Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-30
THE UMBR|A SEEN.
She Was Sighted at Sea on
Christmas Day by the
Steamship GalileO.
THE WIND BLEW A GALE,
And the Missing Vessels Crew Was
Making Repairs at the Time.
SHE ASKED FOR NO ASSISTANCE,
And She Is Expected to Come Into Port in
Short Time, Now.
NO PITTsBURGERS ARE ABOARD OF HER
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,

| TBfECIAL TELEGhAM To THE DISPATCH.l
NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-Much later and
more definite news of the overdue Cunarder
Umbria relieved to-day much of the anx-
iety felt on her account On the afternoon
of Christmas Day she was sighted about
705 miles from New York. She displayed
three red lights as q signal that she was
unmanagesble, but she did not ask for as
sistance. She was lying to, and apparently
lying very easy, in fresh northwest gale.
This grateful news was brought to port
early this morning by the Wilson Line
steamship Galileo, from Hull December IL.
Captain Coleman, of this ship. died of
valvular disease of the heart December 10,
and was buried at sea in northwest gale.
Chief Officer G. H. JONES' who took COM
mand, told the story of the sighting of the
Umbria in these words:
"We had strong west-northwest gales
and high seas almost from the moment of
clearing land. chad several snow squalls
and unpleasant weather of every kind all
the way across. About o'clock on Christ
mas afternoon we were in latitude 42O 52,
longitude $50 05'. The wind was blowing
a fresh northwest gale and heavy sea was
running. 1t was just a trihe misty, and
fast growing dark. The lookout sighted
big steamship bearing northwesterly. She
was lying to in the heavy wind, but was riding
the waves as comfortably as if she were at
her dock
Out of Order, but Not in Distress.
1--WE signaled that we were of the Will
son line. In response she displayed blue
light and two Roman Candles each firing
six balls This meant that she was of the
I'd ho Shn rad
lights, which meant that she was not under
command. We judged from this that her
machinery was out of order and that she
was lying to for repairs We circled her,
but as she did not signal for assistance we
went on our course. She was in sight for
two hours. guess she'll be in here in
day or two. She looked pretty big out
there and it was not blowing enough to
hurt her. We could see some of the pas
sengers on deck. The next morning, De-
cember 26, we passed two steamships bound
east. They were almost sure to pass the
Umbria and if she needed any assistance
they would have helped her.
The place where the Umbria lay when
the Galileo passed her, five days ago this
morning, is about 7O5 miles from New
York, east by north, $50 miles due east
from Boston, and 254 miles southeast of
Halifax. The damage to her machinery
was proDaDly not very serious.
Expected to Land Before This.
When a steamship breaks her shaft or
meets with any serious mishap she usually
seizes the first opportunity to signal the
fact to passing steamers, for even if she
does not want assistance, it would take
long time to repair any great damage to
machinery, and every steamship captain
knows what world of anxiety an overdue
vessel causes
The probability is that on Christmas |
afternoon the Umbria was either so slightly |
disabled or had recovered from a serious &C |
cident to such an extent that she expected |
in short time to steam ahead for port and |
get there before the Galileo.
Steamship men say that the signal of |
three red lights at sea is usually displayed |
when vessels steering gear is out of order
or her rudder is disabled. In cases of more
serious accident it is customary to signal
some of the particulars. Here is an in
stance: On January 27, 1885, the steam
ship Alaska signaled to the treighter Lake
Winnipeg: damage to the rudder; cannot
steer" After further signaling, the Alaska
took the Winnipeg in tow, to serve the pur-
pose of rudder, and in this tandem fashion
the vessels arrived in port February s.
None of the InQuirers Uneasy.
The White Star steamship Runic, which
left Liverpool one day before the Umbria,
and which was supposed to come by the
same course as the Umbria, arrived off Fire
Island at 1880 o'clock this morning. She
had not sighted the disabled vessel The
daily stream of people who come to inquire
after news of the ship continued to call at
the Cunard Lines Office all day to-day.
None of the inquirers, however, displayed
any uneasiness.
A telegram from Halifax tonight, SAYS:
A rumor was in circulation here tonight
that the disabled steamer Umbria had
reached Darlington in sinking condition,
but inquiry of the New York agent there
shows that the story was false. Nothing
mas been seen of the steamer there. The
ship has not been sighted anywhere off the
Nova Scotia coast, every part of which has
been communicated with, from Yarmouth
20 Canso.
The value of the Umbria and her cargo is
roughly estimated at 81, SOC, 900, two-thirds
If which is insured in London and the re-
nainder in Liverpool