The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-18
THE CIRCASSIA SAFE
PASSED KTNSALE HEAD YESTERDAY
IN TOW OF THE MEMNON.
Shaft of the Big Anchor-Liner Broken
ON the 4th Inst.-StOry of
saloon Passenger.

QUEENSTOWN, Sept. 1.-THE overdue
Anchor line steamer Circassia, which left
New York on Aug. % for Glasgow, and
which should have reached that port on
Thursday, Sept 8, was sighted this morn
ing off Kinsale Head, in tow of the British
steamer Memnon, Captain Bates, from
Montreal, on Sept. 3, for Avonmouth. On
Sept. the Circassia was overhauled by
the Thingvalla line steamer Island, from
New York for Copenhagen, and was taken
in tow by the latter as she was in a dis
abled condition. Owing to the heavy rain
which prevailed, however, the hawser part
ed and the Island was unable to again take
the Circassia in tow.
F. J. Firth, Of Brooklyn, a saloon passen-
ger, says: about 2:45 p. m. on the 4th
inst the Circassia suddenly shook violent
ly. The engines were stopped and an ex-
animation showed that the shaft had
broken in the tube and that the damage
could not be repaired. The same afternoon
we sighted a steamer and fired a gun to
attract her attention, but no notice was
paid to it, We then drifted helplessly until
we met the steamship Island, of the Thing
valla line, about daylight on the following
day. Two steel hawsers were first at
atched to the Island, but they snapped.
Then the Circassias anchor chain was
fixed as a drag rope, but owing to the
heavy sea, this also broke about o'clock
on the following morning, after the Island
had towed the Circassid~ about seventy
miles. The Island then left u.s. The bad
weather continued and the crew rugged up
the foreyardS. On the morning OF the TIN
the foretopSail yard was hoisted, and with
this and fore and aft canvas the ship be
came somewhat steadier. But she merely
drifted. On Thursday, the 9th, the weather
was haZy; on Friday 1t was fine, and on
Saturday and Sunday the wind freshened
and increased, so that on Monday, 18th, the
Circassia, rolled considerably We sighted
the Memnon at O. clock that morning. The
seas were so heavy that a boat could not
be lowered, SO a line was attached to life
buoy, which was dropped overheard and
picked up by the Memnon. Two steel
hawsers were connected in this way, but
at the first strain they snapped like a rib
bon 1t was then decided, in spite of the
heavy seas, to lower a boat and this was
done about o'clock in the afternoon. Sim
ultaneOusly the Memnon approached the
citement followed for it was feared that
the boat would be crushed between the
steamers. 1t was a thrilling scene as the
boatmen rowing like grim death, forced
their tiny craft between the great vessels,
then so close together that its destruction
seemed inevitable. A line was thrown
across a cable was attached and there was
no further hitch"
Purser Brown says: without the slight
est warning the shaft broke with a terrific
deck at the time and crowded about the
officers to learn what had happened. There
was no panic though the ladies were ner-
vous until they had been assured that there
was no danger"
All the passengers highly praise the con-
duct of the officers of the CirCaS Si9.