The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-01
ARRIVAL OF THE UMBRIA.
THE vESsFL GIVEN A WARM
WELCOME IN THE BAY.


She Game In at the Rate OF Nine
Knots an Hour Under Her Own
Steam - Rough Weather Expert
enced From the Start-A Newspaper
Correspondent Tells the story of the
Defective Shaft.
NEw York. Dec. 31,--The long overdue
Umbria Of the Cunard line arrived off the
bar at $50 o'clock this morning. All were
reported well on board. After the reassur-
ing news Of yesterday much Of the appre-
hension regarding the steamship was al
iaysd. but as tbs last report Of her was on
Monday, when she was repairing her shaft
of Newfoundland banks, and as four days
had gone by without further news from
her, there was considerable anxiety as to
the safety of her large list of passen-
gers. The message from the look
out. Fire Island, announced that she
had been sighted few minutes after mid.
night and that she was proceedi ng slowly
under her own steam toward this port. She
arrived Oft the bar in company with the
Britannia OF the White Star Line and an oil
tank steamer. Both her escorts left her at
the outer hghtship and went up the bay at
a rapid pace compared to the speed of the
Umbr la. She was stsaming nine miles an
hour. The slow rate was maintained as a
precaution against further damage to the
shaft. Capt. Mckay had brought his fine
steamship and all on board safely through
terrific gales, and when his vessel entered
the harbor he was congratulated and
thanked by many passengers who had waited
up all night to see the welcome
lights Of New York again. 1t is twelve
days and one-half since the steamer left
Queenstown, and the trip is the longest on
record for crack ocean racer. The Um-
bria proceeded slowly up the bay by the
main channel. burning her signals at Sandy
Hook and blowing her whistle in response
to the glad salutes of the tugs in the lower
bay.
A PAssENGER's STORY.
Frank Marshall White, the former Lon
don correspondent Of the Sun, furnishes an
account Of the accident TO the Umbria. He
was one Of her passengers. He says a
fracture was discovered in her shaft, aud
her machinery was stopped south of the
banks of Newfoundland at $3.50 O'Clock on
the afternoon Of Friday, Dec. %. After
drifting for twelve hours In a storm she was
towed seventy-fye mile. by the Bohemia, i,
OF the Hamburg-Amerioan line. but the
cable that connected the two steamers was
broken In the heavy gale Saturday night
and they lost track OF each other. After
drifting for three days to the southeast she
started again with her own machinery,
which had been repaired under great diff
culties by Chief Engineer 1omlinson, and
came on In fine weather at half speed 70 her
destination. The vessel left Queenstown
Sunday afternoon, Dec. IS. That night q
gale sprang up which increased in violence
until Thursday, IL being impossible for
those passengers who were able to leave
their state rooms to go upon the decks, and
the violent pitching and rolling OF the
steamer almost prevented sleep at night
THE ACCIDENT.
The first intimation the passengers had
that there had been an accident was after
dinner Friday, although the engineer had
been watching the shaft with anxiety for
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 a stand
still, which caused some speculation
among the passengers, though as the
weather was rough it was not at once per-
ceived that the machinery was not In mo-
ton. About 7:30 O'Clock In the evening,
as the men In the smoking room were
lighting their cigars, sitting over their cof-
fee, or drawing up their chairs 70 poker ta>
bles, Capt. Mckay came In.
STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT.
Gentlemen,n - he said, calmly, addressing
the entire room, ~ em very sorry to in
form you that we have broken our shaft,
and shall be unable to proceed at present. /
shall, however, accept towing offer from
any vessel large enough that comes within
heiliug distance"
There was momentary silence as the
situation dawned upon the room. and then
q plaintive voice inquired: "Why don't
you send up rocketsp
''There will be time enough for rockets ;"
responded the captain, "when vessel corues
near enough TO see them."
AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION.
The conditions that confronted the COM
pany on the Umbria were not entirely glee-
ful. The big steamship lay disabled about
211 miles from Halifax and 500 miles from
New York, with q heavy gale blowing.
Nevertheless there was no actual danger
and almost every passenger on board ac-
cepted the situation cheerfully.
There was very little commotion when
the ladies were informed of their situation.
They took 1t as calmly as the men. On Sat-
nrday the Bohemia took the vessel In tow
with the result before stated.
Sunday the steamer Galileo was sighted
and Monday the steamer Manhansett. both
OF which reported the Umbria on their
arrival in port. On the day following the
Gallia, sister ship bound east. was sighted,
but she passed on without stopping.
The broken shaft was repaired and the
vessel started again, and the re mainder Of
the voyage was uneventful. The fracture Of
- "a. n a..