The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-04
Hole Knocked in the Bottom of the Big Liner
BY the Breaking of Her Main Shaft When
1000 Miles Out from Queenstown.
Only Saved from Going to the Bed Of the
Sea by Her Water-Tight Bulkheads.
lowed Back to Port After Stormy Experience
= The Story Told by Generals Howard
and King and Evangelist Moody.
STEAMER SPREE SAFE.

Found Drifting In the Atlantic with Her
Shaft Broken and Towed to Queenstown.
LONDON, Dec. 3.-The North German
Lloyd steamer Spree, due in New York
three days ago. and 70. whose safety grave
fears were entertained. arrived at Queens
town to-day. in tow of the steamer Lake
Huron. with her shaft broken. The
steamer Havre will sail from Bremen for
Queenstown at once. where she will take
on board the Spree's passengers and mails
and convey them to New York.
The Spree's main shaft broke down Nov.
2s. Part of the machinery went through
her bottom, under the second cabin, which
immediately filled with water. The pas
sengers thought the vessel was going to
the bottom and rushed on deck. For q
time veritable panic prevailed. and the
officers were helpless to calm the fears
prevailing. The waters could be heard
rushing through the hole in the bot
tom, and, in q short time, the ves-
sci began to settle. The passengers
ran hither and thithcr In the widest
confusion. but when they saw that the
vessel was not Immediately going TO the
bottom the COunsels of the officers and the
e~--O.6
Der prevailed, and q sembIanoe OF order
was restored. Life-preservers were in
great request, and many Of the nassen gers
kept them close at hand, even wien IL be-
come known that there was no immediate
danger.
As soon as the accident occurred the
boats crews were placed at their stations
and every thing was placed in readiness for
the abandonment of the vessel The stew
ards busted themselves in getting provls-
n n n.
dent seamanship would dictate was done.
1t was shortly seen, however, that the
water-tlght bulkheads were answering the
purpose for which they were con-
structed, aud that, though the water was
pouring into the compartment beneath the
second cabin, very little was getting into
the other compartments. With only one
compartment filled the steamer lost little
of her buoy ancy, and when It was stated
by the officers that all danger Of sinking
joked with each other about the fears they
had so shortly entertained. When the acci-
dent occurred the Spree was about one
Thousand miles from Queenstown: The
back. The Spree leaked so badly that it
was impossible for the pumps TO gain on the
water. which IS still thirty feet deep in the
after compartments
The Spree mas on board 2S3 passengers.
among whom are Gen. o. o. Howard. u.
S. A; Nj. DE Adhelheid Howard and child.
Count KeyserliDg of Vienna. and Countess
Cuelbrock of Paris The shaft broke
at half past 6 o'clock in the
morning. The passengers were thrown
into state of great alarm. Many
of them rushed on deck in their night
clothing, mothers clasping their babes
In their arms and husbands half carrying
their wives. The scene is described as be-
get. second-class passenger named Paul
Nelson was so terribly frightened that he
jumped overheard and was drowned. The
other passeng gers are all we'll. A dispatch
received says that the leak In the Spree
ont portion of the stern before the en- eine
could be stopped. The Lake Huron took
the disabled steamer in tow on Nov 28.
Some of the Spree'e saloon passeng gers and
Isl sacks Of her mails will be forwarded on
the Cunard line steamer Etruria, which
sails from Queenstown for New YORK to-
morrow. =