The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-01
OIL ON THE WATER
How the Umbria Rode Out
the Storm.
KEARNEY WAS IN A PANIC.
The Only Passenger on the Belated
Steamer Who Did Not Speak Well
of Her Officers.
Special TO THE MORNING CALI.

NEW YORK, Dec. 31.-The long overdue
Cunard steamer Umbria. sighted at Fire
Island shortly after midnight, arrived OFF
inspection steamed slowly up the bay TO the
dock. She had 375 passengers on board,
about equally divided between the first and
second cabins and steerage. Ali on board
are well.
Gallant Captain Mckay had brought his
fine steamer and all on board safely through
the terrific gales, though disabled, and amid
the thanks of the passengers and the noisy
greeting of steam whistles from the vessels
In the harhor, brought her to the dock. 1t
Is twelve days since she left Queenstown,
and this is the longest time On record for the
crack ocean racer.
Though the weather was tempestuous
most of the time for the beginning of the
voyage, all went we'll till the afternoon of
December %, when fracture was discov-
cred in the shaft aud the machinery was
stopped off the Banks OF Newfoundland.
and Engineer Tomlinson set about the diff
fcult task of mending the break. After
drifting for twelve hours the steamer Bo-
hemia of the Hamburg American line.
bound from New York to Bremen, hove In
SiSut, dHV. III ltSpUuoo W Sl&udlS lOI tUWs
turned about and attached a big steel haw-
ser to the Umbria and began to tow her
to her destination. The weather was ex-
tremely rough. and, in the night, after hav-
ing towed the disabled vessel seventy-fve
miles, the hawser broke and the vessels
parted company In the darkness. When day
dawned over the Umbria the Bohemia was
nowhere to be seen. After drifting for
A. - . H. -
with the old machinery. and came on in
fine weather at half-speed to her destina-
ton.
The first iutimatlon the passengers had
that there had been an accident was after
dinner on Friday, although the engineer had
been watching the shaft with anxiety for
forty-eight hours, and the machinery had
twice stopped the previous night for inspec-
ton of the flaw in the great steel casting.
The steamer came to a standstill during
dinner Friday. and a little later Captain Me-
Kay entered the smoking-room and an
nounced to the gentlemen the fact of the
breaking down and added, ''rhe ship is in
no danger"
This announcement put damper on the
spirits Of the passengers. most of whom had
been looking forward 10 spending Christ
mas In their own homes. The vessel lay
200 miles from Halifax and 500 miles from
New York.
There was very little commotion in the
ladies' cabin when the information was
given there. and. in fact everybody decided
to make the best of the dsagreeable situa-
ton. The chief danger WAS the vessel
would drift out of the regular steamer track.
but the steward gave information tha:
there were enough provisions on board to
.<as. three vsfFs without be;ng stintod. or
even four or FIVE weeks with only the de.
privation of few luxuries.
That night oil was poured on the water.
and the ship was quieter than when the
machinery was in motion. Early the next
morning the Bohemia hove In sight and took
the Umbria in tow as above stated.
Sunday, Christmas day.. an unusually
large number attended divine services in
the salon and the prayers were unusually
hearty. just at dusk vessel was sighted
to the southwark and it proved to be
vessel of the Wilson line, bound for Phil
: adelphia. She was signaled, but could not
lake the Umbria in tow, because she had
not enough COAL. and proceeded ON her
course. .-....
Monday the gale continued. and the vessel
continued to drift. Just after luncheon
Monday the steamer Manhanset, from
Swansea to- New York, hove in sight, but
had hardly come TO a standstil when an
other and larger vessel bore down upon the
drifting Umbria. In a few minutes she
was close enough to be distinguished as the
sister ship Gallis of the Cunard line, bound
from Boston to Liverpool. The captain of
the Umbria signalsd the Manhanset that he
required no assistance, supposDg the Galia
would come 10 his aid and save the heavy
prize money. To the astonishment and dis
gust of everybody on board, the Gallia, in
response 10 the signal that the Umbria was
disabled and needed assistance, answered
back: Cant stand by; carrying mall"
and steamed off
: BY this time some OF the passengers began
to show dissatisfaction, and meeting was
called to demand that something be done,
but a majority OF the passengers were salts
fed, and the meeting camo to nothing.
Tuesday notice was posted that the steamer
would start that evening. and it then be-
came known that the machinery had been
moved during the night as an experiment.
and that bolt broke and would have to be
repaired. About $50 o'clock the machinery
began to move, and from that on till the end
of the journey continued to reyove slowly
but stanchly, bringing the great ship safely
to port
Among the passengers on the vessel were:
j. Henry Harper. head of the great pub
fishing firm OF Harper e. Brothers. Simon
Sterne, tho well-known New York lawyer,
Thomas Epwith Of the British diplomatic
service, General f. Burd Grubb. United
States Minister to Spain. of Philadelphia,
and Oliver Herford. the wel-known artist
of New York and son Of Rev, Brooke Her
ford Of Boston,.
+ The scene at the pier on the arrival Of the
big liner was exciting. a great crowd of
eager and anxious friends crowded about
and there were many affectionate and some
hysterical greetings as the passengers came
ashore.
The Umbria's passengers were inter-
viewed and they generally assert that Cap
tain Mckay did all in bis power. The one
exception was General j. w. Kearney, son
OF Phil Kearney. the famous one-armed
soldier. He was the leader of the "kick-
ers" against the captain, and it is said he
offered $1,000 if the Umbria's officers would
send up rocket, which the captain bluntly
refused TO do. One OF the passengers de-
cared that Kearney was so nic-stricken
he did not know what he was doing, and
WAS Kissed by the other passengers. An
other passenger says the only harsh criti-
cism of the captain came from few fright
ened passengers.