New-York tribune., 1895-02-11
NOTHING BUT THEORIES.
la GASCOGNE STILL OUT
STEAMER, THOUGHT TO BE THE
NORMANDIE, AT THE BAR.
OTHER TESSELS COME IN WITHOCT NEWS.
NO DEFINITE INFORMATION AS TO THE FATE OF
THE FRENCH sHIP-RUMoRS THAT SHE HAS
BEEN SEEN AT DIFFERENT POINTS ALONG
THE COAST CANNOT BE VERIFIED
INQUIRIES FROM FRIENDS AND
RELATIVES OF PASSENGERS.

At 1890 o'clock this morning a steamer bound
In was sighted by the Sandy Hook observer At
146 o'clock she had anchored outside the Bar,
but did not answer signals from the Hook. The
observer telegraphed that she was a French
Line steamer, probably La Normande, which is
due here this morning. 1t is possible that she
has news Of La Gascogne. and there was much
surprise at her refusal to answer the questioning
signals
The Hamburg-Amercan line steamer DANA
arrived outside the Bar about o'clock last
night, but could not get pilot, and so anchored
near the lightship to wait for morning to come
in to port AS the DANA is believed to have
come over the same course as La Gascogne, it
may be that she has news Of the missing vessel.
and reports from her are anxiousy awaited
1t is now over two weeks since La Gascogne
sailed out from Havre bound for this port. and
the mystery surrounding her fate deepens as
each day goes by. From the day she sailed out
OF port to begin what was expected to be a
swift and prosperous voyage she vanished COM
petely. One after another the overdue steamers
whose delay In arriving here was attributed TO
their pausng in their voyage to aid the Gas
cogne have arrived here and brought word
of the missing steamer Steamers bound to the
eastward which might reasonably have been ex-
pcCleu 10 SlBnl inc bdsCpSH' nave itoNHN" ''N'
European ports and have not seen her on their
trips. News OF the steamer having put In or
been towed In 10 the Azores Bermuda has
not been received. though such news has been
looked for for days
The situation is now one which causes the grav-
est anxiety The mystery which surrounds the
fate OF the vessel adds to the gloom which Is
caused By her failure to arrive here That YES
sci in these days when the North Atlantic Ocean
IS so crowded with ships. sail out from port
into the most popular part OF the ocean In the
regular lanes OF travel. and disappear 50 utterly
and completely Is something that partakes Of the
weird and grewsome. II was a week ago yester-
day that she was due here Theories on the sub
feet Of La Gascognes fate have almost been ex-
hausted I, is hardly possible to evolve theory
that has not already been discussed many times
over In all its bearings and with all It's pros ana
cons. The theory most generally accepted Is that
she has broken her mach merry and drifted to the
southwark II this Is correct. she may yet be
heard ~ at the Azores or Bermuda. II the acci-
dent took place before she approached the Ameri-
can coast she would probably drift toward the
Azqyrq Rii happened when she was well on the
coast she would find Bermuda her nearest port
II she made Bermuda. her arrival there would be
telegraphcd at once, for there Is cable conihum-
cation between the island AMI Halifax.
The intcres. In the fate Of the missing steamer
is 80 great tha, the Western Union Telegraph
Company has instructed all its agents to tele-
graph to this city a once any information whlch
may he received n any part OF the world re-
garding the steamer
to the Azores It might be some time before she
would be heard from though there is cable TO
Fayal.
Steamers freouentlv touch at ST. Mchaels. and
~ the shin got I'm there tn. news OF her arrival
would soon reach Portugal. She might. however.
have nut in a, Flores or some other little fire.
ouented port whence news OF her would reach
Porto Delgada. or St Mchaels. or Fayal. by
sailing vessels.
La Touraine belonging to the same line as La
Gascogne sailed from here on "Wednesday Tor
the Mediterranean. and would take route which
would probably cause her To fall In with La
Gascogne II she had drifted To the southward IN
"A disabled condition Before La Touraine LETT
port her captain was instructed to keep sharp
lookout for the missing ship. La Normandle OF
the same line Is due here from Havre to-day
She comes over the same as La Gas
cogne took when she left iiavrc.
DUNN AND FORGET IN CONSULTATION.
T.. b. Dunn the weather observer. went to the
office Of the French Line In Bowling Green on
Saturday and discussed with Mr.. Forget the
meteorological conditions which have prevailed
on the Atlantic sncc La Gascogne left haNre'
From all Mr.. Dunn's data and that furnished
by incoming ships 1t is an undoubted tact that
even II La Gascogne had not broken down she
would have had to fight her way all the way
across against bllzzards. hurricanes and tre-
mendous head seas. The theory that she was
so delayed by these warning elements that she
got short OF coal and had to proceed finally at Il
snails pace her voyage or lay TO ehurely'
waiting for help, .s one which has been pro-
pounded
The steamer under her new rig had not enough
sail power to steady her In heavy sea- huch
less sail into port The tendency In recent years
has been toward the entire abolition OF san
power ocean steamers. speed mas Deeh tie
thing and masts and yards have had 10 CO. Io
the top hamper retarded the vessel llttie ana
a few minutes gained In the record py theit
removal. But every time an accident happens 10
the machinery of big steamer II becomes more
and more apparent that certain amount OF
sail power is n desirable If not a necessary
thing.
INQUIRIES ABOUT PASSENGERS.
There were several inquiries at the office or
the French line yesterd,y regarding passengers
on the missing steamer. Edgar Mix. one or the
passengers whose friends have anxiousy awaited
news of the La Gascogne, Is connected with the
Thomson Houston Electric Company OF this
city. f.. G Brosard. of Fayetteville. Tenn'' mas
teegraphed making anxious inquiries. lie mas
a sister-in-aw among the passengers Inc MIS-
Rockwell whose name appears on the PASSENGER
list IL the wife OF Colonel A. +. Rockwell, OF the
Army the Ouartermaster In charge at Phauei-
pha. Colonel Rockwers son-in-law >. A. oro-
ger. jr Is also TIE steamer MT. anu Mis-
Grocer and Mrs Rockwell had been Tor some
time In Paris and were intending 10 come pack
together on La Gascogne. MIS- 'fo"ei us-
cided to remain awhile longer In Europe ana II
now In Brussels though her name APPEARS Oh
La Gascogne's passenger list Mile. Snu-
inoska who Is O passeng Is pianist Well
known IN 10 ndon and Paris she was pupil oi
Paderewski and was to have made her hrst APP
pearance In this city soon after the arrival OF La
Gascognc. ,t,,
|, J. T. Harris Of No. go West One-hundred-and-
twenty-thiri-st has made frequent Inquiries at
the French Line office. HIS brother. NJ r. Harris.