The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-26

aground. judging from the position in which
she was lying. 1 knew that she was none
other than the Cunarder, Campania. 1
am very positive that If 1t had not been for
sur signals that you would now have two
of the fastest cross-Atlantic steamers bow
on, in this vicinity, instead Of one"
The breeches buoy on the st. Paul was
kept busy bringing messages ashore from
the captain and passengers. The contents
of only one of these messages was made
Captain Jameson. 1t read: THE ship is
fast; all safe, AID not making water" The
lifeboats went out early in the forenoon,
but no person was allowed to go aboard any
of them except the crews. The passengers
promenaded the decks and waved handker-
chiefs in reply to the encouraging cheers
which were waited to them.
Shortly before noon a number of tugs
hove in sight, and by o'clock the st. Paul
was surrounded by more than dozen small
steam craft. including revenue cutter. the
Chapman and Merritt wrecking boats The
lifeboats, after few trial trips from the
shore to the st. Paul, made arrangements
to transfer the mails and passengers to
some of the steam tugs which lay around.
and the mails were the first to be tackled.
After Uncle Sans correspondence had been
safely slowed away and headed for New
York, the crews. in command Of Captains
Mulligan. West and Warden, turned their
attention to the first and second cabin pas
sengers. Captain Jameson had the big
gangway lowered and stationed the purser
on the landing at the bottom. Then xhe
first cabin passengers began their ex-
odus from cramped quarters. 1t just
took twelve boatloads TO exhaust
the supply of first and seconds. In the
fourth boatload one lady tainted. after she
had made the jump from the little plat
form to the boat. They were all trans
ferred to the side-wheeler George Starr,
which left at 3:45 o'clock for New York. a
good deal Of baggage was sent after them,
and it was the general impression that the
steerage passengers would not be taken off,
as the wrecking companies intended to
make an effort to pull the st. Paul off dur
ing the afternoon This was found TO be
impracticabie, and the boats flastened to
take off the steerage people. All the pas
sengers were taken off the steamer before
half-past o'clock.
No attempt was made to haul the st.
Paul off up to IL o'clock tonight, but the
wrecking company will probably make an
effort at high tide between and in the
morning. Captains West and Mulligan said
this evening that everything was quiet and
orderly on board, and that Captain jamie
son blamed the man who was throwing
the lead for the mishap, as he claims the
man called out seventeen fathoms imme-
d:ately before the ship grounded.
At midnight the vessel was lying practi-
cally parallel TO the beach, with her bow
heading south.
Messrs. Chapman and Merritt, represent
ing the wrecking companies, are on board
the ST. Paul, comforting to the expense
and proba abilities of getting her off, and late
tonight Captain Wardell, of the West End
I.ife-saving Station, said that he was pretty
sure that the steamer would remain in her
present position for many days to come.
"As long as the wind is eff Shore" said he,
''she is all right, but If gale strikes her
in the opposite direction l have grave fears
that she will succunb to its influence like
other iron ships"
The agent of the international Naviga-
ton Company at New York says that if the
ST. Paul is not ready to sail on Wednesday
next the company Will substitute the St.
Louis, which is now at the Cramp ysrds,
Philadelphia The ST. Paul was launched
from the Cramp yards. Philadelphia, on
April 10, 1893. She is $3.50 feet long, 63 feet
beam and 50.4 feet deep. Her registered
tonnage is 5,S74 tons net and I,629 tons
gross. She has five decks and is one of the
most magniicently appointed vessels in the
transatlantic service.