Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-01-07
The UMBRIA SAFE IN HARB0R
Arrival of the lcng-DeIayed Ship
at New York.
Story of the Drifting on the Deep-.No Suf
ferlng and All Well..As Previously Re.
ported "a Broken Shaft the
Trouble.

New YORK. Dee. 3l.-The long over
due Unbria, of the Cunard line, arrived
off the bar Mt $3.50 a. IN. today. All
were reported we'll on board. She ar
ive1 off the bar in company with the
Il, tannic, of the White star line, and
an oil tank steamer. Both her escorts
left her at the outer lightship and went
up the bay at a rapid pace compared to
the speed Of the tmbria. She was
steaming nine miles an hour. The slow
rate was maintained as precau-
ton against further damage to
the shaft. The Umbria proceeded
slowly up the bay by the main chan
mel, burning her signals at Sandy Hook
and blowing hcr whistle in response to
the glad saluteS of tugs in the lower
bay. Captain Mckay declined t. per
nit anyone to come on board or to
furnish details Of the accident and the
coyage until after he had reached
quarantine and had been passed 10y the
health officers Frank Marshall White.
formerly London correspondent of the
New York Sun, who was one OF the
- lhbl III - ShfN WV i''lpH
ing account of the accident to the ship
and her experience since it occurred:
4 fracture was discovered in her
shaft and her machinery was stopped
south Of the banks of Newfoundland at
$50 O'Clock on the afternoon of Friday,
the 23d inst After drifting for twelve
hours in a storm she was towed seven
av-fivc miles by the Bohemia. of the
Ia A A,,,n,.;,n 1iyn hs,f tho ap h la
that connected the two steam ships was
broken in heavy gale on Saturday
night and they lost all track of each
other. After drifting for three days 10
the southwark she started again with
her own machinery, which had been
repaired under great difficulties by
Chief Engineer Tomlinson, and came
on in fine weather and ut half
speed to her destination. The first III
timation the plsSen gers had that there
had been IN accident was after dinner
on FRIDAY about 7:30 in the evening,
Captain Mckay came into the smoking
room. "Gentlemen," he said, II am
very sorry to tell you that we have
broken our shaft and shall he unable 10
proceed at present, | shall, however,
accept towing offer from any vessel
large enough that comes within hailing
distan :e."
The conditions that confronted the
company ON the Umbria were not en-
tirely gleefui. The big steamer lay
disa bicd in latitude 43.4j and longitude
57l7, about POO miles from Halifax,
and 800 miles from New York with IA
heavy gale blowing. Nevertheless
there was no actual danger and almost
every passenger on board accepted the
situation checrfuily.
There was very little commotion
when the ladies were informed of their
situation They took it as calmly as
the men. Very few of the passengers
remained up mu2h later
| than was their won't on Fri
day night, although they fully
| realized that they were drifting help
lcssly in mid-occan in a storm. Oil was
poured upon the Water through the
| drainage pipes of the snip and she was
quietcr than while the machinery was
in motion. Just after daylight those
who were asleep were awakened by
several reports from the Cmbria's gun
AMI the sound Of her whistle. In ten
minutes almost every one was on deck
to ascertain what was the matter a
ship was in sight just on the edge of
the horizon. She proved to be the Bohe-
mia bound from New York To Ham burg,
She at once responded to the Umoria S
request for "A tow and bafare noon she
| was come tied to the big steamship by
steel hawser and was steaming slowly
| westward. The storm grew heavier in
! the afternoon and it was all that the
! bohemia could do to drag her big bur
| den in the teeth of a head wind About
! midnight the steel hawScr broke in q
| violent gale an / on thriStm rs morning
| the passengers of the Imbria found
| that She was adrift again in the midst
of raging storm with naught in sight
! but the Sky and sea. What Became of
| the Bohemia no one knew. She prob
| ably lost track of the Umbria in the
snow storm after the hawser parted
and if she searched for her after
! daybreak she did not find
her. From the hour her time was
taken at noon Friday until she broke
! down that evening the Umbria had
made l2i miles. She had drifted twelve
miles TO the southeast during the night
and tile Bohemia towed her seventy
five miles toward New York on Sunday.
! At noon Monday she had driftad forty
| two miles and the gale was still blow
| ing. Just after luncheon on Monday "A
steamer was sighted proce 1ding Yves =
ward. In answer to the Umbria's S sig
nails she came alongside ana proved u
be the Manhansett bound from Swan
sea to New York.
The Manhansett had scarcely come
TO standstill when the Gallia, of the
Cunard line, hove in sight en- route
from Boston To Liverpool, The officers
| of the Manhansett recognized the Gal
/ liza and steamed off homewarl, discon-
! solate, done out of the prize money.
I The Gallia. however, to the constcrnl-
tion of the captain, OIL GERS, crew and
passengers in response t. the Umbr q :
signal, "Disabled. stand by" returned
Cant stand by: carrying mails" The
Umbria signalled back. ''We hold you
responsible" upon which the Gallia
simply dipped her ensign. signifying
| "Good-by' and disappeared to the east
ward rs the Manhansett passed. ont oi
sight to the west.
The passengers now became alarmed
They did not place much faith in En-
| ginecr Tomlinson's promise to mend
the broken shaft and as many believed
that Captain Mckay had deliberately Is
sent the Gailia away, much disconten,
was expressed. The ships company
divided into two parties known
as the kickers and the anti-kicll
ers, aud it was noted that al
the more intelligent men or
board were on the captains side, while
all the rougher element was on the
other. That evening the kiclsers cailec
q meeting in the smoking room to pass
vote OF censure on the ships officers
but the anti-kielSers came in and put {
quictus on this project by forcing what
| was called an amusement committee
with j. Henry Harper as chairman
its object being to have ;
Representative to obtain in
formation from the captain, and. as j
was not known how long the Umbri;
| would drift, to get up entertainment:
| in the saloon for tn. evenings.
| She camt, TO standstiil in latitude
| i343, longitude $40 on Friday morn
ing. When her machinery was startes
on the next Tuesday night she hat
| come back to latituds 42.So and longi
tude go. On Wednesday noon she hi;
made i50 miles; on Thursday noon he
! record was PA miles for the previous
twenty-four hours, and from that tim'
until yesterday noon she had coyere,