The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-31
TWO TERRIBLE DAYS.
An Experience that Never Will
Forgotten.


Forgotten.
Mr.. William Connell, nephew of Ed
ward H. Gaynor, treasurer of the At
lantic Contracting Company, was one of
the passengers on the Inflated steamer.
His story of the departure
from Boston, the duration and fury of
the storm, the beaching of the steamer,
the perfunctory attempt at rescue, and
finally the triumphant rescue by the
City of Birmingham, is thrilling
in the extreme. He took but
passive part in the rescue, being a pas
senger, but his eulogy of Captains Savage
and Berg and the officers and crews of the
two steamers was of the highest and
well-merited.
TWO TERRIBLE DAYS AND NIGHTS.
For two days and two nights the pas
sengers and crew slept on the decks and
in the rigging, and during all that period
not complaint was made by any of the
passengers, nor did the members of the
crew remit for an instant their almost
superhuman efforts to save the passengers
and the ship.
Mr. Connell states that when the
steamer left Boston last Thursday there
were indications of a storm, and the
papers predicted slight southeas-
terly wind. After leaving Boston not h.
ing of any Importance transpired until
Sunday at dinner time. While
seated at the table the ship gave a lurch
and Capt. Savage was thrown from his
chair to the floor He quietly excused
himself with the remark that he was
needed on deck; on deck he went and as
it proved he never came back to the
dining room again. The rest of the pas
sengers finished dinner but were in no
ways disturbed by the captains with
drawal The seas were then running
high and looked nasty.
THE PILOT HOUSE TORN AWAY.
At o'clock the deck was struck by
a heavy. sea which came over the bow,
tearing away the pilot house and washing
Capt Savage from his post, through his
own state room, into the smoking room
where Mr. Connell was at the time. Both
were washed out of the smoking room, the
whole upper deck at this point being de-
molished. The seas began to rise higher
and higher after this, and were being
shipped at regular and frequent intervals.
Between 6 and o'clock a tremendously
heavy sea carried away the smokestack,
and Immediately after that the steam
whistle was knocked off, allowing the
water to come through the dismantled
stack and the steam to escape.
PREPARED FOR THE WORST
This was the most unfortunate occur
renee up to this time, and Capt. Savage
Immediately foresaw the inevitable
and tried to prepare things for the
worst Fortunately the fires were not
quenched and the engineer of the
steamer, being equal TO the emergency, by
skillful and intelligent work under the
most adverse conditions, succeeded in
plugging the pipe, preventing the escape
Of the steam. Although the water that
found its way to the engine room through
the disabled smokestack did not succeed
in wholly quenching the fires, Capt Saw
age hoisted sail. 1t was impossible to get
up enough steam to work the steamer
with on account Of the short smokestack
affording no draught.
At o'clock the skylights, windows and
doors were smashed in, and the water
rushing in through the openings soon
filed the floor of the main saloon to
depth Of from one to two feet.
TRIED TO CALM THE WAVES.
The steamer rode the seas all that
night, and Capt. Savage resorted to the
use of oil to calm the waves, which were
dashing over the vessel and threatening
to engulf her every moment. Finding he
was drifting to leeward all the time, he
threw out his anchors, which did not take