Evening journal., 1890-03-31
ONE GENT.
FROM THE DEEP
A Close Call for the CITY OF
Paris.
AN OCEAN GREYHOuNDs PERIL
A Hole stove In the Great Liners Han
When She Was over Two Handred
Miles from Land-I.ife Preservsrs and
Boats RIads Ready.

QUEENSTOWN, March 3i.-The thousand
aud sixty passengers Of the great ocean
greyhound City Of Paris after an advent.
ure that might easily have terminated their
lives, are safe ashore again, thanking Psovi.
denee for their narrow escape from an IN.
marked grave on "Old oceans gsay and
melancholy waste The magnificent steam
er has hundreds Of tons Of water in her hold
and her machinery is disabled, the result Of
an accident which in some manner knocked
q hole IN her hull and would have sent her
to tue bottom but FOR her numerous water
tight compartments. The accident to ths
steamer occurred when the vessel was 3le
miles on Fastnet The passengers say they
hoard loud crash, followed by an explo-
sion. The ship quiyered, and the humping
Of broken machinery in the engine room
shook the steamer from stem to stern.
She Began Leaking Badly.
She began leaking badly from the hold
which had been broken in the bottom. Tie
pumps were quickly manned, and the boan
were ordered to be cleared. The passen.
gers were much excited, but the officers re-
manned calm, and thoir presence OF mind
and enforcement Of regular discipline soon
had the effect to restore the confidence Of
all on board When it was found that tbs
vessel was rapidly taking In water, with
possibility Of laundering, panic arose on
bonrd The excitement was heightened bv
the fact that the firemen and some OF tbs
engineers rushed up on deck Immediately
after the crash occurred, and displayed
great alarm. The engine room had been
flooded through the injection tubes, which,
II is alleged, the engineers in their excite.
ment neglected to close
Hero lie Was.
The second engineer remained at his post
and risked his life ia the effort 10 shut of
steam. In this he finally succeeded, and
thus saved the machinery from total wreck.
When tho shock came there was a rush aft
and then every one halted ia pallid sns
pense All was now still in the starboard
engine room save the kissing Of steam, bui
the port engine was still working. There
was not word spoken for sixty seconds
by this time Capt Watkins had come down
from the bridge. A moment later came
word that both engine rooms we're rapidly
filling, but that there was no immediate
danger
what Had Happeneds
No one knew exactly what had happened.
Il WIS believed that the crank shaft Of the
starboard engine broke, beating ia the
biggest Of the three cylinders and thrashina
about with is connections, breaking III the
bulkhead between the two engine rooms
and that dividing them from tho compart.
ment next aft, and either breaking the an.
abn ..fsr 4.
leading to the sea outside, or actually
smashing hole through her side and bot.
tom. The passengers donned life preservers
and extra clothing and gathered about the
boats in readiness to leave at a moments
notice; but fortunately there was no neces.
sity for taking TO the sea- Four OF the biR
watertight compartments filed with water.
but the remaining compartments held firm
and kept the steamer ahoat
The Adriatlc Sighted.
The steamer was drifting about for sixty
hours before aid came to her. Fortunately
the weather was fine, aud there was hardly
a breath OF wind. Signals Of distress were
constantly shown, rockets and fiare lights
being used at night Finally, on Friday
morning, the Adriatic was sighted. She
offered to take Off the passengers and CON
she could be expected TO do under the cir
cumstances Some of the passengersIthought
that the big White Star steamer ought Co
have turned around and towed the City of
Paris into port, but tho officers Of the City
Of Paris said this would have been against
all precedent, and entirely unnecessary in
view Of the fact that the disabled steamer
was not in distress and was in reach Of
other help.
The Aidersgate TO the Rescue.
After the steamer had drifted about for
long time without sighting another vessel.
the chief officer and six men started in a
lifeboat TO get into the track Of the liners,
hoping 70 intercept some one Of them and
procure assistance. They encountered tha
Aldersgate, which willingly came to the
aid Of the disabled steamer
Three tugs soon joined the Aldersgate and
helped in towing the City Of Paris to Queens
town. On arrival at that port the passen
gers assembled in the saloon, and after a re-
hgious service in recognition Of the proyi
dental escape had been held, resolution,
were adopted compimenting the captain and
crew upon their able and unwearied effort,
for the safety and comfort Of the passengers
A purse Of 5000 was raised, which will bs
donated to the New York and Liverpool
Mariners institute
Was II a Record Breaking Accident9
The passengers speak very highly Of the
conduct Of the crew Of the steamer, both in
the matter of managing the disabled shiu
and IA that of making the passengers as hope.
ful and comfortable as possible. At the same
time there is general feeling that the Civ
ing way Of the machinery was the result OF
the tremendous strain put upon it in the de-,
sire TO beat the record. The officers of thu
vessel were very reticent az to the exact
nature Of the accident, and the passenger
have very hazy views on the subject
There is general impression that the af
fair was much more serious than was given
out, or that the officers cared to admit. II
Il turns out that the break down was caused
by excessive pressure incident to 'record
breaking" the effect of the accident may be
to somewhat discourage that pastime. Many
of the passengers confess that they now
entertain less admiration for great speed
than they did few days ago. Others, how.
ever, say they would take the fastest steamer
ahoat next trip just as readily as before and
run their chances {
Censure for the A1dsrsRate.
The little freight steamer AldersgatsI
comes In for good many hard words from
the passengers notwithstanding the delight
with which they hailed her first appearance
She is a very slow craft, and made onlyl
about five knots an hour with the big liner
in tow. The passengers, who wore greatlyl
fretted by their long detention, we're in
clined to think the Aldersgate could have
dons better if pushed, and they allege that,
her captain made hard johofit dclihcrate-
" with fhm fHmn Of aatrsur r~erra fw..m