Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-31
ALMOST A CATASTROPHE.
How Near the City of Paris Came to
Sinking.

The City of Paris, with her engines totally
disabled and with hole in her double bottom,
arrived at Queenstown at a. m. yesterday. The
cylinder OF her port engine exploded when she
was ZIG miles from Fastnet and the fragments
disabled the starboard engine and stove o hole
in the hnll.
The accident occurred Tuesday. All went
well until the evening of that day at $50 o'clock.
While the steamer was going ut full speed the
starboard engine suddenly collapsed and tho
low-pressure cylinder broke, smashing the in
lection water pipe connections and bursting the
iron bulkhead dividing the port and starboard
engines and disabling the latter. The metal
flew around in all directions.
portion Of the machinery smashed through
the steamers double bottom. The water poured
through the hole into the engine rooms COM
pelilng the engineers and hremen to rush to
the deck for safety. Terrible consequences
would have ensued but for the bravery of the
second engineer, who, at the peril Of his life,
enveloped as he was in Kissing steam, managed
TO shut off the steam, thus saving the ma
chinery from total demolition which would
have happened had the engines continued
working. He then escaped unhurt.
The passengers were much excited. but the
captain and officers succeeded in assuring them
that there was no danger The life boats were
cleared in readiness for Use and the pumps
were kept WORKING. lDe steamer uTuteu ueip-
lessly until the 10Th. 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 conduct of the crew was admirable. The
weather was fine and there was no wind Dur
ing the sixty hours that the steamer drifted
she kept showing distress signals. sending up
rockets and burning flares. On Friday morn
ing the Adriatic was sighted She offered to con-
yey the passengers TO New York but the offer
was declined. The Adriatic then proceeded
and sent the Aldcrsgate TO aid the City of Paris
Three tugs joined the disabled vessel to accom-
pany her to Queenstown. 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 pm, when Fastnet was
sighted. Two tugs were sent later. The water
Kept increasing IN spite of the work of the
pumps. An examination is being made by
divers. The accident occurred ZIG miles west
of Fastnet.
The passengers held meeting at which they
returned thanks to Providence for their de-
livery. They also expressed their apprecia-
ton OF the exemplary conduct of the captain
and crew and raised n subscription of 1900 for
the Liverpool and New York Mariners Insti-
tute.
The daily runs of the City of Paris we're as
follows: March 20, 307 miles; q. 44O; %. 44s;
~, 452; "a, 446; rs. 456 These figures are sup
phed by a passenger. the log book Of the
the steamer being unobtainable.
Divers discovered the damage to be so great
as to preclude the possibility of towing her
safely to Liverpool. She will be besched and
temporarily repaired, and if the damage is not
as bad as 1t seems to be she will be taken to
Liverpool at the first favorable opportunity.