The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-02


improvements OH tho plans,
, "At $40 n. m, on the 9th, We were
roady for another start, and from that
time on wo drove tho ship good 500
miles.
II Ioll you we could bring her that
faueh further II 1t were necessary"
STORY or THE VOYAGE.
now tho Passenger" Hohavod-A Texa"
Shows FeaF of safety,
Nw YopG, Jan. l,-Tho Cunurd
steamship Umbria, Captain Horatio
Mckay, arrived Of Sandy Hook at 3;l5
o'clock yesterday morning, seven days
behind timp. A fracture was discover
cd in her shaft, and hor machinery was
stopped south Of tho banks OF New
Foundland at $3.50 o'clock on the alter
noon Of Friday, December %.
Alter drifting for twelve hours in q
storm she was towed BOventY.hvo miles
by tho Bohemia, OF the Hamburg-
American line, but tho cable that con-
nOctCd the two steamers was brokOn in
heavy gale on Saturday night and
they lost track OF each other.
Again drifting ior three days to the
southeast, shc started again with her
own machinery, which had been 70.
paired under great difficulties by Chief
Engineer TOmlinson, and came on in
iino weather at half speed 10 her des-
tinatiOn.
Tho first intimation the passengers
had that there been an accident was
after dinner Friday, although tho en-
ginQer had been watching tho shaft
with anxiety for forty.Gight hours, and
tho machinery had twice boon stopped
during tho previous nightfor an inspec-
tion OF tho flaw in the great steel cast
ing During dinner Friday tho steamer
came to n standstill, which caused some
speculation among tho passengers,
though us tho weather was rough twas
not in motion. About 1880 o'clock in
the evening ag tho mon in tho smoking
room were lighting their cigars, sitting
over their coffee, or drawing up their
chairs to tho poker tables Captain Nc
Kay came in,
dressing tho whole room, ~ nm very
cory to inform you that We have brok-
en- our shaft and shall be unable to pro-
coed at present. shall, however, &c.
cept towing offer from any vessel
large enough that comes within halling
Distance" -
7 There was a momentary silence rs
tho situation dawned upon the room,
and then q plaintive voice inquired: /:
'"Why don't you send up rockets?"
"riore will be time enough for rock
ots," responded tho captain, when q
vessel comes near enough to see them. "
The conditions that confronted the
company on the Umbeia was not en-
tirely gteefuf. In tho first place, tho
idea OF reaching home by Christmas
day, which go many cherished, was out
Of tho question, and th0n there was tho
possibility OF drifting out OF the ocean
roadway and tho track Of othor vessels,
80 that 1t might be even weeks before a
port was reached. Tho big steamship
lay disabled in latitude 43,4S and
longitude 5Ii7, about two hundred
miles from Halifax and five hundred
miles irom Now York, with a heavy
gate blowing. Nevertheless there was
no actual danger, and almost every
passenger on board accepted tho situa-
ton cltoeriully. There was very little
oommotion when tho ladies wero in.
formed OF their situation. They took it
as calmly as the men. Tho principal
anxiety OF evory one, indeed, was on nc.
count Of relatives and friends at home.
AKEcKINd rExAS.
OF course there was an exception. 1t
camOin tho person Of a lonG.lImbed
nau, with, Duudrcary whiskors and an
unusually large nose, which he used aS
"a subsidiary organ Of speech as well as
for purposes OF respiration, and who
had been noticeable on board before,
principally because tic woro his wife'a
fur cape whom liR prOmcnahed the dock.
lIO uproso at tho ond OF tho smoking.
room, after a startled interchange Of
vlOws with somO OF tho mon
about him, and said in tones
at once nasal aud fearful: "Gen-
uCmon, wo arc in emInont (llore
he Is supposed TO have meant ilnminent)
danger WO are drifting In mid.ocenn,
with Ovory chance OF hurricane com.
ing up at any moment to send Us to tho
bottom, aud vet tho captain refused to
sond up rockets. Why, in tho case Of
q peril like ours no should DO firing
rockets oil night. II Is plain that his
idea Is to economize for his company,
and / do not believe that 10 would &C.
ccpt n tow II 1t was offered, OH account
OF tho expense. Now wc haYO got to
act for oursOlvoO In this matter, and l
will bO one Of Ton mon 10 subscribe
$4,000 each In order 10 put up bond
TO indemnify tho captain on condition
that ho engage steamer ut onCO 10 tow
Us 10 tho nOareat port"
A Dhret Of laughter aud hissos greeted
this Grafton, mingled, however, with
applause from iow tImoroua ones and
queries from several who wore doubt.
iul Gs 10 whether tho sbeakOr possessed
$4,000. 4 Votco With d very different
ring In II cAme from tho other slde Of
tho room. "WO arc In no danger Rt
PIt," Il said. "T'his ship will float
through tho biggest hurricane that ever
came up OH tho Atlantic, Our captain
ID one, 10 tho bOst that over sailed tho
l6toat and has q gtO9t deal moro 1t
blakO than anyone Oh board, and any.
ono talks ahout BHbScribihg a hundred
thousand dollars 10 RVt him 10 do his
duty 10 d damn fool"
4 The ttiRh who was thHs doaienased
.tllrn6d out 10 bc, according 10 the pas.
longer llat, "gUn6tal jaw. KOaFn0yp
ol Texas and tho ono who lniettRgd
him was young llWAtd McvlpkaE Of
boston, McVlrkat apologlEed IL n
geHtlenahly manner for calling tho
.othor a fool attCtWatd, 5aying that hO