The record-union., 1895-02-11
The Umbria Arrives at New York
After an Eventful Voyage.
RESCUES FOURTEEN PEOPLE FROM
A WATERLOGGED BARK.
Rescue Two Sailors Who Had
ging of Ship Which Was Wrecked
During the Recent Gale.
Special to the REcoRp-UN NIov.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
NEW YORK, Feb. 10.-The Cunarder
Umbria, Captain Dutton, which sailed
from Liverpool February I'd, via Queens
town, reached quarantine this morning.
She brings no word of La Gascogne.
Shortly after noon yesterday the mon
Bter greyhound steamer passed quaran-
tine, her shrouds and part of her hull
covered with ice and glistening with
myriads of diamonds. IcicIes hung from
before and aft. From the topmast edge OF
the bridge To the deck was one mass OF
glittering ice. 1t was during The only
spell OF good weather on the vessel S
voyage that she was enabled to rescue
fourteen persons who were adrltt In
wauerlogged, helpless bark.
Speaking of the rescue, Captain Dutton
said to-day: 1--WE had a fairly good voyage
after leaving Queenstown until we struck
the blizzaro outside the queen" Hook
yesterday. OF course, the weather was
bGd, and we had heavy seas, but have
had lar worse voyages. AT II O'Clock on
February 9th we picked up the Captain
and crew OF the French bark Jean Bap-
tiste. 1t was IL o'clock at night when a
report was made TO me that a White Star
Line trelghter, supposed 10 be the CIVIC,
had been sighted. The Captain OF the
Civic is an old friend OF mine, and had
signals sent up TO let him know who we
were. The Civic was OF our port side.
The signals we sent up were seen by the
French bark, which was over on our star
board about i've miles away. 1t was not
particularly cold, but there was snow
storm and d heavy westerly swell.
The distressed crew was displaying
red lights 10 SHOW the vessel was out OF
control, and as we made toward her
three men went up into the mizzen rig
ging with torches. The bark was water
logged. When our boat reached the dis
tressed vessel the men found the crew had
been launched in two boats and were
and his son were the last to leave the
Jean Baptlste. They came away in a
small boat. The J lean Baptiste belonged
at Havre and was from Halifax to Cork.
She WIS not insured.
'At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, dur
ing the hight OF the storm twenty miles
east of Sandy Hook, we sighted four
Inasted schooner at anchor. riding very
heavily. She had flag up, and no sails
set. | had the vessel put about and ran
down close to her. We laid to for an
hour and half waiting for some signal,
but none came. We lett them riding at
anchor in heavy sea in very unusual
place for a schooner OF that character,
right in the course of the ocean steamers.
Then we came on to harbor, and expert
enced the worst weather or the whole
trip"
On board the Umbria were three sur
viVors OF the Elbe-Eugene Schlegel of
Furst, Germany, on his way 10 this coun-
try with his sister Emma, the latter lost
with the ship; John Vevera of Cleveland,
o., and Carl Hoffman OF Grand Island,
Neb., whose wife and child were among
the lost.
TO an Associated Press reporter Mr..
Hoffman told the following story of the
wreck. His statement was made in u
very disconnected way and was literally
intersperseu with threats OF prosecuting
the North German Lloyds and frequent
outbursts of tears: My wife and boy
and myself had Stateroom on the star
board side aft in the section between the
numbers 90 and loo. | awoke early on
the morning Of the collision, and had
gone out on deck and returned to our
stateroom, where l told my wife how the
weather was and put another blank
over my boy, who was IN the upper
berth, for II was very cold. Suddenly
heard crash, aud the ship trembled yio-
lently. l rushed outside To see what the
trouble was, and as | did so ! met Mr.
Schlegeps sister, Emma, who was rum
ming forward toward the gangway. None
of the ships crew could give me any in
formation as to what had happened, but
as l heard great confusion overhead and
sounds OF people running to and fro,
ran back to our cabin and lold my wife to
dress herself and the boy as quickly as
possible. l took the child in my arms
and we went forward to the companion
way in the saloon, where found a crowd
of passengers endeavoring to get on the
deck. With my boy on one arm and
supporting my wife with the other,
afo
then some one on deck gave the order Tor
every one to 60 below, and in the rush
that ensued to obey the order | was car
ried down the steps again,
g went up on the deck again, regard
less of the order, and stood at the head OF
the gangway opposite the third boat
on the port side-the one / eventually
got into. Then the order to lower the
boats was given. The last one on the
port side was the first to be lowered, and
into this number of passengers jumped,
but were promptly ordered out again. No
one got into the second boat, which was
next on the port side 10 this, and 10 the
one directly opposite where we were
standing was lowered; into this l threw
my valIse. Taking my boy into nv
arms, l turned and kissed my wife, who
said: God may help you,' and then
jumped into the boat, which had not as
yet been lowered. Just then the order
was given to all women and children to
go to the starboard side, and my wife
obeyed the order. NeuseIl, the officer OF
the boat, caught my boy out of my arms,
in obedience to the order which was is
sued, and that was the last saw OF either
of them.'
Hoffman complains that he was COM
PEELED to assist in the management OF the
ships boat, and declares that there was
plenty of time to have lowered all the
boats of the Elbe, if proper discipline had
been maintained. His nerves have been
badly shattered by his trying ordeal, and
he will remain in Hoboken several days
before he returns to his home. Later on
he made statement, presumably To his
lawyer, but he preferred to not state til @
nature of it. Mr.. Hoffman refused any
assistance whatever from the agent of the
North German Lloyds Company.
BADLY FROZEN.