Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-01-20
CARRIED ITS COLLISION
A Steamship Nearly Sunk by a Spare Propeller
in the Hold.

| NEW YoEk, Jan. l9.--taptain Crcclon,
| skipper of the British steamship Elsie.
! hopes never TO have n repetition of the ex-
perienee which he went through on his last
voyage. The Elsie arrived at this port
/ Tuesday, but her best friend would never
have recognized her. The little steamship
is built on the clipper type with pretty lines.
! a handsome bow and beautiful stern; but
these distinguishing marks were all effaced
yesterday by two big gaps which showed
prominently on either quarter. The Elsie
looked as if she had been in collision. Cap
tain Crcedon and his crew tell story the
/ Ike of which has never been heard Of ex-
ccpt in the brilliant Imagination of Victor
| Hugo in his celebrated "93.'
| The Elsie came in on ballast from ST.
! Vincent. Abont 800 miles off the Della
ware breakwater an unexpected accident
/ happened. The usual trips of the Elsie are
between New York and the West Indies.
an1 as break of any part Of the machinery
would leave the ycssnl disabled far out OF
reach of repairs, Captain Crecdon, for
safcty's sake, has always carried an extra
| propeller and tail shaft between decks.
, This last trip II nearly sunk her
! The Elsie was caught in gale on .Janu-
AIRY which tossed the steamer about until
! the big propeller, Weighing three tons, broke
/ loose from its tastcnings and was hurled
abont the deck by every roll and pitch Of
I the steamship. The propeller was between
I decks, III the after part of the vessel, and
| was soon battering at one side and the next
momen, at the other side Of The vessel
! At 3 O'Clock in the morning the captain
was awakened by the humping. lie saw
\ there was not minute 10 lose and called all
! hands to tie mp the solid mass. The crews
efforts TO catch the propeller proved futile.
As the crew with spars anl ropes attempted
to lasso Il the ship gave lurch and the
propeller was thrown to starboar,l. two Of
the big blades being knocked off. The
next roll of the steamship broke u thiid
blade off.
Will. the captain was thinking how 10
stop the thing the hub Of the propeller was
carried against the siarboard side of the
Elsie and big, gaping hole was torn in the
vessels quarter, The next minute the
steamer carecned to port, the propeller was
/ carried across the deck, eat a hole in the
I port side and rcmaiaed there, caught fast in
the broken plate The crew then soon.
iashed the heavy piece Of metal fast.
Captain Creegon, after this experience,
worried lest the tail sbaf, break loose. The
shaft is Of steel. weighing six tons, and
much resembles Il pillar Of steel. The dun
I mage about the shaft began TO fall away and
expose the soii'i niass of steel to the rolling
Of The ship The captain realized that II
/ once tic mass broke loose it would crash
| through the bottom and sink bin. With the
aid Of aH cxTa spar the sllsft was rroppesl
up and placed IN sings betssen the spar
and hurricane decks while the waves were
1 washing Ito the vessel from the holes
made by tie propeller. Then the crew
/ stopped np the breaks and the vessel
reached port without other accident.
! The steamship Hampstead, which reached
/ tisis port Tuesday from Lon.loD, met with
an experience which The captain swears to,
but which, mariners are inclined to disbe-
lieve. The Hampstead is commanded by
/ Captain Way, and came into port looking
like an iceberg.
When the pilot boarded her she was COW
erred from end to end with ie.. ranging in
thickness from six to twenty i'sehes When
ihe vessel entered the t1nlf Stream the va
poF which arose from he lee on the vessel
was 50 thick that Captain Way was unable
to see the foYenia,t, only 70 feet distant
from the bridge.
The Hampstead carries four compaxses,
three Of the ean and one Of the spisit or
alcohol type. Al were completely knocked
ont OF order hv the coisl ami storm. The
alcohol froze in the spirit compass. and ~
though il was left in the steamer cabin for
I6 hours il wonld not thaw ouf. Captain
Way aud bis officers were compelled 10
steer by the north star. anil successfully
made this port, although they expected to
he out much longer.