The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-28

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Halifax, Feb 27.-The three hundred and
odd passengers on board the French liner
La Champagne will rest more soundly
than they have for ten days.
Since Thursday two weeks ago. half Of
which time they have drifted on the At
lantic three days and nights have been
filled with anxiety for their personal
safety but tonight they sleep in peace and
their fears and cares on account of danger
being dissipated by the happy knowledge
that they are no longer at the mercy of
! After drifting for five days on the New
! fouHdland banks. with her engines dis
abled and the screw shaft shattered. The
! great Boston-bound freighter Roman,
from Liverpool came along. picked her
J up and brought her into Halifax without
further mishao of consequence
Joy ON BOARD.
Great was the joy on board the big
French steamer when the cloudy Sunday
morning broke with the shores of Nova
Scotia in sight. and the word was passed
that Halifax would be reached before
dark.
Port was reached Just in good time.
Three or four hours more would have
found the two steamers still at sea.
caught in a dark and stormy night with
thick SNOW Iai4lnk. ana IncN might nave
been compelled 10 turn about and put on
shore TO keep clear OF the coast until day
broke
The c.Jrrespondent of the Associated
Press boarded the La Champagne just as
the anchor was dropped The saloon pre-
scented an animated scene as the pasSen-
gers We're eager 10 learn what anxious
friends in New York had thought OF the
detention Of the steamer. All wished 70
tell the story of the experiences adrift IN
No. That ttsx- xre~a safa y, mort thar
disclafmed any fear. but some of them
could not conceal that they had passed
through trying odeal-
Fs2b Il with fine clear weather, which
continued for two DAYS Then the wind.
freshened and a, gale sprung up. blowing
the 18th Tho passengers had settled
down and were passing the time pleas
antly.
PANIC OF PASSENGERS.
The ship was steaming fast against the
head seas. when suddenly, after clock.
d tremendous crashing sound was heard
n the engine rooms. In an instant a panic
seized the passengers and great excite
ment prevailed in the saloons and among
the occupants of the steerage- The ships
passage was stayed and heavy pounding
shook the whole craft. Captain Poirot
quickly Gained the passengers, and soon
after It was discovered that the tail screw
shaft had broken. The steamer was
running at high speed and the engine flew
of the screw was removed. and before
they could be stopped. much damage was
done in the engine ROOM The wild rae
ing OF the big engines made a great noise,
and the terrified passengers thought the
ship would be smashed to pieces. Finally
the engines stopped their pounding. after
the piston and connecting rods had
snapped. Captain POirot announced that
the injury could be repaired and the snip
would proceed at O'Clock next day she
was put about. but after further examina-
ton. it was found that the damage was
irreparable. Nothing remained to be done
but anchor.
HOPES BLIGHTED.
La Champagne was then in latitude
45.3S longitude 41.23. just in the track of
outward bound steamers The passengers
and crew were hopeful of being sighted
fog sprang up. blighting their hopes. The
ship was shrouded in fog and nothing
could be sean on either side. The steamer
kept up a continual fire OF guns and dis
charge of rockets. but no answer came
TO their signals. and on Friday the cap
tain dispatched boat containing eight
men and third officer. either to make
land or to sight passing steamer
That night a heavy gale arose Inc
anchor chains strained and swung the
shin. which tossed about like a feather
after midnight the gale increased in fury.
and at 4 OK clock Saturday morning. the
anchor hawser parted with snap. and
the ship drifted southwark The situation
was critical in the extreme. Passengers
were terrified at the thought of their help
less condition adrift on disabled steamer
in rnidocea= The current drove them
southward at the rate of 50 miles daily.
vaering again to the southwest All the
while the steamer kept showing her sig
nal of distress. but in vain-
SAIL Alloy.
La Champagne drifted in this condition
from Saturday morning, Feb is. until
Wednesday the Ord. All through the
long Gay the ship steadily dritted, and
into the night until the passengers WHO
had bravely withstood the experience had
almost abandoned hope Most of them
had retired to their state rooms when near
midnight the welcome cry Sail ahoy?
was heard 1t re-echoed from the lookout
to cabin and steerage, and every soul on
that big ship rejoiced. Two steamers
were sighted ten miles away, one directly
before La Champagne and the other on
the port bow. La Champagnes guns
belched forth and her rockets hared up
and her red fire burned .luridly. Inc
steamer in front gave answering signals
and bore down rapidly upon La Cham
payne.
Roman bound from Liverpool to Boston.
The Roman stood by La Champagne. and
at once Captain Poirot went aboard and
made arrangements with Captain Roberts
TO tow him to the nearest port. HallfaX-
The Roman passed a steel cable to La
'iampagne at noon Thursday. and the
two steamers started for this port
The first day the towing hawSer parted
three times, hut little delay resulted. and
the start was finally made at l o'clock
La Champagne was picked up IN lat1-
tude 1928. longitude 41.25. and from that
point onward nothing notable was exper-
fenced. The weather was fine today when
snow furry started and the steamers
had to proceed slowly
LIFE BOAT CREW.
A subscription was made up on board
for the men who had so bravely manned
the life boat and left in search OF help
and 5000 francs was quickly realized
When La Champagne was entering Hail.
fax harbor an address signed by all the
passengers was presented to Captain
Poirot to which he made suitable and
modest reply
So thankful were some of the passengers
to be in port that several Of them were
anxious TO have some of the clergy on
board hold a service OF thanksgiving.
The accident to La Champagne is a
most serious one. and will necessitate the
ship going into dry dock
La Champagne mails were landed here
tonight and they. with the saloon passen-
gers. will be forwarded to New York to-
morrow morning.