The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-31

had no holes in her sides. no masts gone.
no Tapping sails hanging in shreds. no In.
jury to her rndder. There was no list to
her, and'she looked. just as it was after
ward learned to be true, merely laying to
to make repairs.
A TALK WITH SIGNALS.
The Cunarder had no signals Of distress
set. and she carried no sail. She had three
sea anchors out over her bow. and she was
doing her best to keep her nose rp to the
wind. She was straight up and down in
the water; all things considered, she was
doing we'll. The sea anchors, whicr are
great heavy affairs. tied to many hunt reds
of yards of rope. dragged along in the wa
ter and kept her nose up. She drift ed
little with the gale. but not much. She
did not look badly off when the Manhan-
sett came MP close to her. She had some
Ice on her. and there were salt crystals
on her smokestock. but that seemed quite
natural, for il had been blowing aud the
storm had been very bad for some davs.
The captain and the second mate got ont
the signal book. and with the gale blowing
hastily; the two steamships-the big
Cunarder, which couid easily have placed
the little Manhansctt aft her sm0ke-stacks,
began to talk to each other.
Who are your asked the little fellow.
The big one told him and said he was ont
from Liverpool for Now York. The big one.
before he could tell him any ything further.
insisted on knowing who be was and what
his business was. Then the Cunarder
hoisted the signal, which, according TO the
book. meant shaft" The Manhansett
showed an answering pennant 20 let him
know he was understood, and then hOlsted
'underaoing." The Manhansett signaled
she understood. and the Umbria remarked
"repars" Then the Cunsrder slgnaled.
Ready. tomorrow" The Manhansett
IL
the Cunarder replied. No. Report me to
my owners" The Manhansett bsde fare
we'll to the disabled giant. the passengers
waved their handkerchiefs gloomily. and
the smaller steamship left the Cunarder
tOihng with the sea. At that time the
Cunarder was about 7G5 miles east of Sandy
Hook. so that she had drifted considerably
before the northwest gale that was blow
ing;
harder before Q steamship with three
masts and q single smoke stack. red, with
black top. came along bound east Mates
Ellis and Breen. of the Manhansett, said
they thought this vessel to be Cunarder,
looked very much like q Cunarder, but 1t
is thought she might have been one of
Saturdays vessels from this port. Capt.
Duck thinks che was q Cunarder. The
vessel talked with the disabled steamship
for some time and then went on. 1t has,
therefore. from these interviews, been con.
cluded that the Umbria was not badly
damaged. and that she did not break her
main shaft because had she done 30. she
could hardly have assured the Manhausett
that she would be ready to proceed in q
day.
CAPTAIN DUCKS STORY.
Captain Duck came directly from the
dock, in Jersey City, after the Manhansett
tied up. to the New York Shipping Com
pany's Offices in the Produce Exchange
Building. After telling the story of the
voyage. which was boisterous all the way
over he went to the office of the Cunard
line to tell the reassurlng news to the
American agents of the line, and this is
the way the Captain told his story: 'The
weather was very hazy at the time and it
was not possible to see any distance ahead.
We were within two miles of the Umbria
before we caught sight of her. l had to
alter my course about two points in order
to pass by her near enough to signal 1t
was necessary to be very careful as the
sea was heavy. The Umbria was lying to
with three sea anchors out to keep her well
into the wind. She was drifting with the
sea. and. on that account, resting quite
easily. No canvas was up. The three sea
anchors out were in the form of q triangle
made on three large spars lashed together
and let out from the steamship by means
Of Q heavy chain cablA l should Judge
from appearances that the steamship was
drifting to the eastward at about the rate
Of mile an hour. Though the sea was
very heavy many of the passengers could
be seen on deck. we'll muffied mp to protect
them from the severe cold. / spoke the
and was told that none was needed. The
shaft was being repaired and it was eX-
pected that the work would be completed
by the next day lTuesday. remained by
Shortly after leaving her passed Cupard
steamship from Boston, bound east. She
would pass directly by the spot where |
saw her sister ship.
Il only wish the captain OF the Cunard-
er had let me get cable hold OF her" ex-
claimed Captain Duck. regretfully, with
visions S75, 900 salvage dancing before his
eyes. 81 should think that she ought to be
here some time tomorrow If all goes we'll,
and the repairs were completed as expect
ed. She would probably 60 ahead then at
about half speed. She would hardly risk
full speed after the recent break and tenn
porary repairs to her shaft"
Cunard agent Vernon II. Brown said
this afternoon, in speaking of the fate of
Um0ria: II cannot find words strong
enough with which to praise the course of
action ta ken by Captain Mckay. l know
that there has been some critloiam becauso
of bis refusal TO accept all proffered aid,
but | consider that in so dong he has
shown himself to be man of great dIscre-
tion and Judgment He certainly showed
wonderful sagacity in declining oil the
pose. for instance. that he had accepted as
sistapce from either the Moravia or Man.
hnnsett; suppose also. that either of these
vessels had the Umbria in tow and the
gale. which had been" blowing from the
northwest for the past week had shifted to
the east, it would not have been anything
unusual if the tow. hawser had parted. In
that case what could the Umbria do to
save herselff Her machinery would be
disabled. She would be on lee shore In
gale of wind, and nothing could save her
from destruction and her passen gers from
death. Instead of that however, Captain
Mckay refuses assistance, lies TO eight
hundred miles from shore. where he can
drift and drift without getting into
danger and repair his machinery
so that when he does near
the shore he will have his ship under
control. That is what consider good sea-
manship. The Umbria now has the whole
Atlantic to drift in. and il the storm gets
too strong for her she can take in her sea
anchors which serve to keep her head to
the wind. hoist sail, turn her stern to the
wind and run before the storm. / am now
thoroughly convinced that the Umbria is
all right and will come in within a short
time. Captain Mckay has shown himself
to he man of great caution and ability,
and know that in his hands the Umbrla
and all on board her are perfectly SAFE"
The Dutch tank-steamship Ocean. Capt.
Cassen. from Amsterdam, which arrived
this morning, reports that on Dec. &c. at
noon in latitude 42o 39, longitude 57o 81 .,
she passed a steamship which was hove to,
lx, ha Csxn I'd cfo Tc,br