St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-28
SAVED FROM The SEA
Steamer Nopdland Breaks
Her Shaft 400 Niles
From Land.
At the Time OF the Accident
the Weather Was Bit
terly Cold.
The Steamer Ohio ToWs the
Disabled Steamer Into
Queenstown Harbop.
Great Apprehension Felt for
the CunaPdep Um-
bpia.

QUEENSTOWN, Dec. 27.-The Nord-
land, in tow Of the Ohio, arrived here
today with her shaft broken. The voy-
age of the NoIdland WAS tempestu0uS
almost from the hour of leaving Sandy
Hook. The wind blew aImo5ta a hurri-
cane, and the ship had much difficulty
in making headWay through the waves.
Some of the passengers were so appre-
hensive of danger that they could not
be induced to retire at night. The waves
tossed their icy foam on the decks
until the lower rigging was covered
with CONCEALED frosting, and the deck
itself was like skating pond. The
Nordland labored along successfully
until Thursday evening. 1t was Bit
terly cold and the passengers were con-
graduating themselves on gradually
nearing the end of their stormy voyage.
The steamer was in latitude 1852
west and longitude 50:l5, when at
9:2Uin the evening,
"A YreiM endOus Crash
was heard and the vessel quiverea from
end to end. Three terrific blows re-
sounded one after the other. as if the
vessel were being struck by gigantic
hammer, which indeed WAS the fact.
The fright of some OF the people was
pitiful to behold. They rushed hither
and thither. delaying the officers in
their efforts to get at the cause
and extent of the disaster The
engines raced furiously, while the
l,,E f.. Iot L.,
the danger, seemed about to crush the
ship at every cOncusson. Water rushed
into the tube, menacing the stokholde
and the engine rooms, and panic-strick-
EN- passengers acted as though the yes
sci were about to sink. Several minutes
elapsed before the word was given for
the engines to be stopped. The Nord-
land laid helpless at the mercy OF the
gale, and as the water rushed in there
was Immediate danger OF shaking. The
pumps were manned and put to work,
every man Of the crew being summoned
to duty For twentY-four hours con-
tlnuously the pumps were kept at work
and the water prevented from gaining
Oh the vessel.
Help Arrives.
At the time OF the accident the Nord-
land was 400 miles west OF Queenstown.
The crippled steamer was sighted by
the steamship Ohio, which left PhIla-
delphia on the same day that the Nord-
laud LETT New York. and needed assist
ance was at once extended. The Yoy-
age to Queenstown i'll tow was attend
ed with much difficulty. and the con-
tinuOuS stormy weather made it neces-
sary to navigate with caution, but the
Nordland arrived without further accl-
dent. An examination showed that the
fracture of the shaft was six feet inside
the stern.
The Nordland was towed into Queens
land harbor by the steamship Ohio at
O'Clock this evening. All passengers
were on deck, waving hats and handker-
chiefs and cheering. Anchor was
dropped, and the passengers were re-
moved to shore by tender. All showed
SlgnS of the anxiety which they had
suffered; some of the elderly steerage
passengers were hardly able to walk
Several women fell on their knees and
cried the moment they were landed.
Frederick Stone, first cabin passenger
stopping at the Queenstown hotel, told
his experience tonight.
Story of IL Passenger.
THE first two days out of New York
were fair. Part of the time a heavy
sea was running. The weather then
grew rapidly worse. On the night of
the accident we were making about
twelve knots an hour. The ship was
rolling heavily and most of the cabin
passengers were below sick. Five or
six of us were in the saloon talking
about how we should pass Christmas in
Antwerp, when there was terrific
crash and we were thrown from the
seats into heap OH the floor. The
vibration of the ship almost shook us
from our feet as we started for the
door. 1t seemed as if gigantic
hammer was pounding the ships
bottom. When we cot outside
engine room. The passengers came
running on deck, half-dressed. and
white from fear. We surrounded the
captain, and he told up that the main
shaft was broken, but there was no
immediate reason for alarm. The other
officers who were not busy below
walked about among the passengers
necessarily and tried TO encourage all
to believe that there was no danger. In
a few minutes we learned that the en-
gineerS, at great risk to their lives, had
found the two stay plates and the plum
mer blocks had smashed the band Of the
engine. The vessel pitched and rolled
terribly, so that we saw we could not
trust to the boats in case the worst
came.
Nobody Slept.
"We were Just becoming calmer
when we saw the crew rushing through
the Steeroge carrying bedding, mats and
carpets to be stuffed into the tunnel
box. We all knew then that water was
coming in. Nobody slept that night. The
women sat crying in the cabins, and the
men crowded the smoking room to
play cards and talk over the stu
alton. We all were badly fright
ened. The vessel rolled ter
ribly, and with every roll came a
tremendous thump as if piece Of the
shaft was loose and smashing things in
the holds. The sails had been spread,
We knew we were far from
the track of the trans-A tlantic steam |
ships, and most of us OH that night |
would not have guessed that our
chances OF life were more than |
two in five. The crew worked |
heroically at the pumps for the |
twenty-four hours after the acci- |
dent. and at the same time the |
engineers were busy at the shaft, fixing
plugs and trying to prevent further in
tluX of water. Eventually word was |
sent out that the flow of water had been |
checked. We had plenty of food and |
water; therefore, with fairly favorable |
weather, would have been able to hold |
our own for sometime. AS the sea was still |
too rough, however, for any life boat, we |
were gloomy lot. Friday was unevent- |
full. The tables were laid as usual, but |
Few Cared to Eat.
cat 2 O'clock the lookout yelled |
Light ahead!' Everybody turned out |