The Indianapolis journal., 1889-06-16
pERILS OF ATLANTICTRAVE
Nine Hundred People Narrowly Escape
Being Dashed to Death on an Iceberg.
How the 0cean-Racing Steamer Saale, in Order
to Beat Other Boats, Took the Shortcut
and Ran Into Towering Field of Ice.


an escape as a great Atlantic liner has had
in many a cay. The Saale left SOuthamp-
ton on Friday, June z. at 1:3O a. m, eight
hours having been spent in taking on coal
in Southampton waters. The strike of the
coal-handlers at Bremen had made it i'm
practicable to fill her bunkers at that port.
Tuesday afternoon was beautiful. There was
some light breeze ahead that had prevailed
since Sunday morning, veering from west
to northwest by west. There was only
ripple on the blue water, and the great pull
sation of the open ocean was SO subdued
that the Saale rode as nearly upon an even
keel as it ever befalls a-going ship to do.
Toward sunset the breeze freshened, and
drew little south of west, and the patches
of thin. white fog broadened and deepened
and were more frequent. BY o'clock the
vessel ran into thick, wet banks of mist,
and the fog-horn began its dismal task, and,
with the damp air, drove the passengers
below and early to bed. Captain Richter
left southampton with 915 passengers all
told.
On Saturday a steamer had signaled the
Saale that icebergs were plenty between
longitude 43o and 4So. 1t is the season of
lantic lines, and the Saale's course was, ac-
cordingly, the most southerly, and took
her well below the most southerly
point of the banks. By o'clock on Tues
day morning. therefore. the Saale should.
presumably, have crossed the path of all
south-bound ice, if any there Were. The
great conveys of ice that come south in the
rirst weeks of summer through the seas be-
yond Cape Race, and follow the reflected
currents of the gulf stream, are generally
broken up and melted before they reach
latitude AZ. The Saale was well to the
southwark. When the II p. NJ. thermometric
report was made to Capt. Richter he was
on the bridge with the second officer, who
turned to him and said: The water is be.
this fog" 1t was no question of ice, but
only the fog. The Saale was booming
along as steady as church. She was under
full head of steam and at her topmost
of a scurrying fog bank to cross q waste of
glittering moonlit sea. Then another
white-gray wall would rise before
her, and she would fade into 1T, only
open water. At 10 tie fog was at its thick
est and the air porceptibly colder. The
watch was doubled. There were two look
ON me about eet from
the deck. On the bridge were Captain
Richter and the second officer. At IL Capt.
Richter detected small ice in the water
close under the 5 bow; He sp5pang papa to the sig
most Immediately the fog seemed to lift
little, and right ahead the Captain saw
with his night glass the gray outline of
huge iceberg: He gave the order hard
anyone about had seen the ice or guessed
his reason.
The iceberg was about six boat-lenghths
away, and the Saale was headed straight
for N aA in fnO 20 n
great, dark-gray wall, and it seemed to
grow rapidly taller as the boat swept
down toward it. On the right it descended
to the water abruptly with an oyer-hang-
itely In the fog, a wall of unfathomable
gray. high here and low there, big as a
cross-town block, and from fifty to seventy
feet in height. but with foundations Of
Saale's helm was hard aport, butit seemed as
if she never would answer it. The passengers
who had run on deck and out of the smok-
the bridge. and felt the engines stopped
and noted the violent vibration of the re-
yersed action, crowded under the bridge
and to the tatfrail with their hearts in
their mouths. The sight was appalling.
The great bulk and uncomfortable impetus
of the ship seemed to carry them to an
Overwhelming destruction.
The ice wall loomed higher ana higher;
it reflected the lights of the ship. and it
parted waters at her bows. But slowly she
swerved to starboard, and then, as If by
magic, she gave great surge, shrank
away. as it were, from that mighty over
hanging of ice. and with q great careen to
starboard and a terrifying crunching and
grinding along her iron sides, forged away
into clear water. While the iceberg. all
glittering with the ships lights and with
the waves lashing furiOusly about its base,
vanished astern and was lost in the fog
and darkness.
The careen to starboard was on grand
scale, exactly like what happens to New
York ferry-bOat when she strikes the
spring piling of her slip. The Saale
had run upon the submerged foot of the
iceberg, and had slid safely off again.
The shock had been tremendous and ex-
ceedIngly noisy, But 1t had inflicted no
damage. Passengers on deck were thrown
down; passengers in their beds woke up on
the floor; everything loose was pitched
over to starb0ard with a deafening clat-
including probably good deal in the hold,
for the Saale maintained her list to star
board and brought it into port with her,
As the passengers, In all sorts of disha-
bile, came piling upon deck with white
faces. they found the Saale stopped in the
middle of q fog bank, her fog horn was
blowing at regular intervals, and on her
forecastle was a group with lanterns low
plates. The ships carpenter was sounding
the wells. the screw was being looked to,
and in quarter of an hour Captain Rich
ter came aft among the passengers and told
them the ship was all right and they could
go to bed. The feeling of relief
was intense, for between the awakening
to danger and the captains declaration.
was as bad quarter of an hour as could
well be. The officers and crew of the Saale
took IL as coolly as if it happened every
night. AS TO the passengers, only one
really retained his presence of mind. and he
rushed on deck with fully packed valise
As matter of fact all the people on board
behaved excellently we'll. They are some
what stunned and shocked. and undOubt-
edly very much frightened, but the only
serious effects was manifest in the case of
the considerable number who could not be
persuaded to go to bed again. and who sat up
all night In momentary expectation of more
icebergs. On Wednesday, Thanksgiving
service was held by the Rev. III. l.. Duhring
of Philadelphia, and was attended by all
the cabin passengers. A letter of thanks
To Captain Richter was subseq drawn
up, at n meeting of all the passengers,
called for the purpose, aud large sum of
money was subscribed TO buy a piece of
plate to be presented to the Captain when
the Saale next arrives in this port.
Lieutenant Blow. manager of the hydro
graphic Office in this city, was in his office
when a reporter called this morning. The
Lieutenant censured the officers of the
Saale. while admitting that the captain did
all In his power to prevent a collision with
the iceberg and did it well. ''The Saale's
escape was a narrow one, indeed said the
I.ieutenanf m Narrow ipffact that have