The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-16
Nino Hundred Passengers
Have n Narrow Escape.
Tho Great Steamship Encounters
Heavy and Dangerous Fogs.
And Thon Runs Into the Precarious
Neighborhood of Hugo Icebergs.
Mammoth Floating Mountain OF Fro
zen water Looms Up ominously In
the Night, and ia just Missed
by q Fow Boat Lengths.

NEw HoRE, June 15.-Whcn the Nord-
deutcher Lloyd's steamer Saale arrived at
s o'clock last night at quarantine there
was a large patch Of paint wanting on her
port bow. II was an insignificant looking
abrasion, but il was the mark Of rs narrow
an escape rs great Atlantic liner has had
in many n day.
The Saalc left Southampton on Friday
juno Z, at 1850 O'Clock a.m., eight hours
having been spent in taking on coal in
southampton harbor. Tho strike of tho
coal handlers at Bremen had made il i'm
practicable to OH her bunkors at that port.
Tuesday afternoon was beautiful. Thelo
was some light breeze ahead that had pre-
vailed since Sunday morning. veering
from west TO northwest by west. There
was only a ripple ON the blue water and
the great pulsation OF the open ocean was
so subducd that the Saalc rode ~ nearly
upon nm oven keel MS il ever bcialls sea-
going ship 10 do. Toward sunset tho
breeze ircshcned and drew a little south Of
west and the patches Of thin, white fog
broadenod and dispersed, and wcro moro
frequent by O'Clock the vessel ran into
thick wet banks Of mist, and tho foghorn
began iis dismal task. and with the damp
air drove the passengers b5low and early
TO bed.
Capt Richter left southampton with OIL
passengers, first cabin, intermediate and
Storage. An incoming steamer rs tho
Saalo got gradually out TO sea ON Saturday,
signalod him that they encountered icc-
bcrgs between longitude - aud 49,. IL
Is the season OF anxiety concerning the leo
for all the trans. Atlantic lines, and tho
Saalc's course was accordingly the most
southcry, and took her well below tho
most soulhcrly point Of the banks.
BY o'clock on Tuesday morning, there
fore, the saac should, presumably, hayo
crossed the path Of all souihbound ice, II
any there were. The great conveys Of
borga that starr soulh~ard In tho first
weeks Of summer through the seas beyond
4 Cape Race, and follow the reflected cur!
rents Of the gulf stream, an generally
broken up aud melted before they reach
! latitude i2' Tho Saalo was we'll 20 tho
southwark. Whom tho II o'clock pm.
! lhcrmomotric report was made to Capt
Richter ho was on the bridge with the Sec
ond officer, aud turned 10 him aud said:
Tho water b becoming warmer. We shall
soon get til Of this fog
II was NO question Of ice, but only tho
| fox. Tho SnalC was booming along ~
/ steady ~ a church. She was under full
head Of steam aud ut her topmost speed.
Every now aud then she broke ont OF a
scuuying fog bank 10 cross a waste Of gilt
| tenng m1onlit sea. Then another white
/ gray wall would rise before her, and sho
would fade into u, only 10 presently reap
pear Ia another cXpnnsc OF open water. At
| 10 O'Clock the log was at its tbickost aud
| the air pcrccplibly colder. The watch was
doubled. There were two loOkouu Ia the
basket sort ui arctic crow nests, on
the foremost about hity feet from the deck.
On the bridge were Capt. Richter and tho
second officer.
AZ lllj O'Clock Capt Richter detected
small leo in the water close under tho bow
lie spmng 10 the signal apparatus and
stopped the engine. Almost Immediately
the fox seemed 10 lit little, aud right
ahead the Captain slw with his night glass
tho gay outline OF a huge icchcrg 10
gave the order "hafd apor' aud re
verso foil speed, before any one about
had seen thc Ice or guessed his reason.
The iceberg was about elk boat lengths
away, aud thr slalc was headed straight for
h. II doomed up IN the log like a great
dark gray wall, and u seemed % grow rap
idly tailor m tho boat swept down toward
H. On thC hight 10 descended 10 the water
abruptly with an oycrhanging peak. To
tho let II disappeared Indefinitely In tlio
iog, a wall OF uniathomublc gray, high hero
aud low there, big as q cros.town block,
4 L.. L. a.. 4
but with foundations Of seven times rs
many iuDt IN depth. Tho Sialos helm was
hard apou, bat IL seemed as II sho would
never answer IT, Tho passengers, who had
run on deck aud out Of the smokIng.rooms,
when they heard the 0fdcu from the bridge
aud felt the engines stopped aud noted tho
violent vibration Of the reversed actic,.
crowded under the bridge and 10 tho i.h
rail with their hearts Ia their mouths. Tho
sight vas appalling. The great bulk aud
uncomfortable impetus OF the ship seemed
10 carry them ~ an overwhelming dcstruc.
ton.
Tho ice wall loomed higher and higher
u reflected the lights OF the ship, aud q
gave back the sound OF tie wash OF tho
parted waters at her bows. but slowly sho
awcrycd 10 8iarboarl aud then, rs II by
magic, she gave q great sufsc, shrank
away as Il were from that mighty oyehang
Of ice, aud with great cafcon 10 s,arboard
aud terrifying crunching aud grinding
along her iron sides, forged away into
clear water, while the iceberg all glitter
ing with ships lights and with thg waves
lashng iuriously about is base, yinished
astcrn and was lost In the ios and dark
ncss.
Tho carecn 10 siarboard was on q grand
scale. exactly like what happens 70 q New
York fcrry-boat when she strikes tho
spring piling at her slip. The saalc bad
run upon the submerged foot Of the ice
berg aud had slid safely of again. The
shock had been Tremendous aud exceed.
ingly noisy. but Il had inflicted no dam
age. Passengers ON deck were thrown
down, passengers In their beds woke up
on tho fooE Everything loose pitched
over 10 slarboard with deaicning caitcr
and everything stayed TO starboard, in-
Guiding probably, good deal In the hold,
Tor the Saalc maintained her liN 10 star
board and brought Il into port with her.
As the passengers Ia oil sorts Of disha-
billie came pling upon deck With white