Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-28
THE MAIN SHAFT WAS BROKEN
Water Pours in the Tunnel and the
Panic Stricken Passenger See
Death Before Them.

ucCAe until suo ao"c1 stSSahS "SS w
cred with CONCEALED fros.ing. And the
deck itself was like . standing pond.
The Nordland laborcd along success
fully until Thursday evening. 1t was
bitter cold and the passengers were
congratnlating themselves on gradually
nearing tine end of their stormy voy-
age. The steamer was in latitude
1882 west. and longitude 50:l5 wnen
at twenty minutes past Q IN the even
ing tremendous crash Was heard and
the vessel quivered from end TO send.
Three terrific blows resounded, one
after the other, as if the vessel was
being struck by gigantic hammer,
which indeed was the fact. The fright
of some of the people was pitifui 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 broken shaft, for
that proved to be the danger, seemed
about to crush the ship At every con-
cussion.
Panic Stricken Passengers.
Water rushed into the tube, menac-
ing the stokehold and the engine rooms
and panic striken passengers thought
for awhile that the vessel was about to
sink. Several minutes elapsed before
word was given for the engines to stop.
The Nordland lay helpless, tossed by
the gale, and as the water rushed IN
there seemed iminent danger of sink
ing. The pumps we're manned and
put to work. every man of the crew
being summoned to duty. For twenty
four hours continuously the pumps
wore kept gong and the water was
prevented from gaining on the vessel.
At the time of the accident the
Nordiand was 400 miles west Of
Queenstown. The crippled steamer
WAS sighted by the steamship Ohio,
which left Philadelphia on the same
day that the Nordlsnd left New York,
and needed assistance was at once ex-
tended. The voyage to Queenstown IN
tow was attended by much difficulty
and continuous stormy weather made
it necessary to navigate with caution,
but the Nordland arrived without fur
ther accident.
An examination showed that the
fracture of the shaft was six feet inside
the stern. Anchor was dropped and
tho passengers removed to shore by =
tender. All showed Signs 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.
New Workers. story.
Fred Kotz, first cabin passenger
ckn tn1
told his experiences tonight.
"The first two days out of New York
, were fair, although 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
passengers were below eick. Five
| or six of us were in the smoking
room. talking how we should pas.
Christmas in Antwerp. when there was
n terrific crash and we were thrown
from the seats into heap on the floor.
The vibration of the ship almost shook
us from our feet as we started for the
door. 1t seemed as if a gigantic ham.
mpr was pounding the ships bottom.'
| When We got outside We saw the
| captain coming from the engine room.
| The passengers came running on deck
half dressed and white from fear. We
| surrounded the captsin and he told III
that tho main shaft was broken, bu'
| there was no immediate reason fol
alarm. The other officers, who were
not busy below, walked about alons
| the passages necessarily and tried Il
encourage all TO believe that there wai
| no danger. In few minutes ",
learned that the engineers At great risl
| to their lives had found that two sta,
mates and the plummcr blocks hac
smashcd the gland OF the engine. Th'
bulkhead however, had been KEEP
tight.
Horrors OF the Night
The vessel pitched and rolled terri
hlv, so that We saw We could not trus
| TO tho boats If the worst came. "W'
| were Just becoming calmer when w
saw the crew rnsh,ng from the steer
age. csrrviog bedding. mats aud car
pets To aud stufle in the tunnel box
| We all know then that water was com
| my IN. Nobody slept that night. 1h'
women sat crying m the cabin ard tn
! mon crowded tho smoking room 4
nlsv cards and talk { the situation
We we're all badly frightened. The
vessel rolled terribly and with ever
ri came treinendsus tnuup ss If
piece of tie shaft wss loose and smash
ing ~ the nod. The sails bad beet
spread hut they did not steady the shil
not ceatiy.
We kner we were far from thr
track ~ transatlantic steamships an'
nlsst ot us on tnnt night would TO
have guessed that our chances Of liz
were mo+e tssn two in five. Tho eros
-rofked heroicaliv 81 the puups fo
ta. tgautv-fnnr hours sfler tie scci
dent md a. tie same time engineer
w.re i,usy at the shaft. firipg plugs an
trvtur 10 prevent further influx o
n.fsr
I've had nlrntv II fnoi snd W8ie
ard therefore WITH fairly favorsti
vnatiser. waala have beer atie 10 hois
orr own for some tin7e. A. the 81
vas ii 70 rough. however. for an
hfetosi. ~s were 8 Tioony lot"
eLigh, AseraT'
Friday was uneveutful. The table
were isid ss as8si. but few cared {
eat. At2 o'clock oa Saturday NOR
ing the -okcut Yelled. 7 ght ahead
/ Everybody turred ont and i1stene
eagerly for he uert woT3. She's
steamer was the neTt rs8 We =
rens rel On deck iae rest of The Higt
watch M iffe ohio's ghf. A. dsTiigf
she stooa ~ snd passed hsvser. A