The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-01

organ of speech as wsIi as for purposes Of
respiration. and who had been noticeable
on deck before. principally becsuse he wore
his wtfe'e fur cape when he prcmensded
TIE deck tie Gprose st the end of the
smoking room. after q startling inter
change OF views with some women about
bisn. and said. In tones OF once nasal and
fearful
Gentleusn. We are IN eminent Chers he Is sup
Tosad 90 cave meant "immInent1 danger We
are drifting r. midOcean with every chance OF 9
hurricane coming up at any moment 10 send Us
20 the bottom. and yet the captain refuses 20
ours. be should be Hiring rockets al night 10 IL
plain that hts idea l. 90 economic for his com
pany and do not believe he would accept tow
IL IL was offered on account OF the expense. Now,
We have got 20 act for ourselves IN this matter.
and VIII De one OF ten men 20 subscribe $4,000
each IN order TO put uP bond 10 indemnity the
captain on condition that he engage q steamer
at once 20 tow Us 10 the nearest port
A burst of laughter and hIsses greeted
this Grafton. mingled. however. with ap-
plause from few timorous ones. and Qaer-
les from several who were facetious as 10
whether the speaker possessed $1,000 A
voice. with \ very different ring IN 10. came
from the other side of the room: We are
IN no danger st al" IL said. This ship
will float through the biggest hurricane
that ever came mp on the Atlantic. Our
captain Is one Of the best that ever sailed
the ocean. aud has . great deal more at
stake than any one on board. Whoever
tdtho hbOut tuOu-
sand dollars TO get him 10 do his duty is a
damn fool"
The man who was thus desi gu ated turned
out 20 be. according TO the passenger list.
Gen. ). W. kearney. of Texas" and the
oge who informed ham was young I'D " ard
McNiekar. of Boston. Mr.. McNicar apol-
ogiZed for calling the other a fool, aad
afterward said that he spoke In haste. and
the General told somebody else that II
the man had not done so he should have
made an example of him. McVickar. who
is a stalwart youth. did not seem to con-
sider. however. that he had had very mar
row escape.
There was very little commotion when
the ladies were informed of their situation.
They took it as calmly as the men. The
principal anxiety of every one. indeed. was
on account of relatives and friends at
home. The Umbria had sighted only two
ships since leaving Queenstown, and 1t
might be week. or even two weeks, be-
fore she was reported. The chief ste ard
however. said that there was enough pro-
visions aboard TO last for three weeks more
without any one being IN the sli ghtest de-
gree stinted. OF even for four or five weeks
with the deprivation OF few luxuries.
Very few OF the passengers remained up
later than was their wont on Friday night
although they fully realized that they were
drifting helplessly In mid ocean IN q storm.
Oil was poured upon the water through the
draining pipes OF the ship, and she was
| quieter than while the machinery was In
motion.
THE BOHEMIA ATTEMPTS TO TOW.
Just after day those W ho were asleep
were awakened by several reports from
the Umbria's gun and the sound of her
whistle. In ten minutes almost every one
was on deck to ascertain what was the
matter. A ship was in sighs. just In the
edge of the horizon. bound eastward. She
| heard the signals, and at o'clock she was
alongside the Umbria She proved to be
the Bohemia, and she ct once responded to
the Umbris's request for tow. Soon she
was connected to the big steamship by a
| steel hawser, and was steaming slowly
westward. The storm grew heavier in the
| afternoon, and 1t was all that the Bohemia
could do To drag her big burden in the
teeth of head wind. After dark heavy
snow-storm sprang up which obscured the
| lights of the two vessels from each other.
About midnight the steel hawser broke in
| violent gale. and on Christmas morning z
| the passengers of the UmbrIa found them
/ selves again adrift in q raging storm. What
became of the Bohemia no one knew. She
| probably lost track of the Umbria in the
storm after the hawser parted; and, IL she
searched for her after day break, she did
| not find her.
+ Christmas day passed without any DEM
onstration of dIscontent among the passen-
| gers, though the Texas general croaked
| like another bird of Ill omen in the ladies'
| cabin. just at dusk q light was sighted TO
| the southward and again the passengers
| fiocked on deck. Rockets were sent MP,
| and soon the lights began to grow more
| and more distinct. and in half an hour a
| small steamship lay alongside. In answer
| to the Umbria's signals the newcomer re-
| ported that she was u vessel of the Wilson
| line bound for philadelphia, and that
she could not tow the Umbria be-
| cause she did not have coal enough.
| after which pleasing information
| she signaled goodbye and departed.
just after luncheon on Monday steamer
was sighted proceeding west. In answer
| TO the Umbrias signals she came alongside
| and proved TO be the Manhansett. bound
from Swansea TO New York. the property
of james McCaldin. one OF the passengers
| on the Umbris. The Manhansett had
scarcely considered the big prlzo money
she wonld obtain by towing the disabled
steamer to New FORK. when n much larger
| steamship hove In sight and bore down
| rapidly toward the drifting vessel In a
few minutes she Was close enough for the
| officers of the Umbria TO distinguish her rs
| the Gallia of their own line route from
| Boston to Liverpool. The officers of the
| Manhsnsett also recognized the Gallia and
| steamed OIL homeward disconsolate. done
out OF her prize money.
AID REFUSED BY THE GALLIA.
Every body on board the Umbria was ju-
/
In the steerage. Isn't this Cunard luckP
the officers asked one another. The Gslha
| was large enough TO tow her larger sister
ship with ease. and there would be no biz
salvage to pay 10 q rescuing steamer OF
another line. The CONSERVATION of the
captain. officers. crew and passengers may
| be imagined when. in response to the I'm.
bria's signal. Disabled. stand by" the
| Gallia signaled Can't stand by: carry IN {
| nails Tue Umbria signaled back. Nv
| hold you responsible" wbereupon the Gal
LA simply dipped her ensign. signify IN 9
goodbye. aud disappeared to the east W ard
ns the Manhansett passed out OF sight ts
the west. Officers and passengers on the
| Imbria looked at another N
dumb bewilderment The Gsiiia had
not even waited TO inquire the
extent of her sister ships njuries- For al
| that Captain Ferguson. of the other steam
er, knew. the Cmbria might be founderin g
The Gallias action was inexplicable OF
any basis that any on board the Cmbril
could imagine.
The passengers now were. many Of them
genuinely alarmed. They did not place
much faith IN engineer 1omlinson's from
Ise 10 mend the broken shaft and rs many
believed that Captain Mckay had delb
erately sent the Galiia away. much discon
tent was expressed. There was talk %
forming committee TO demand OF Captain
Mckay that be do something. but no on,
could suggest any thing for him TO do. The
ships COMPANY divided into two parties
known rs the kickers and anti-kiekers. ant
it Was noted that all the moro inteiligen
men on board were on the captains side
while all the rough element WAS or
tho other. That evening the kicker
called "A meeting IN the smOkin Z foof,