The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-14

slowly making her way to her port of
destination that the long pent-up feeling
of those who had anXiously watched day
by day for tidings of the missing craft
| broke out.
In every hotel, in every club, in al
most every home in the city, the sole topic
of conversation was the arrival of the
ship, hope of whose rescue from the
| storms which has caused such terrific
disasters had almost deserted the hearts
of the most Sanguine.
| The Office of the steamship company
was one of great confusion. Hundreds
| of persons beseiGed the pier of the COM
pany as though they expected that the
La Gascogne would remain an hour or
so. This crowd was reinforced every
moment. Friends of French passengers
fired query after query at Mr.. West,
the agent. The only information given
was that the ship was safe. They shook
hands with each other and laughed and
wept with joy. Over Il thousand people
decided on staying at the dock until the
La Gascogne arrived, and it was only
when Il conspicuous announcemnt was
posted on the outside of the company's
piers that she would not leave until tomor-
row morning that the watchers slowly
went to their homes.
THE WATCH AT QUARANTINE.
Quarantine, S. l., Feb. 11.-When the
Associated Press dispatch at 3:45 p. m.
announced that the La Gascogne was
sighted off Fire Island, flags previously
agreed upon as signals were holsted on
the flagstaff of the Office of the French
line, upon The World building and on the
offices of all the newspapers, Joytully an
nouncing that the long overdue steamer
was safe. But the stern faced, black
hnn, ,l ln1 hn1 a nnn1nnt InSn
| Two tugs chartered before hand We're
promptly ordered to get ready to force
| their way through the ice and down the
| bay. The first tug carried NJ. Forget and
| three influential members of the French
| colony down to Sandy Hook. The sec
ond boat, which left at s o'clock was
placed at the disposal of the press by the
| French line and carried down to the
quarantine station.
| The trip down to quarantine in the
moonlight, crashing through the ice. buff
| fetting into the arctic wind, proved de-
| lightfully bracing experience i'll spite of the
cold. All seemed to feel the excitement
of the moment, the joy felt on the receipt
Of the news telling Of the rescue, appar-
emily, from a terrible calamity for about
| $50 souls and a splendid ocean steamship,
valued at 81 100000 and having on board
| Il cargo valued at 100000. Therefore,
what mattered it if the interior of the
| little tugs pilot was like an ice chest and
J that ones breath frozc all over his face.
| Part of the Staten Island was hemmed
! in by an apparently impenetrable ice
field. All was light and jollty.
| Nearer and nearer came the gallant
steamship with its happy human freight.
The first and only real break in the mo-
notony of the nights watch was the
sighting, coming around Fort Wadsworth,
| of the Bolivia, Captain Baxter. from Med
| iterranean ports. 1t was believed that
she had passed near La Gascogne Hence.
| there was wild desire upon the part of
everybody to board her and get the latest
news. 1t was not an easy job, the ice
| off shore was almost impaSsable, but Il
tug crushed its way slowly alongside the
| steamer and Captain Baxter was inter
We'd as he let go his anchor.
Captain Baxter and his chief officer took
| turns at watching La Gascogne closely
| through powerful marine glass, and they
came to the conclusion that her machinery
was disabled
Pilot Nicholas Reach also took Il squint
at the slowly moving craft and expressed
| the opinion that she was down by the
| stern, and it was judged that either her
| propeller shaft or her rudder. or both
were disabled. At her foremast head the
steamer displayed three red balls, ndi-
| eating she was disabled or unmanageable.
| ARRIVAL OF LA GASCOGNE.
Quarantine Station, s. l., Feb. 12.-La
Gascogne limped into port last night
with three red lights hanging from her
formast. Her passengers were all ON
deck, some of them singing and most of
| them cheering rs persons are wont to do
| when their minds are suddenly relieved.
For 13 days of a voyage lasting 1G days
the ship had been disabled, one of her
piston rods having broken on her third
day out from Havre.
For 16 hours on that fateful third day
the vessel was hove to- while the break
was being repaired. 1t was compara-
lively good weather then, but the dis
| abled steamer was fated to run into
some of the nastiest weather of her voy-
age. When the break was repaired, the
steamer proceeded on her way, but under
| reduced speed. When near the banks
Of Newfoundland La Gascogne ran into
| gale that increased to hurricane force.
While off Sable Island Feb. 5, the ma
chinery broke down again and the steam
er was hove to again, this time for As
hours. During that period the engines
did not make Il single revolution. When
the second repairs had been made, the
steamer started ahead once more under
still further reduced power, and headed
toward the Long Island coast.
While the passengers were considerably
worried on account of the delay there was
never a panic among them. They knew
their ship was a staunch one, and
they had confidence in their captain. And
bsi1ns the, ;Lew 'b't they ship was not
totally disabled. But they were never
theless apprehensive at times. They
cheered the captain and the crew and
cheered the World tug.
All would have gone well after the ac-