The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-12
CUT DOWN by A CUNARDER.
Tho Umbrla and French Steamer Come
Together.


INV YoRR, Nov ll.-The Cunard
steamship umbria colided with the Eabrc
steamer Iberia about four miles or Long
Beach Hotel, just beyond Rockaway, Sat
urday aiternoonat l;l0 o'clock. The Iberia
was badly damaged, having her whole
stern cut oil and the Umbria, after taking
oil the crew OF the Iberia OF thirty men
lying by tho injured ship all that night,
came up TO the dock for repairs this morn
ing at IL o'clock. When she lcf. the
Iberia tho latter was sinking badly at tho
stern, aud IL looked as II she would go
TO the bottom before noon. The Umbria
was but slightly injured and came back to
her dock merely M n precautionary meas
urc, according 10 the agent Of the hnc,
Vernon II. Brown. All the mark she
bore Of the ugly wound she gave the
Iberia was a queer triangular ragged hole
in her collision, but a head In its largest
dimensions about six feet by three feet.
The hole Is just abait of the extreme bow
and It's lowest point about five feet above
the water line. This Ia on the starboard
side. A small hole, through which u
swallow might fly, was also punched in the
plate on the port side directly opposite.
The hole appeared 10 have been made by
the revolving screw Of the Iberia.
The story Of the affair as told by Vernon
III. Brown, agent OF the Cunard Line. ~
he got Il from Capt. McMiken, is as fol.
lows
The Umbria left her dock on the
North River Saturday morning, November
10, at l0.I5 O'Clock, with 2lb cabin pas
scngcru, siNty-scycn intermediate passcn.
gcn and I2O Htccragc, and full cargo Of
about LOO tons general merchandise.
Sandy Hook was reached at ~. ~ O'Clock
I'm. and the pilot left Ut 1890 o'clock,
without incident Tho weather WIS hugy
aud WIS growing thicker nll the time. AZ
1910 o'clock the ship was slowed down on
account of the thick log. About five min
uto'a later steamers whistle WIS heard
on what appeared to bc the stathuard bow.
| Capt. McMiken WIS ON the bridge. As
| tho whisti. neoncd 10 hc growing ncntor
the engines were stopped altogether. AT
almost the next moment n stTtngr steamer
was seen directly across the bows ahead,
! pointing 10 the northwnrd. Tho Umbria's
engines were Immediately ordered r..
yersed at full speed, but that did not
prove enough Ia ncutralize tho hcadwny
and the Umbria struck the stranger on the
port quarter, carrying away portion Of
the strangers stern. Orders were immo-
diatcly given Ia lower to the boats aud
make an examination Of the lmhria,
which was done, with the insult ns given
already. Tho examination showed that
two plates ON the starboard bow had been
broken. Meanwhile the two steamers
driftcd apart and lost trace Of each other
for full twenty minutes.
Shortly after getting nearer, the first
officer Oi the crippled steamer got aboard.
His name h Guillot lie said the name oi
his ship was the Iberia, Of the fnbro line.
The Iberia had sailed from the Persian
Gull on September n, with cargo of dried
fruit, hides. coffee, etc. There Wcro thirty
men In tho crew all told, including the
officers The Iberia hal met with an acci-
dent 10 machinery, aud had been laying
To making repairs Tor about thirty hours.
She had Just got under way when the acci-
dent occurred. The iberia wns q Steamer
oi about 1000 tons register. aud belongs
In MarsCillUs, France She carried no pas
scngcr. Her officers wcro Capt sanrlucs.
IHnA 'ln'iI 'ulhNif H'fNfl 'lNfff az
cry aud three cnsiuoer, Pages laPadc
aud Durburquc, aud a crew composed 0i
Arabs, Greeks and miscellaneous national
tiles
Being In the middle Of tho day there
wH great excitement among the plsscn.
gcn on the Umbria. The blowing Of the
whistle Of the strange steamer had put
everybody on the qui yiyc to sco whence
the sound came, and when the Iberia
loomcd out Of the fox the excitement grew
apaco among the 700 passengers Among
the passengers were Mr. aud Mrs. John
w. Alexander, child aud maid, the Hon.
John Boyd Thatcher. Mayor Of Albany,
Thomas Baring, the banker, Charles A.
Miller, Ocorgu A. Brown, tho broker
George y. Grain, the banker Edward
Cooper. Henry q. kelsey; n. Mumiord,
Earl Of Newbcry.
Men were at once put b. work on the r.
pairing of the damage 10 the Cunnrd. II
was an all night Job. A plato VI steel five.
cighths of an inch thick will bo placed
over the hole. which will bo filed with
concrete, making the steamer strong ns
ever. CAPT. McllikCn, thoroughly cx.
hauslcd, went 30 bed when the Umbra
was d0ckod. He had had little sleep for
two nights. AZ noon tomorrow thc I'm.
bria expects 10 continue the voyage to
Liverpool which was NJ suddenly cut
short