Evening journal., 1892-12-31

1
queries from several who were facetious
as to whether the speaker possessed
| $4,000. A voice with a very different
ring in it came from the other side of
the room.
eve are in no danger at ALL" it said,
''this ship would float through the big
est hurricane that ever came up on the
Atlantic. Our captain is one OF the
best that ever sailed the ocean and has a
great deal more at stake than anyone on
board and anyone who talks about sub
scribing $4,000 to get him to do his
duty is a fool.
The man who was thus designated
turned out to be. according to the pas
senger list, General J. w. Kearney, Of
Texas and the one who informed him
was young Edward McVickar of Boston.
McVickar apologized in gentlemanly
manner for calling the other fool after
ward, saying that he spoke in haste and
the general told someone else that If
the man had not done so he should have
made an example of him. McVickar,
who is stalwart youth, did not seem to
consider, however, that he had had
very narrow escape.
But Little COmmotIon Aboard.
There was very little commotion when
the ladies were informed of their situa-
tion. They took it as calmly as the men.
The principal anxiety of everyone, in
deed was on account of relatives and
friends at home. The Umbria had
sighted only two ships since leaving
Queenstown and it might be a week or
even two weeks before she was reported.
Chief Steward Gore said that there
was enough provisions on board to last
for three weeks more without any one
being in the slightest degree stinted, or
even for four or five weeks with the de-
privation of few luxuries.
Very few of the passengers remained
up much later than was their wont on
Friday night, although they fully real
lied that they were drifting helplessly
in mid-ocean in a storm. Oil was poured
upon the water through the drainage
pipes Of the ship and she was quieter
than while the machinery was in motion.
The Bohemia to the Rescue.
Just after daylight those who were
asleep were awakened by several reports
from the Umbria's gun and the sound of
her whistle. In ten minutes almost
every one was on deck to ascertain what
was the matter. A ship was in sight
just on the edge of the horizon bound
eastward. For half an hour during
which time the gun was continually dis.
charged and the boarse whistle blown it
was impossible to detect whether or not
the other boat had seen or heard the
Umbrias signals, and the passengers
felt that it was almost too much luck
that help should be at hand so soon after
the breakdown.
Soon, however, it was seen that the
new conner was making toward the drift
ing ship and at o'clock she was along
side. She proved to be the Bohemia, re
membered in connection with the cholera
scare in New York harbor, of the Ham
burg American line. bound from New
York to Hamburg. She at once responded
to the Umbira's request for a tow and
before noon she was connected to the
big steamship by a steel hawser and was
steaming slowly westward, the German
flag at her stern Haunting before the
bow of the disabled Englishman
Parted by the Gale.
The storm grew heavier in the after.
noon and it was all that the Bohemia
could do to drag her big burden in the
teeth of a headwind. After dark heavy
snowstorm sprang up. which obscured
the lights of the two vessels from each
other. About midnight the steel hawser
broke in a violent gale and on Christmas
morning the passengers of the Umbria
found themselves again adrift in a raging
storm with naught in sight but the sky
and sea. What became of the Bohemia
no one knew. She probably lost track of
the Umbria in the snowstorm after the
hawser parted, and if she searched for
her al ter daybIeak, she did not find her.
A Prayerful Spirit Pervades.
A larger percentage of the passengers
than is usual attended divine service,
conducted by Purser Field in the saloon
that morning and the responses to the
prayers were unusually hearty, though
when the men met in the smoking saloon
afterward many were constrained to ex-
plain that they only strolled in to hear
the music or to pass away the time.
Christmas Day passed without any dem
onstration of discomfort among the pas
sengers, though the Texas general croaied
like another bird of ill-omen in the
ladies' cabin.
other Ships Sighted.
Just at dusk light was sighted to the
southwark and again the passengers
focked on deck. Rockets were fred
and soon the light that at
first seemed to fade away,
began to grow more and more distinct,
and in half an hour a small steamship
lay alongside. In answer to the
Umbria's signals the newcomer reported
that she was vessel of the Wilson line,
bound for Philadelphia and that she
could not take the other in tow because
she did not have coal enough, with which
pleasing information she signalled good
bye and departed.
From the hour her time was taken at
noon Friday until she broke down that
evening the Umbria made l24 miles. She
Grifted twelve miles to the southeast
during the night and the Bohemia towed
her seventy-five miles toward New York
on Sunday. At noon Monday she had
drifted forty-two miles and the gale was
still blowing.
Just after luncheon on Monday a
steamer was sighted proceeding west
ward. In answer to the Umbria's signals
she came alongside and proved to be the