown across the kitchen with n knife in
his hand, cutting his head.
About noon on Saturday Captain Grace
left the bridge, the ship being entirely out
of danger. But his forty-twO hours cx-
posture without sleep and the nervous
strain caused by the chapter Of incidents
referred to, was too much for him. Five
minutes after coming Oft duty the reac-
ton developed into n cOngestive chill and
ut ll:30p. III. he died. His daughter was
with him.
On Sunday morning the insane Eng
lishman succeeded in breaking away from
his guards in the steerage, and amid great
excitement among the men, women and
children who witnessed the struggle, he
Jumped overheard and was drowned. On
Monday a babe died in the steerage and it
was buried in the sea the next morning.
The death of Captain Grace caused deep
grief among the cabin passengers, and at n
general meeting in the saloon appropriate
resolutions were adopted by them.