Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-01
THE JtMBRIA In PORT
SHE Is HEARTILY GREETED ON EN-
rERlNe THE Hsa6o7.
Her captain Congratulated and Thanked
by Many Passshssrs-rhe Accidents
That Befel Her.
rnr tnleraph o be Dlspa.ch.l

Wv Yonx. December 3l.--The long,
overdue Umbria, OF the Cunard Line.
arrived of the bar ut $3.50 A. III. to-day
and al on board were reported we'll
After the reassuring news OF Yesterday
much Of the apprehension regarding tue
steamship was allayed, bat as the last re-
mort OF her was on Monday, when she was
repairjng her shaft off ;he Newfoundland
banks. and as four days had gone by with
ont further news from her, there was con-
siderable anxiety as TO the SAFETY Oh neT
large list of passengers. ~.
4 message from tive lookout at Fire
Island announced that she had been
sighted few minutes after midnight, and
that she was proceeding slowly under her
own steam toward this port.
She arrived of the bar IN company with
tine Britannia. OF the Whito-Star Line. and
an oil-tank steamer. Both these escorts
left her at the outer lighthouse and went
M the BAY at a rapid pace compared 20 tue
speed OF the UIabria. She was steaming
nipe'miles an hour. this slow rate being
maintained as a precaution against further
damage to the shaft. Captain Mckay had
brought his fine steamship and all on
board safely through terrific gales, and as
his vessel entered the harbor be was con-
gratulated and thanked by many passen-
gers who had waited up all night TO again
see the welcome lights OF New York. Ii is
twelve DAYS and half since the steamer
left Oueenstown, and the trip is the longest
on record for crack ocean racer. Inc
Ifmbria proceeded slowly up the oav Dy
the main channel, burning her signals at
Sandy Hook and blowing her whistle IN
response to the glad salutes OF tugs in the
lower bay.
STORY OF THE ACCIDENT.
NEw YORK. December 31.-Frank Mar
shall White, former London correspondent
OF the Sum- furnishes an account OF the
accident to the Umbria. He was one of
her passengers. He says:
A fracture was discovered in her shaft
and her machinery was stopped south OF
the banks of Newfoundland at $3.50 o'clock
, on the afternoon of Friday, the 23d in
start. After drifting for twelve hours in
| storm she was towed seventy-hve miles oy
| the Bohemia. of the Hamburg-Amerlean
| line. but the cable that connected the two
steamers was broken IN heavy gale on
Saturday night and they lost track OF
( each other. After drifting for three days
/ 10 the southeast she started again with her
| own machinery, which had been repaired
/ under great difficulties by Chief-Engineer
/ Tomllnsou. and came on in fine weather at
/ halt speed 10 her destination.
! Inc vessel ltlL QuttAlbiBhu puuhoA o.
| ternuon. December 18th. That night n gale
| sprang up, which increased III violence I'M
| til Thursday. IL being impossible for those
I passengers who were able to leave their
/ state-rooms TO 90 upon the decks, and the
4 violent pitching and rolling of the steamer
/ almost preventing sleep at night. The
/ first intimatiOn the passengers had that
/ there had been an accident was after DIM
| ner on Friday. although the engineer had
I L ha s.hoFt rutth
| forty-eight hours. and the machinery had
! twice been stopped during the previous
! night for an inspection of the flaw
! in the great steel casting. During
! dinner Friday the steamer came to q
! staudstill. which caused some speculation
among the passengers, though as the
| weather was rough IL was not at once per-
/ ceived that the machinery was not IN mo-
/ ton. About 1880 o'clock In the evening,
az the men IN the smoking-room were
| lighting their cigars, sitting over their cot
! fee, or drawing up their chairs to the
| poker-tables, Captain Mckay came In.
THE UNwKIcoME NEWS.
Gentlemen" he said calmly. address
| ing the entire room, am very sorry TO
/ inform you that we have broken our shaft
and shall be unable TO proceed OF present.
| shall, however. accept a towing offer
| from any vessel large enough that comes
/ within hailng distance"
! There was momentary silence as the
! situation dawned upon the room, and then
/ a plaintiye voice inquired: Why don't
| you send no rocketsI"
There will be time enough tor rockets"
/ responded the Captain. when vessel
| comes near enough to see them"
The conditions that confronted the COM
/ pany on the Umbria were not entirely
/ gleetul. The big steamship lay disabled
/ about 200 miles from Halifax and 500 miles
( from New York, with heavy gale blowing.
J Nevertheless, there was no actual danger,
and almost every passenger on board ac-
/ cepted the situation cheerfully.
! There was very little commotlon when
/ the ladies were informed of their sltus-
/ ton. They took II "a calmly as the men.
/ On Saturday the Bohemia took the vessel
! in tow, with the result before stated. Sun
/ day the steamer Calico was sighted and
/ Monday the steamer Manhansett, both of
which reported the Umbria on arrival in
I port. On the day following the Gallia, q
| sister ship, bound east, was sighted, but
she passed on without stopping.
The broken shaft was repaired and the
vessel started again and the remainder of
the voyage was uneventful. The fracture
| of the shaft occurred twelve feet from the
/ engine and $50 feet from the propeller.