Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-12

No. 13,O86.
hug each other. and then rush back and
demand news.
Have you seen this man or that Wom-
an?''
"Did you think we were lost?'
"Hurrah! Hurrahi''
What did the papers say about us?'
yes. the piston broke. We drifted eight
cen hours"
"Hurrah!"
Awful weather."
Ibid not see ship until yesterday. Saw
a schooner in tow of steamer
There was not much use trying to get
things connectedly from the crowd. The
tug clung close to the side until the pilot
gave the word for the big ship to anchor.
1t was an hour and Il quarter after she
had been sighted, and ali that hour and
quarter were spent in congratulate and
in asking questions, the passengers doing
the most of that. The officers avoided the
rail after they gave the first bit OF inIor-
nation.
The moment the signal to stop the ships
boat. and while she was still travelling three
or four knots three nimble young men
clanbered up 1t like monkeys.
There were wild shouts from the agents
boat. which had a position in the rear:
Aboard, La Gascogne. Don't you dare
let any one aboard that boat! Hey, Gas
ccSne! Don't let man aboard! Keep EN-
off. Keep 'em Off,
But as fast as the young men reached
the rail they were pulled over 1T, and FOR
a time it looked as if 1t was they and not
the ships people who had just arrived from
perilous voyage.
1t was hard to board the ship after she
had come to anchor just outside the Scot
land light ship and abreast of the High
land light. Not that any one aboard the
Zig ocean traveller had any objection to re-
ceiving visitors. On the contrary, they
were only happy to hear once more from
the rest of the world.
1t was necessary to rig a ladder. The
only one to be found was several feet too
short to reach to the Gascognes deck, ard
shoulders were used on which to rest the
lever rounds.
The seas kept the frail ladder swinging
to and fro, and il required the greater care
lot to be launched off into the ocan, but
as soon as the reporters hands reached
the lower rail of the Gascogne'S deck, a
dozen arms were stretched out to assist
him. and with a wild cheer of welcome he
was pulled over the rail and landed on the
deck of the vessel which many had given
up for lost.
a haul this side. a push to that side. and
he found himself in the main saloon. sur
rounded by score of smiling, happy
VisaSed passengers.
The reporter was forced to answer Il
dozen questions before he was allowed to
ask one.
story of the Voyage.
Then came the story of the voyage, which
has exercised two continents. and which
was gained by short conversations with
several of the officers:
Every one evinced the utmost confidence
in Captain Bauelon and his assistants. 1t
was rather strange. but of the male pas
sensers there were only half dozen who
cared anything for the seductive game of
poker, and the sight of these six seated
in the smoking room every night, wager
ing their money as calmly though they
We're in their own homes, served to make
all the others inclined to be restless more
at their ease.
ore of the passengers shouted: Did
they feel alarmed ashore: Did they give
us Up?'
When told that 1T was thought the ship
was making for the Azores. he replied:
I'VE were going to the north pole instead"
Did you have enough to eat?' was ask
ed
Yes" came the answer from the Gas
cogne. I'VE had plenty all the time, and
they save US an especially fine dinner
today
The passengers all united in saying that
they were not alarmed, and had good
time aboard The ship was out sixteen
days in all, and both coal and provisions
held out to the end.
schooner George \. McFadden, which was
reported on Sunday by the Umbria. This
would Indicate that the Umbria must have
Just missed seeing the Gascogne and bring
ing the news of her safety in a day earlier.
The Gascogre picked up her pilot from
No. 3 pilot boat on Sunday afternoon.
On the trip from his boat to the ship he
was quite badly froStbitten.
The pilot told the news of the disaster
to the Elbe to the passengers of the Gas
cogne. who. forgetting altogether the dan
ger they had been in for sixteen days, were
soreIy grieved by the sad news, probably
tb.ar hv the fact they had almost
met the same fate.
During the storm last Wednesday and
Thursday the captain gave orders that
none of the passengers should be allowed
on deck The matches were battended
down and except for the intolerable pitch
Ing and tossing and the confinement TO
the saloons and staterooms, the passengers
suffered little.
They were all well-behaved and there
was nothing that might be called an ap-
proach to q paic. Some of the women, OF
course, could not be made to oereVe .hae
they were not doomed. but their friends or
fhe oDposite sex united with the ship s
officers who acted with the greatest coci-
ness and decision in quellng their alarm.
The C,rptain's story.
The captain of La Gascogne told Of the
breaking Of the piston briefly. There was
no time to go into minute details.
He said: Just at the time the repairs
were being made the weather was awful
1t was necessary for everything 10 DC
closed tight. and the passengers were all
kent below But not q rope was parted
after the repairs. We did not attempt to
get under headway for some time. The
sea was so rough that we could not take
the risk. We aged sixty-two revolu-
tions. but after repairs she could only
make thirty-fve. Later, this was reduced
for the sake of safety to thirty. During
the storm the passengers Were made as
comfortable as possible. They could not
have bcrn better behaved. We passed the
first ship yesterday morning at IL o'clock
She was an Inman liner hound for Phil
adelphia and we sicnaled her, asking her
to report us with machinery injured. to
notify agents 10 send tugs to Sandy Hook
"frhe piston that was broken was not
exactly repaired. 1t was isolated, and the
Others were then used. This was difficult
because the engines are quadruple expan-
sion and the cylinders were tandem. With
the old triple-cxpansion engines 1t would
not have been so difficult to repair, nor
would the accident have been so serious" !"
How about the second delay of twenty
four hoUrS?"