The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-05

ocean greyhound ever built in the Unit ed States and flying the flag of this re- public finally slid over the second bar and into thirty-nine feet of water the life savers, boatmen and laymen on shore and the men on the St, Paul join ed in one good, glad cry of victory. The St, Paul herself used her own steam whistles and shrieked blast on blast as she felt once more a free crea- ture gliding along in the water.
 Telephone connections with the big liner were off, it is hoped, forever. So far as the eye could distinguish she wasn't any the worse for her protracted visit to the shores of New Jersey, and that is saying much
 Now that the St. Paul is afloat again, the next question to be considered is the amount of salvage to be paid to the Wreckers. There is likely to be some dispute as to which of the two com- panies, the Merritt and the Chapman concerns, is due the most credit for hauling the ship off It is not unlikely that the case may find its way into the courts for settlement.
 As yet the amount of salvage. that will be claimed for these two companies is only a matter of conjecture. It was said this morning on good authority that the amount expected by the wreck CTS is between $150,OOO and $2O0,O00 but Manager Griscom laughs at this. The claim. it was said, would be based on the salvage paid for hauling the steam- ship Almerique off the same beach, which was $110000
 The St Paul is much more valuable than the Almerique, and consequently the claim for salvage, it is expected, will be correspondingly larger.
 At the offices of the American line there was great rejoicing when the news of the St. Pauls release reached there. Manager Griscom at once made arrangements for docking the steam ship at pier 15, which adjoins the Amer ican line pier Flags were run up on the pier in honor of the event.
 Regarding the cost of floating the St. | Paul Manager Griseom said:
 ''It is impossible to say at present what the expense of floating the St. Paul amounts to. It is Q salvage case, but I think it will in some way be compromised. Stories about paying the wrecking companies $100,000 to float | the ship are unfounded, We have ad- solutely made no stipulations. We i have no idea what the amount of the 1 bill will be that the companies will pre- l sent. The matter may be settled in a | few months, and may perhaps drag along for a year. However, we are voiy glad to get our ship in deep water again. and certainly will pay any req sorable amount to those who are re- sponsible for the floating of the ship"
 The St. Paul will be examined by ex- perts employed by her owners, by the government inspectors, and by experts representing the underwriters, If it is found that the steamer Is injured she will be sent to a dry dock at Newport | News and the necessary repairs made at once. Otherwise, she will be put in | readiness 10 make her regular trips to the other side on February 19.
 The St Paul passed in at Sandy Hook at 11:30 o'clock She carried as ballast about 800 tons of water
 New York, Feb. 4-The St Paul l passed the Battery bound for her pier about ten minutes past o'clock Great cararacts of water were pouring out of | her port and starboard exhaust pipes. Her painted water line forward was several feet above the surface of the water, but she seemed to be down con- siderably by the stern, suggesting the possibility that she had considerable | water in her The big liner showed plainly the result of her weeks stay on the Jersey side, Her forward main mast had been reduced in height by the housing of her topmasts, and were not l as high as the tunnels. Taken all In all she was the most sorrowful looking craft oe her class that has come into the port Of New York for a long time The St. Paul will be sent to Newport | News for inspection and repairs, if any are needed.
 The St. Paul reached her dock at five minutes to } o'clock.
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