The record-union., 1895-02-12
sneclaI to the REcoRp-Ux1ox.

ship, limped into port with three red
lights hanging from her mizzen-mas as q
| signal that she was disabled. Her pas
! sengers were all on deck, some of them
! singing and most of them cheering, as
persons are wont to do when their minds
are suddenly relieved Of q heavy strain.
For thirteen days of voyage lasting
| sixteen days, the ship had been disabled.
1t was comparatively good weather when
! the break occurred, but the steamship
! was doomed to run into some of the
nastiest weather of her voyages. When
/ the break had been repaired, the steam
ship proceeded on her way, but under re-
| duced speed. When near the banks of n ew-
! toundland, the La Gascogne ran into gale
| thatincreased to hurricane force. While of
| Sable Island, on February 9th, the ma
chinery broke down again, and the
! steamer was again hove to, this time for
! tOrty-one hours. During ali this period
! the engine diG not make a single revOlu-
| ton. When the second repairs had been
made, the steamer started forward once
more, and was under much reduced
| power, toward the Long Island coast.
! 1t is a remarkable fact that during the
! entire voyage across the Atlantic the La
| GascOgne did not sight a steamer until
| she passed one bound for Philadelphia
late on Sunday. While the passengers
! were considerably worried on account OF
! the delay, there was never a panic among
| them. They knew their ship was a
stanch one, and they had confidence in
! their captain. And besides, they knew
| that the ship was not totally disabled.
! At the request OF q WOrtd reporter,
! Mr.. Mix, a representative of the Thorn
! Son-Houstou Electrical Company, one OF
! @ ~ n
! the following statement, which he threw
/ aboard the WOrt6 tug: "AlI went well
! until January 18th, three days after sail
! ing from BaVre, when the ship was
! stopped and the passengers on inquiry as
| to the cause were informed that part of
! the machinery mad been broken down.
! The information was a surprise to the
! passengers, who were unaware at the
! time that an accident had occurred.
! There had been no shock sufficient to
! cause alarm. The passengers had
noticed a COmmOuOn among the crew and
! the officers, consequent upon the break
! ing down OF the vessel, and inquiries were
| made by the passengers, and the officers
! made no attempt to conceal the true facts.
We learned that the piston of one OF the
! intermediate cylinders had broken, thus
| incapacitating the machinery. The en-
! gine had been stopped as soon as pos
/ slble, and the steamer fell Oft into the
| trough of the sea, which was not heavy
! at the time. The passengers were quite
! cool and had no apprehension of danger.
| We were not at all distressed by knowl-
! edge of the accident. We lay to for six
teen hours, while the full corps of en-
| gineers were working ON the fractured
! cylinder. After the second break down
! all would have gone well but for the ter
! rible storm which beset the disabled yes
! sci on the 4th Of this month 1t struck
| us while we were lying TO making re-
| pairs. The vessel pitched and tossed
| 1rightfully in the gale, and for the first
| time since the breakdown the passen-
gers began to feel uneasy. The engineers
| were unable to work on account of the
| violent tossing of the disabled ship.
y terrific gale, burdened with sleet and
snow came out of the west with
terrific force, and the vessel pitched and
! tossed IN the ferment. But for the storm
| the passengers would not have expressed
| any anxiety. We cannot say too much in
! praise of the Captain and officers, who
| behaved manfully, aud did all in their
| power to make our lot as comfortable as
! possible"
| Not since the Umbria was reported two
! years ago, after periIOus voyage across
| the Atlantic with broken shaft, has
there been such excitement i'll this city as
| this evening, when the news was flashed
| across the wires that steamer resem-
| bling the long missing La Gascogne had
! D0Su SISDL8I OH rlI0 1SI2nu. he lDfGr-
! ence that the French line steamer was
safe did not for some time reassure the
| generally incredulous public. 1t was
| too good to be true, and it was only when
! the bulletin was announced that the La
| Gascogne was slowly making her way to
| her port OF destination that the long pent
! up feeling Of those who had anxiously
waited day by day for tidings of the miss
! ing craft broke out. In every hotel, in
! every club, in every home in the city the
| sole topic of conversation was the arriva!
of the ship, the hope of whose rescue
| from the terrific storms which have
caused such terrible disasters in the mari
! time world had almost deserted the hearts
of the most sanguine.
In the offices of the French line the
| scene when the telegram was received
announcing the safety of the big liner
was a striking one. The news spread
quickly through the city. Hundreds of
persons besieged the pier of the company
as though they expected the La GasCogne
would in an hour or two be moored at
her dock. This crowd was reinforced
every moment. Friends of French pas
Sengers made query after query to the
agent The only information vouchsafed
was that the ship was safe. They shook
hands with each other, and laughed and
! Wept for JOY. Over q thousand people
| decided on staying on the dock until the
La Gascogne arrived, and it was only
when conspicuous announcement was
posted on the outside of the company's
pier that she would not leave quarantine
until tomorrow morning that anxions
watchers slowly went to to their homes.
The officers of the steamship La Cas-
cogne are: Baudeton, commander:
Blanquie, second captain; Gontier, first
officer; Pitou, second officer; Landegren,
third officer; Martin chief engineer; I4e
Bars, second engineer: Gouverne, third
engineer; HANNAH, fourth engineer:
kaphet, purser; Darandeau, assistant
purser: Gervais, doctor.
The La Gascogne is two-masted steel
screw steamship, built in 1886 at Lazine,
France. She registered 4, ,333 tons net and
1890 tons gross. Her Dimensions are $50
feet length, 52.3 beam ana 43 depth of
hold. She was last surveyed in New
ork in February, 1891.
When the Associated Press dispatch at
$3.50 p. NJ. first announced that the La
Gascogne was sighted off Fire Island.
| flags previously agreed upon as signals
were hoisted on the office of the French
line, upon the WOrtd building and over
the Offices of all the Associated Press
newspapers, joyfully announcing to New
York, and through the wires of the Asso-
ciated Press to the United States and
Canada, that the long-overdue Steamship
was safe.
AS soon as the news was received. two
tugs, carrying newspaper men and steam