The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-12
LA GASCOGNE
SAFE IN PORT
Continued from page ~

informed that part of the machinery
had broken down. The information
was a surprise to the passengers, who
were unaware at the time that an acct
dent had occurred. There had been no
shock sufficient to cause alarm. The
passengers had noticed a commotion
among the crew and officers, conse-
quent upon the breakdown, and when
inquiries were made by the passengers
the officers made no attempt to conceal
the true facts. We learned that the
piston of one of the intermediate CYL
inders had broken, thus incapacitating
the entire machinery. The engine had
been stopped as soon as possible and
the steamer fell off into the trough of
the sea, which was not heavy at that
time. The passengers We're quite cool
and had no apprehension of danger. In
fact, we were not at first distressed by
the knowledge of the accident.
Began to Feel Uneasy.
We lay to for sixteen hours; while
the full corps of engineers Were work
ing on the fractured cylinders. After
the second breakdown all would have
gone well but for a terrible storm
which beset the disabled steamer on
the 4th of this month. 1t struck us
! while we were lying to making repairs.
The vessel pitched and tossed fright
fully in the gale, and for the first time
since the breakdown the passengers
began to feel uneasy. The engineers
were unable to work because of the Yio-
| lent tossing of the ship. 1t was i'm
| possible to handle the heavy pieces OF
| machinery.
"A 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 were frequently beset
by gales, which at times threatened tc
! founder the vessel. We cannot say too
much in praise of the captain and Of
| f1cerS, who behaved manfully and die
! all in their power to make our lot as
comfortable as possible.
(Signed) MIX"
1t was after midnight when La
| Gascogne reached the bar, where she
J anchored for the night She was mel
! there by the tug Hustler and will lay
there all night and bring the vessel VI
to her dock this morning at s o'clock.
Her other Trips.
Three times previously La Gascogne
! figured in newspaper articles on account
of exciting circumstances.
| Sunday morning May &c, 1890, while
| bound for Havre, with 444 souls aboard
she was proceeding at reduced speed be
cause of a fog, which for three days pre-
vented any reckoning, when right il
front Of the steamer and within a stone
throw of her prov, was a small blach
rock, the polished surface of which was
but a few feet above the sea- La Gas
cogne did not escape the almost bidder
foe without injury. Her port side scrapei
| the rock and a rent was made below che
water line, through which the sea poured
| in. The hole was not large and the shiT
after a few hours delay for repairs, wa.
able to proceed slowly to HaYre.
On October &c. 1892, she came into New
| York harbor, salt-encrusted TO the tor
Of her tunnels. She had been in tht
teeth of hurricane for four days.
On May 4, 1893, La Gascogne grounded
on Shoal below the southwest spit, bu
got off without assistance after si2
hours labor.
a Great Load Lifted.
La Gascogne left Havre in the morning
of January &c. There We're go passenger.
in the first cabin, IA in the second and II
in the steerage. The fastest time mad
by French liner to New York is 81,
days, II hours and 26 minutes. and tina
was by La Touraine. Not until Wednes
day, however, was any uneasiness eXhib
tied by Agent Forget. The rates of in
surance went up by jumps. The Frencl
line officials were besieged by friends ant
relatives of passengers. 1t WIS the sam
diSa ppointInent daV after dav no new