Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-21

Hours Perfectly Helpless in Howl
ing Gales-Anxiety for Her Passen-
gers Gives Way to Wild Rejoicing.
La Gascogne, the eight-day-overdue
French steamship, limped into port un-
der her own steam at New York Monday,
with three red lights hanging from her
miZZen mast as n signal that she was dis
abled. The vessel was a moving noun
tain of ice. Her passengers 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 a heavy strain.
For thirteen days of a voyage lasting
sixteen days the ship had been disabled,
one of her main piston rods having brok-
en- on her third day out from Havre. For
sixteen hours on that fateful third day
the vessel was hove to while the break
was being repaired. 1t was comparative
ly good weather when the break occurred,
but the steamer was doomed to run into
some of the nastiest of her voyage.
When the break had been repaired the
steamer proceeded on her way, but under
greatly reduced speed. When near the
banks of Newfoundland, La Gascogne
ran into gale that increased to hurri-
cane force.
Machinery Breaks Again.
While off Sable Island the machinery
broke down again, and the steamer was
hove to again, this time for forty-one
hours. During all this period the engines
did not make a 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.
1t is a remarkable fact that during the
entire voyage across the Atlantic La Gas
cogne did not sight a steamer until she
passed one bound for Philadelphia late
Sunday. Late Monday afternoon the
French steamer signaled Fire Island and
then proceeded toward Sandy Hook light
ship.
No Panic Among the Passengers.
While the passengers were considerably
worried on account of the delay, there
was never n panic among them. They
knew their ship was stanch, and they had
every confidence in their captain. And,
besides, they knew that the ship was not
totally disabled. But they were nervous
and apprehensire at times. and they hall-
ed the conclusion of their voyage with
joy. They cheered the captain and they
cheered the crew and they cheered the
tugs that came out to meet them.
The fact that La Gascogne was safe
was established 10y the fact that about 8
o'clock Monday afternoon it was OBJ
served from the Fire Island lighthouse
and at the time was abreast of the Shin
necOck light, eastward from Fire Island.
The steamer was proceeding slowly, but
had no signals for assistance displayed.
All that was known was that ii showed
the three red balls, dcnOting that its ma
chinery was disabled, but it could pro-
ceed without outside aid. The fact that
two steamers were near the incoming
F'renchman gave rise to the report that
La Gascogne was being towed into port,
and as this story passed from mouth to
mouth the condition of the delayed steam
er became greatly exaggerated until it
was generally believed La Gascogne was
almost total and helpless wreck. Later
advices, however, dispelled all these sup
positions.
Forget Had Given 1t Up.
Even as late as Monday afternoon the
French line agent. Mr. Forget, to his in
innate friends had given up the last YES
tige of hope he had concerning La Gas
cogne. But three hours later there came
a rift in the black cloud of despair, and
the brief message that La Gascogne was
sighted off Fire Island sent thrill of JOY
through every heart in New York. The
bulletins told the story with exasperating
triefness and lack of detail. But il was
the fact of safety alone that the people
craved, and this made all rejoice. Agent
Forget for q moment was rendered
speechless, which evidenced how anxious
he had been for the safety of La Gas
cogne. Then he regained himself and
became wildly hilarious. He shouted,
ran here and there, grasping the hand of
this one and that one, and fairly jumped
up and down over the floor in the excite
ment of the moment. Then he put on his
coat and started for the French line pier
ut the foot of Morton street, where a tug
had been in readiness for days to take
him to meet La Gascogne should it be
sighted.
The story of the captains of the two
steamers that had ovcrhauled La Gas
cogne off the Long Island coast added
hothiuS W tne SUM Oh kHOWieuge Oh the
awful voyage of the Frenchman The
Washington is a tank steamer of the
Rotterdam Tank Line. The Frenchmar,
the Captain says, was moving at about
eight knots an hour. The Washington,
itself slow steamer, came opposite La
Gascogne, but as no signals were dis
played, and having no knowledge that il
was overdue he staid on his course like
any good skipper would bound for New
York in such weather and after such
gales.
Con Get in Alone.
A couple of hours later up came the Bo-
livia of the Anchor line from Gibraltar,
Jan. %. itself with a long and tedious
passage to its credit. and il also gave
critical eye to the slow-going express
steamer. Then La Gascogne was neai
enough to Fire Island to make itself
known, and had up its flag numbers an1
three red balls as well The Bolivia's
captain saw Mt a glance his services were
not needed. The signal was to tell the
observer at Fire Island that the machin.
cry was disabled. but that the steamer
-