St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-31
PERIL or The PARIS.
An Inman Line Steamer Has
a Narrow Escape From
Foundering.
The Starboard Engine Col
lapses, and Cuts a Hole
in the Vessel.
Over Two Tho ousands Tons of
Water Rushes Into the
Engine Rooms.
The Accident Occurs Over
Two Hundred Miles West
of FaStnet.

QUEENSTOWN, March 30.-The Inman
line steamer City of Paris, towed by the
steamer Aldersgate, arrived at Queens
town at o'clock this morning. The
accident by which the City Of Paris was
disabled occurred Tuesday, and was
caused by the breakage of the low-pres-
sure cylinder of the starbOard engine,
the flying pieces of metal forcing the
bulkhead and disabling the port
engine. The passengers became panic
stricken when they found that the ship
was making water and that there was
possibility Of the vessel laundering.
The water, which flooded the engine
compartment, was forced through the
injection tubes, which, it is alleged, the
engineers during the excitement had
neglected to shut. The starboard en-
CINE was shattered almost to pieces, the
port engine rooms were filled with up
ward of 1900 tons of water, and the
port engine was entirely useless.
All went we'll until the evening of the
25th, when at $3.50 p. m., while the
steamer was going at full speed, the
starboard engine suddenly collapsed
and the low-pressure cylinder broke,
smashing the injection water pipe con-
nections and bursting the iron bulk
head dividing the port and starboard
engines. The metal flew around in all
directions. A portion Of the machinery
smashed through the steamers double
bottom. The water rushed through the
hNIn Irfn fha
the engineers and iremen to rush to
the deck for safety. Terrible conse-
quences would have ensued but for the
bravery of the second engineer, who, at
the peril Of his life, enyeloped as he
was in Kissing steam, managed to shut
off the steam. thus saving the machin-
cry from total demolition, which would
have happened had the engines
continued working. He then es-
capped unhurt. The passengers were
much excited, but the captain and Off
GERS succeeded in assuring them that
there was no danger. The life boats
We're cleared in readiness for use and
the pumps were kept working. The
steamer
Drifted HeIpIessIy
until the 26th of March. when
the captain sent Chief Officer
Passon and six men in life boat to
get into the track of other line steamers
in the hope of being able to intercept
the City OF Chester or the Adriatic. The
boat met the Adriatic, which declined
to take the City of Paris in tow.
The Aldersgate now hove in sight, and
offered to tow the City of Paris. The
offer was accepted. The Aldersgate is
small steamer, unable to tow over
four or five knots hourly. and progress
was slow until Saturday, when the Ohio
was sighted. She stood by until p. m,
when Fastnet was sighted. Two tugs
were sent later. The water kept in
creaSing, in spite of the work of
the pumps. An examination is being
made by divers. The accident oc-
Cured 216 miles west of Fastnet.
Statements by passengers. which are
similar to other accounts of the acci-
dent, are to the effect that there was
loud crash. followed by an explosion.
The ship quiyered and the engine
thumped. The vessel leaked rapidly
from the hole in her bottom. The
officers Gained the excited passengers,
The conduct of the crew was admir-
able. The weather was fine and there
was no wind. During the sixty hours
that the steamer drifted she kept show
ing distress, finally sending up rockets
and burning glares. On Friday morn
ing the AdriatA was sighted. She
offered to convey the passengers to
New York, but the offer was declined.
The Adriatic then proceeded and sent
the Aldersgate to aid the City of Paris.
Three tugs joined the disabled vessel to
accompany her to Queenstown. The
passengers held a meeting at which
they returned thanks to Providence for
their delivery. They also expressed
their appreciation of the exemplary
conduct of the captain and crew and
raised subscription of 5000 for the
Liverpool and New York Mariners
institute.
Sufficiently Brief
The captain of the City Of Paris has
furnished to the company's agents at
Queenstown the following report of the
accident. 1t must be considered verv
meager account of an occurrence that
has every appearance of being one OF
the most serious of the kind on record.
The report is dated ''From the City of
Paris, March 49," is addressed to Mr..
CumminS, and says: ''On Tuesday.
March 20. at $50 D. NJ, when 216
miles west OF Eastnet, the starboard en-
gine broke down from an unknown
cause. The cylinder went to pieces, in
turing the bulkhead and breaking the
injection and water pipe connections,
and allowing considerable quantity of
water to run into both engine rooms
and adjacent sections. No one on board
was injured" Mr.. Cummins himself
went in tug to meet the City
of Paris, which entered the
harbor at precisely 4:50 a. n
A number of press agents who sought to
go off to the steamer were refused per-
mission. Indeed, throughout the whole
matter scant courtesy has been shown
them. When Mr.. Cummins returned he
was accompanied by three persons. who
were evidently passengers, but none of
them would give word of information.
A second tug that went oat brought
back neither mails nor passen-
gers. 1t was only OH the ar
rival of the third tug. considerably
later in the day. with a dozen passen-
gers, that anything could be cleaned as
to the nature of the accident. Special
trains were kept in readiness here
throughout the night, with large staff
of railway hands. Early last evening.
probably before the actual state of
affairs at the steamer was known, the
intention OF the agents was to land the