The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-26
DISABLED in MIDOCEAN
STEAMER LA CHAMPAGNE POSSIBLY
COMING WESTWARD UNDER SAIL.
Passed by the Bremerhaven ON Feb.
No Fears for Her safety.

NEW YORK, Feb. 25.-The French line
steamship La Champagne, now six days
overdue from Havre, is possibly drifting on
the Atlantic in a disabled condition, or
making slow progress to this port under
sail. The Dutch tank steamer Bremen
haven, which arrived here this afternoon
from Antwerp, reports that on Feb. 10, in
latitude 49, longitude Al, she passed a steam
err. apparently a Frenchman. She was al
most stopped and was heading northeast.
She had two masts and two tunnels. Regu-
lation lights were burning, but no signals
were displayed. 1t is quite probable that
the Frenchman had sea anchors out, al
though it was too dark TO see If such was
u fact. The weather had been very stormy
blowing hard from the northeast and con-
tinued to blow through the following day,
Sunday and part of Monday, with very
heavy seas from the northeast. Captain
MINES, when informed that the La Cham
payne was overdue, said there was no doubt
in his mind as to the identity of the vessel.
Mr. Bocande the New York agent of to
French line, said the description OF the
steamer seen by Captain MINES fitted that
of La Champagne precisely. He looked
much pleased and relieved and said that
he had not the slightest doubt of her identi-
ty. Moreover, it seemed to him she was III
a very good position. being only about l,l5O
miles away and right in the track OF ocean
liners. He was of the opinion, from the
fact that no signal for assistance was
shown, that whatever breakdown was suf-
fered by her was not of serious character,
possibly one, of the cylinders had broken,
necessitating slow speed. Mr.. Bocande ex-
planned that the engines of the La Cham
were triple expansion, with three cylinders
working on the same shaft, so that even II
two cylinders gave out there would still be
one to drive the vessel along He believed
the steamer would be in port in couple
of days. The passengers booked to sail
from New York on La Champagne to-mor-
row will be sent La Bretagne.
On board the overdue vessel are forty
eight first cabin, fifty-three second cabin
and 203 steerage passengers. Her crew num-
bers ITS. She has ga mail pouches and a
valuable cargo. She was built at st.
Nazaire France in 1885, and is of steel:
She was fitted with new engines and
thoroughly overhauled three years ago.
The steamer La Champagne was built for
the General Transatlantic Company at 81.
Nazaire France, in 1886, at a cost or $2,OOO,-
goo, and IS one OF the largest snip e eyer Yer
merchant marine. She is constructed
throughout of steel and has four complete
decks besides a very roomy poop deck and
a whaleback forecastle connected by
bridge amidships, making a promenade 492
feet in length She has two elliptical fun
nels and a steam screw used in foggy
weather. She supports two masts rugged
for square sails
La Champagne has a double bottom di-
vided into tanks holding a water capacity
of $50 tons for ballast. The dimensions or
the boat are as follows: Length, 50S feet
and 9 inches; breadth, SO feet and inches;
depth of hold 43 feet and 6 inches; mean
draft loaded, "a feet and inches. with a
corresponding displacement of 10O45 tons.
The Capacity for cargo in the hold alone
is $50 tons and the capacity of the coal
commodations for three hundred cabin pas
sengers and nine hundred steerage passen-
gers. Her average time between Havre and
New York has been one week.