The record-union., 1892-12-28
Steamer NOOrdland Many Miles at
Sea With a Broken Shaft.
THE FRIGHT OF SOME OF THE PEO
PIE FRIGHTFUL TO BEHOLD.
The Disabled Vessel Sighted by a
Passing steamer and Towed Into
Liverpool-Uneasine Felt for the
Cunard steamer Cmbria, Which,
Allowing for Stormy Weather, is
Already Several Days Overdue.
Special to the REcoRD-UxroN.

Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.
QUEENSTOWN, Dec. 27.-The steamer
NoOrdland arrived here to-day with a
broken shaft. The voyage Of the Noord-
land was tempestuous almost from the
hour Of leaving Sandy Hook. The winds
blew almost a hurricane, and the ship
had much difficulty in making headway
through the waves. Some passengers were
so apprehcnsive of danger that they could
not be induced to retire at night, and sat
about the saloon, doing at intervals, and
ready with their clothes on, to take boats
in the event of an accident. The waves
tossed their icy foam on the decks until
the lower rigging Itself was like skating
pond. Captain Nickles, his officers and
crew, spared no pains to secure the safety
OF the ship, the sailors never shirk-
ing an order, however perilous and pain
ful.
The Noordland labored along success
fully until Thursday evening. 1t was a
bitter cold night, and the passengers were
congratulatlng themselves on gradually
nearing the end Of their stormy voyage.
Tie steamer was in latitude lS0 so west
and longitude so IS, when at twenty
minutes past nine in the evening a tre-
mendous crash was heard, and the vessel
quiVer6d from end TO end. The passen-
gers who were sitting up were tossed like
nlnepins, several Of them being thrown
to the floor. Three terrible blows re-
sounded, one after the other, as if the
vessel was being struck by gigantic
hammer, which, indeed, was a fact
The fright of some people was pitiful to
behold. They rushed hither and thither,
delaying the officers in their efforts to get
the cause and extent of the disaster. Cap
tain Nicllles knew well enough what the
sound meant, and with reassuring word
to the passengers he fastened to inyesti-
gate personally. The engines raced furi-
ously, while the broken shaft seemed to
crush the ship at every conclusion.
Water rushed into the tube, menacing the
stock-hole and engine-rooms, and the
panic-strlcken passengers thought for
aWlle the vessel was about to sink.
Several minutes elapsed before the
word was gwen for the engines to stop.
The Noordland lay helpless, tossed by
the gale, and as the water rushed in there
seemed imminent danger of sinking.
The pumps We're manned and put to
work, every man of the crew being sum-
moned to duty. For twenty-tour hours
continuously the pumps were kept at
work, and the water prevented from
gaining on the vessel. The excited pas
sengers, finding that they were not in in
stant peril of being swallowed up by the
waves, regained courage and patiently
waited for steamer TO tow them into
port.
At the time of the accident the Noord-
land was 400 miles west of Queenstown.
The crippled steamer was sighted bv the
steamship Ohio, which left Philadelphia
on the same day that the Noordland left
New York, and the needed assistance
was at once extended. The voyage to
Queenstown in tow was attended bv
much difficulty, and continuous stormy
weather made it necessary to navigate
with caution, but the Noordland arrived
without further accident.