New-York tribune., 1892-12-11
THE SPREE'S GREAT DANGER.
ALL HANDS READY TO LEAVE THE SHIP.

luckless Spree when she broke down. arrived here
yesterday afternoon on the Cunard steamship Etruria
They told dramatic stories, which showed that the
Spree was In danger far more grave than had been
reported IRON England. But they also told fine
stories Of bravery and pluck among the passengers
and grit and splendid discipline and oooness on the
part Of the officers and crew.
OF the many hundred people on board, expecting
the ship to sink every moment, there were ohiy
few who lost their heads showed c0wardce, and OF
these few the majority. shame to say, were men,
These few showed all the weaknesses OF cowariS
They wept and cursed. and made rush for life pre-
servers. They held 10 those which they secured
anl even slept on them. But these instances wcrc
few, and beyond the OF passenger VINO
Jumped overheard through fear and was drowned ana
five women who became temporarily insane, there was
no sign OF general panic. Instead, there was o
devotion grand to see in cases OF hilsDahs wives,
parents and friends who forgot their danger In
caring for the safety Of their beloved ones. How
great that danger was Will be understood when 1t Is
said that from the time the machinery broke through
the compartments, early In the morning, unui le
middle OF the day, the officers feared that the snip
would sink and ordered all passengers to strap te,r
most valuable possessions to their bodies and hold
themselves In readiness to step into the life boats
These boats and RATS all provlsoned In readiness
for an immediate launch. The officers were at their
stations, and had arms In readiness, II Is said 10
rpel any rush for the boats. The sight the big
ship presented them in the gray dawnng OF November
60 with all living beings aboard clustering on deck
in terrible suspense Is described by eyewinesses as
being the most impressive they had ever seen.
At last, with a thankful heart, big Captain VII
ngcrod announced that the terrible rush OF the sea
through TIE rent I'm the vessels bottom had been
thecked. There was ringing cheer and then came he
call TO prayer. Which all obeyed.
But danger only stayed, and not averted Even
after she was taken I'm tow by the steamship Lake
ro,lh -aph
her to the bottom, by breaking another bulkhead.
Even II was, the water in the two broken COM
parments washed heavily and the sound bulkhead was
shorcd up. There a general impression among
the passengers and the story was believed on slore
that the vessel got into Queenstown just In me ana
that the third compartment was rapidly filing rs
she entered the harbor.
The passengers OF the Spree who arrived yesterday
on the Etrrria were Dwight l.. Moody, W. Revell
Moody, F. L. Woodbam, J. WOodham, May Feist,
E. Crater, J. lie Roy White. Simon Haas II. NJ.
Messenger, l.. schwartz, and the party Of thomas
Prosser r. consisting Of himself, Mrs. Prosser Mrs
Blanche Moeller Mrs. Nordhelmer and Miss Catherine
n. Merritt.
Dwight L. Moody, the evangelist. was among the
first passengers OF the Etrria to walk down the gang
plank when the steamship reached her dock. His
wife waiting to meet him, and after an Affection
etc greeting they entered carriage and we're driven
TO the Grand Central Station where they boarded the
O'Clock train for Northfed, Mass. Mr.. Moody was
one of the most prominent people on the steamship
Spree when the disaster to her machinery took place
and much quiet the feelings OF the passengers
during the time the ship at the mercy OF the
elements At the station Mr. Moody talked freely
about the frightful strain that drove several pas
sengers to madness and one TO suicide.
Mr.. Moody says that he has passed through many
thrilling experiences; has calmly faced death In the
battlefield and In hospitals where terrible pestlence
fha
while he was exposed to the ravages of the disease
but he says never before the experience he had on
the Spree was his courage put TO such test
al thought could face death calmly" said Mr.
Moody "but the strain OF forty hours was too
much for any man. During that time the hundreds
of passengers on the steamship momentarly expected
to go to the bottom. 1t was a time when mans
courage tested ITS utmost, and TO be exact the
women demonstrated more fortltude than the men,
No two people probably will relate the same story
about what happened board after the accident but
1t is absolutely that the women were more calm
and more brave than many OF the male passengers.
al in my stateroom when the machinery broke
and big hole made I'm the ship. thought at
fist that had struck n rock. First there was
crash, followed by grinding, scrapng sonnd
as II something crushing in the side Of the vessel
The situation too serious 10 be kept from
the passengers and the officers who were afraid that
the ship could not be kept afoat long, told the
passengers get fe-preservers ard to clothe them
selves warmly. They expected that they would have
to loosen the llieboats and RATS, and they warned
everybody TO prepare for voyage the smaller
craft which afford protection TO the
wind and cold. Everybody got ready
end for forty weight hours they waited the signal
TO get into tie lfebOats. For forty-eight hours
looked into the grave, and the strain, 1t can well
be imagined, q great one"
Mr.. Moody says that during the time the ship was
In such peril he prayed ferventy to God to take him
safely to his family, and he firmly believes that his
prayer was answered al praying man. he
said "and believe In prayers. do not know how
the Others felt but believe that God heard our cry
for help. am sure he heard my cry, for after the
PRAYER ] felt relieved and calmly slept To NY
mind it was the grandest test Of prayer ever knew.
There was number OF sceptics among the pas
sengcrs, but they were as attentive listeners as
anybody at the prayer meeting which was held In
the large dining room. in addition to the scephcs
there were Jews and Catholics, but they all attended
the prayer meeting and all seemed to have more con-
fdence than before. II was prayer for deverence
and We were delivered There were times when
the ufeboats could sat have been lowered, and the
situation was probably more grave at times than
many of the passengers were aware Of"
"Wcre any sacred hymns sung y asked Mrs.
Moody. who was listening 10 hef huSDanu harra-
tive.
.No there was no singing. We didn't feel like
SINGING The strain n strong one, and when
relief came no wonder that scver@, women had TO
be restrained And wOnier that things look
different a sceptic after he has faced death Tor
two days. There woman whom / noticed
particularly. she was from Milwaukee,. She had
her two little children with her, and for fortv-eight
hours that motter watched her tte ones like cat;
ready TO spring for them AM clutch them TO her
bosom II another crash came Not muscle OF her
face changed during the trial Her expression was
always the same. She had calmly made up her
nd at
also determined that her babies should 50 down with
her In her arms A mothers devotion was there
Not once did that woman think of leaving her little
ones"
Mr.. and Mrs. Sankey. DIR. w. Williams. Il. G. Morse
and J. ID. Cutter were among the people who went