The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-12
LA GASCOGNE SAFE.
The Big French Liner Eight Days Overdue
Anchored at the Bar.
WITH CNLY 4 BROKEN PISTON ROD.
She Fought a Good Fight, However, and
Made Remarkably Good Time Con.
sidering the Weather.

| Feb. Liza Gascogne is safe!
The big French liner, eight days over
| due, dropped anchor at the bar just be-
fore midnight, all well on board, and
sigh of relief goes up from two conti-
nents The delay was due TO a broken
piston rod and to the terrific gales which
nave swept the North Atlantic for the
past week or more, and brought disaster
10 many a staunch craft. Captain Baude-
Ion and officers and crew, OF the La Gas
cogne, brought the ship and passengers
through the gales, and made port without
help. From the time they left Hayre, on
January 18th, until yesterday, they spoke
| to no transatlantic steamer, and saw
only a four-masted schooner, the one which
reported at st. Pierre, Miquelon, n. s., as
having seen a large steamsr off the banks
apparently in distress last Sunday. The
United Press tug. Fred. b. Dalsom, with
representatives of the Times Tribune ana
Recorder on board. were the first to reach
the La Gascogne. The disabled steamer
mad left Fire Island twenty-five miles
astern, and was eight miles to the east
ward of Sandy Hook lightship. 1t was
9:iJ. The big liner was limping into port
at half speed with two big red lights.
signals of distress, at the foremast. The
tug lay alongside half an hour, and the
following story of the trip was Obtained:
STORY OF THE VOYAGE.
The steamer left Havre on January
2Gth On the first day out Az miles were
logged on the second day l0 miles. on the
third day. after travelling $50 miles, the
piston rod broke, and eighteen hours were
spent in making repairs. When they were
completed, the ship steamer at nine miles
an hour making in all sixty-six miles on
the 18th. on the 30th 3lst and February
lst, 2l5, 30 and go miles a day were made
respectively. on February 2d the piston
rod broke down again. The break was
more serious this time. Sea anchors were
put out, and for forty-one hours the ship
was hove to making repairs. ON the 4th
the first severe weather was experienced,
and the ship was blown 80 miles out OF
her course. on the 5th, the repairs having
been completed, 1O3 miles were made.
The ship was then clear to the northward
Of the track Of the transatlantic steam
ers, and she was therefore not seen by
the many steamers which passed over the
regular track. on February 9th l6O miles
were made. on the 7th the machinery
broke down for the third time. The heavy
cyclone struck her on that day, and the
shio Law hove to with sea anchors out
all day. No headway was made, and
owing to the motion of the ship, repairs
were difficult. on the next day the chief
engineer who had been at MS post day
and night completed the repairs, ana the
shin proceeded l3l miles. on the 9th, Tor
the fourth time. the machinery broke
down and only 7i miles were made.
on the 10th $50 miles were made, and
to-day. 40 the great rejoicing of all on
board. Fire Island was sighted and the
ship crept up to her anchorage oil the
bar.
STORY or ONE OF THE PASSENGERS.
The United Press tug was received with
a cheer by the anxious passengers. They
crowded to the rail- yelled and clasped
n cir hands with all the enthusiasm or
the French race. The officers refused TO
allow any on board, and would not come
10 the rail to talk The passengers were
more Obliging.
julius Matrigrin. a representative OF
the Globe firm of Perrin Frcres q Co., OF
Paris and New York, was interviewed
over the side of the ship. lie said:
I'VE broke down on the third day out.
We did not become alarmed as we did
not know very much about what was the
matter. The captain said 1t was all
right. and we had conhdt.lce I'm him.
our first experience with gales was on
February 4th We had terrible blow
then. and one Of the boats was badly
damaged"
WAS anything carried away?'
mo. the ship stood it veil We had
plenty of provisions, and Jared first rate.
We were blown away of our course and
spoke no steamers until yesterday, when
we saw an American Liner bound for
Philadelphia"
other passengers said that they had
been given plenty to eat and, except for
the number Of times the sun rose and
set, they would not have known that
anything was wrong.
THE SLOW I'm TOLD THE STORY.
All particulars Of the accident 10 the
machinery were kept from the passen
gers, but the daily bulletins Of the knots
made told the story. Beyond tediOusness
of the voyage the passengers positively
suffered no Inconvenience, although the
arrangement OF the machinery occurred
on the third day. il was not till the ninth
day that the steamer ran into bad wealth
er and then the slow time. which she was
making was only that which some Of
the ocean greyhounds would have made
under similar circumstances for the fast
est and staunchest steamers slow down
before such gale The Teutonic and
Umbria being cases in point. In fact
from the time La Gascogne struck the
cyclone, she was little worse of than II
she was In prime running order The
TeutOnic was two days off the lightshiD
before she could make Sandy Hook there
fore La Gascogne's whole delay so Tar as
II would be an occasion Of alarm 10 her
passengers. occurred before she en-
countered bad weather, consequently they
were at no time really fearful for their
safety.
HOW TIE NEWS WAS RTCEIyID
NEW YORK Feb 1.-THE news that
La Gascogne had been sighted was re-
ceived amid the greatest excitement at
the offices of the French line in Bowling
Green. The cabin offices was crowded |
with anxious inquirers. who have relatives
and friends on board that steamship.
they had been staying around with pale |
faces expecting at any moment TO hear
the worst, when the word came that the |
ship was safe For q moment stiffness |
reigned which was almost awful in |
its intensity.
dered speechless, which evidenced how |
anxious he had been for the safety OF La /
Gascogne. Then he reganed himself and |
became wildly hilarious. He shouted |
ran here and there, grasping the hand OF |
this one and that one. ana fairly jumped l
up and down over the iioor in the eXtrem |
ity OF the moment. Then he put on his coat |
and started for the French line pier, where /
a tug had been in readiness for days 10
take him to meet La Gascogne. should /
she be sighted.
Severa, OF the anxious ones, waiting |
for news, started from the office TO board !
the tug with Mr. Forget. Many wet eyes
could be seen in the French Line offices
when the good news was ascertained,
and the tears were not from the eyes or /
women alone, but strong men wept as