New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-21
SHIFTING THE SARNIA'S SHAFTS.

THE WORK OCCUPIED WEEK AND WAS Sue
CESSFULLY PERI oRMED BY HER ENGINEERS.
Halifax, y. $. March 20-Thc Sarnia came up from
Quarantine at o'clock this morning and dOcked at
tie deep water terminus Captain Couch furnished
the following particulars Of the accident TO his ship
The steamer left Liverpool March .. called at
Movie for mails and passengers and left there the
3D. Nothing OF any account occurred and hne
weather experienced up to the morning OF sat.
urday, the 11th. The ship then In latitude 13 o4
north, longitude So west 47G miles from Halifax.
At go O'Clock the engines slowed for hot
beaiings AT IL O'Clock the chief engineer reported
that the brasses In the after crank cutting away
The engines al once stopped and the cap taken
oil the bearing when it that the shaft had
a combination of fractures, and 1t turned around
IL was decided TO disconnect the engines and put the
forward crank ait in place Of the broken shat Az
p. m. the German tank steamer America came along
side. We signallcd that had broken shaft, but
would be repaired in few days. There was mod
southeast wind, and the ship was drifting to
north Northwest making about three quarters OF a
mile an hour. On sunday the 18TH the crew were
all work TO assist The engineers in rigging gear
for removing the shaft. We were then In latitude
"A 90. longitude 50 :13, westnorthwcSt 20. or $50
miles from Halifax. At = p. m. the engines were all
Clear for lifting. At Z p. m. the broken crank was
lifted out, and at IL p. IN. the work OF slding the
forward crank aft into the bearings was begun The
wind was moderate from south southeast and the ship
riding easily with Il sea anchor out. on Monday
the l4th. the ships position titud, al 80 north
Ion nsitude So 06 west northwest 80.
At ) q. m. Monday the work OF shifting thc
shafting finished and tie engineers began the
work Of coupling the aftcr-shaft. 1t was found IN
possible to brea, or cut the broken shaft. and II
was decided TO drill 1t through. This caused great
DELAY The weather remained fine with n southwark
wind bnt on Tuesday the wind increased and the
ship began drifting fast. We were then 332 miles from
Halifax, having drifed fifty -four miles On Wednes
day the 18th, the ships position was latitude 40 10
north; longitude. 56 40 west. Tie engineers were
s,iu q, work drilling the SHAFT. The weather was
foggy and at noon a gale set in from the southwest
The engineers we're drilling an average OF one mole
every three hours at the broken end to ht on the
eccentric straps. We were drifting on uie Ne"
foundland coast. being only eixty-fve miles south
from st Pierre -MiQucloh Thursday morning the
shaft WAS broken. the crank was secured ana ,le
engineers began to put the engines together. Nh .
D. M Friday the engines were started ana Oae steamer
proceeded slowly At noon on saturday snow began
falling and the wind hauled TO the s0utneils' be
coming a gale by night. The ship was naulcd UP
north bv west, heading for Sable Island. 1aere was
a high sea rupning which dashed over tilc ship iore
and AFT, smashing gangway rails and doing other
siiSht damage. At midnight the gale abated. bug
there was still heavy running Az eloch
Yesterday morning we saw steamer supposed VI
no an outward Canadian mail. AT noon the weather
had moderated and at Q 80 p. m. We sighted the
steamer Newflcld looking for US. and told hcr We
were proceeding for the harbor'