Evening journal., 1893-12-22


Crew with Instant Destruction-Chained
After Hard Struggle.
the small steamship Alert, which has
reached this port will not soon forget the
acrobatic feats they had to perform while
trying to lasso a three ton propeller which
broke loose from its fastenings one dark,
stormy night and started on the rampage
about the deck, punching holes in the bull
warks and breaking things generally. It
took them an hour to capture it and chain
it down so that it could do no more dam
age, and the sailors did some lively jump
ing and dodging to avoid being cut down
by its sharp blades
Captain Weichman is commander of the
Alert, which is an iron steamship running
rs fruiter between Cardenas, Cuba, and
this city. She left Cardenas on Dec II.
just back Of the after hatch was chained an
extra four bladed propeller.
There was large ring bolt in the iron
deck to which it was fastened with chain,
the links of which weighed half a pound
each. A strong southeasterly gale was en-
countered shortly after the steamship
started on her voyage. 1t kicked up''
lively sea, aud the little steamship was
tossed about in a way to make everybody
feel uncomfortable.
The Propeller Breaks Loose.
The wind increased in fury toward even
| ing and was blowing at hurricane speed
shortly before midnight. The steamship
plunged and strained, and the waves swept
her decks.
Captain Weichman and the crew were
startled just after midnight to hear clank-
ing chains and a grating sound as if a
monster ghost were prowling about the
deck. The night was so dark that an OBJ
| ject few feet distant could not be distin-
i guished
Running out on the bridge, the captain
could see nothing on the after deck, but it
flashed across his mind that the disturber
was the propeller and that it had broken
loose Calling Mate Aniland, Second Mate
Loser and two seamen, the captain started
to investigate. They found the propeller
was sliding about, with the huge chain at
tached, regardless Of what it broke. The
captain shouted for his assistants to get
ropes with which to lasso it.
Then began a chase which would have
been very amusing in daylight, but in the
darkness was perilous in the extreme As
the Alert swung around into the trough Of
| AuN STA lhI BLlltAAGI HhAitu dlIOno Ant
deck, and two sailors who were trying to
lasso it jumped out of its path just in time
to save themselvs from being cut down.
IL struck the port bulwark and punched
a big hole in the heavy iron sheathing, and
its weight careened the ship until the
bridge touched the water. IL was feared
she would upset.
The sailors again ran Co it with theil
ropes, when a waved lurched the ship in
the other direction, and the propeller shot
to the other side and rammed a big hole in
the sheathing
Chained at Last.
The nose Of the steamship was brought
up into the wind, and the pursuit of tn,
propeller was continued with many hair
breadth escapes. The steamship plunged
downward and upward in the waves, ant
the huge mass Of iron flew about the deck
breaking everything with which it cam'
in contract.
1t broke the pump, crushed the aftel
ventilator, knocked holes in the solid iroI
coping of the hatch and damaged the sterI
of the vessel. Many times it was lassoeG
temporarily by its pursuers, only to agail
start on the warpath, breaking the rope
like so much twine.
1t was finally caught near the hatch, ans
two of its blades were lashed by passing
ropes around the iron combing. The bi.
chain was then wound about it. and it wa
securely lashed to the stanchions and tn
hatch. Chains and ropes were wound abou
the propeller in all directions when the shil
reached pier 6. The sailors had fastened i
so that many teams of horses could no
have budged it, much less tear it loos
from its moorings.
IF we had had daylight, we could hav
caught the propeller in a short time, SAT-
Captain Weichman. "In the darkness AM
! during the violent pitching Of the ship m
! men did not know which way to look fo
its coming, except for the awful grating
clanking sound it made. It is a wonde
that none of the men was killed while Try
ing to capture it."