The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-30
HELPLESS ON THE ATLANTIC
Steamer Umbria Spoken By the Calico
on the Evening of Christmas.
She Was then Several Hundred Miles East Of
New York, in an Unmanageble Condition.
but Required No Assistance.


NEW YORK. Sept. 80. 1:3O A. M.-The steam
ship Umbria has not yet arrived, but the
Cunard officials still profess to believe the
vessel to be- In no especial danger. The
North German Lloyd steamship Lain. from
Bremen and Southampton. passed fFire ISL
and at 1880 o'clock last night. She may
have news of the missing Cuuarder.
"a. M.-The steamer Lain which arrived
here at lao A. NJ. reports having seen
nothing of the Cunarder Umbria. Captain
Helmers stated he had not sighted the
missing steamer. She has no doubt drifted
away to the south of the regular course
some hundred miles or more.
The steamer Calico. Captain Jones.
from Hull. Dec. IL, arrived at the bar at 4
O'clock yesterday morning. She had con-
tinuous west-northwest gales and high
head seas throughout the passage. with
frequentsnow squalls. On Dec. 16 Captain
Coleman was taken sick and died. He was
buried at sea on the Goth, during @ north
west gale.
"On Dec. 25. at 5 p. NJ. latitude 1852.
longitude $685. SO runs the log. sighted 8
large steamer bearing northwest, appar-
emily disabled. Bore down close to her.
and she exhibited three red lights. showing
that she was u~nmanageable but not requlr-
ing assistance. Exchanged night signals
with her, which showed her to be tho
Cunard. steamer Umbria. from Liverpool
for New York. She made no other signals
for assistance. although q heavy sea was
and comfortable, with the vino northwest,
blowlng a fresh north west gale" Captain
Jones was of the opinion that her ma
cbinery was disabled. and that she was
laying to to make the necessary repairs.
On the morning oe the Goth the Calico
passed two teamers bound east. which
would no doubt fall In with her and render
any assistance should she require 1t. Capt.
Jones states that there need be no alarm
for her safety.
dispatch from Halifax says: "a rumor
was In circulation here last night that the
disabled steamer Umbria had reached Bar
ring:on In q sinking condition. but inquiry
OF the New York agent there showed that
the story was false. Nothing has been seen
of the steamer there. The ship has not
been sighted anywhere OFF the Nova Scotia
coast. every part of which has been CON-
municated with. from Yarmouth to Casno."
Anxiety at London.
LONDON, Dec. 29.-The anxiety felt for
the safety of the Cunard line steamer
Umbria was great this morning, and many
of those W no have relatives or friends on
board of her personally visited the offices
of the company or else asked by telegraph
for information regarding her. OF course
the company had no information to give
beyond that contained In the newspapers.
but the officials gave reassuring
replies. having perfect confidence in the
seaworthiness OF the steamer and the sea-
manship of Captain Mckay. her command
er, but the long delay in the arrival of the
Umbrla causes apprehension that cannot
be allayed by conjecturing
There are several dereliots atloat In the
North Atlantic route. and one or two of
them have been reported by incoming YES
sells az being dangerous Instructions to
navigation. To seafaring men who know
the dangers presented by this class of
wreck. almost the first thought Is. when O
steamer Is long overdue, that she haa
struck q derelIct just awash. To coIsi9e
with such an obstacle is like striking'a
rock, and the consequences of such a mis-
hap are more than hke]y TO prove serious
to the vessel that runs into them.
The underwriters at LlOyds' look upon
the Umbrla as an extra hazardous risk.
Yesterday reinsurance was effected
upon ner at the rate of IL g~uineas premium.
which Is rather q high rate. but this morn
ing 20 guIneas was demanded and this aft
ternoon the rate was raised to %. Some
reinsurance was effected ut this latter rate,
and this in itself is a good indication of the
anxiety felt in business circles. Old steam
selves this morning the probability
of the Umbria having struck a derelict.
say that even If such was the case her
water-tight compartments would keep her
afoat, unless. perhaps, she struck in such
o manner as TO tear her side out near the
engine-room. This might be done by the
steamer striking the floating and
water-logged wreck a .~glanclng blow.
The last pilot chart of the
Nnrh ontn conoA h <ha
photographic Office shows few derelicts
In the regular route of the Umbria. West
ward of the point at which the steamer
was spoken by the Moravia, three sueh
obstacles are plotted on the chart. With the
prevailing winds and currents these ders-
llcts would drift to the southwark. BY far
the greater number of derelicts are known
to be between Bermuda and the Azores.
When the report reached here this even
ing that the Umbria had been sighted in a
disabled condition on Dec. % 1t removed u
terrible load of anxiety from those who
have friends aboard. kilograms reporting
the fact that the steamer had been spoken
were sent in every direction to those who
had requested that they be informed at
once of any news received. In addition to
the passengers who sailed on the Umbria
from Liverpool. whose names have been
already cabled, fourteen saloon. seven
cabin and nineteen steerage passen gers
embarked on the steamer at Queenstown.
The steamer had on board 1.049 sacks OF
mail. Inc value OIL the UmDr1a and neI
cargo is roughly estimated at FL 500. coo.
two-thirds of which Is insured in London
and the remainder in Liverpool.
Could Not Stop at Queenstown.
LoNDoN Dec. 29.-The White Star-line
steamship Germanic. which left New York
Dec. Il for Liverpool, was sighted off Brow.
head this afternoon, but was unable. on
account of a heavy gale. to land passengers
or mails at Queenstown, and proceeded di.
rectly for Liverpool.
Movements of Steamers
Nry yopv Dao 10 Avad. prc;o