New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-01
THE ARRIVAL OF THE PARIS
SHE SIGHTED NO SPANISH WARSHIPS
AND HAD NO CHASES

SHE SIGHTED NO SPANISH wARsHIPs
AND HAD NO CHASES.
WOULD HAVE MADE BETTER TIME IT SHE HAD
NOT ENCOUNTERED SUCH ROUGH WEATHER
| CAPTAIN wATKINs's STORY OF THE
| voYAGE-THE COMMANDER ROY
| ALLY RECEIVED AT THE
CUSTOM HOUSE.
| The stea ner Paris came Up to her pier yester-
| day morning amid the salutes Of passing tugs
| and ferryboats and the cheers Of people VINO
| lad at an early hour lined the Battery wall
ready to receive The ocean liner. which Will IN a
| few days enter the active service of the United
| States Navy. AS told In yesterdays Tribune
| the Paris was sighted off Fire Island at IN
| a. nj. When this news was received In the city
| there was general rejoicing.
O.t..,ary there Is great anxiety over the
fac, that a great ocean liner Is overdue ana
friends OF passengers, when at last they receive
| the news OF the safe arrival OF the steamer are
so enthusiastic that they greet the returning
| ones In most demonstrative manner Inc re-
ception 10 the Paris was not only characterized
by this feeling OF 10Y but had added to 1t an even
stronger element. that OF patriotism. Every
American felt that ii the Paris hal not reached
this port In safety the American Government
would have lost a valuable vessel The fact that
Spain looking out fer the steamer In her
| anxiety TO capture her for use In the Spanish
Navy caused every American not only in New
York City. but throughout the country to look
forwari to the arrival OF the Paris as a matter
FOR general Thanksgiving That Spain had or
dered her capture was generally known. and
tha ct
surely be taken by one Of the Spanish cruisers
which. according TO the statements made In
various afternoon papers, were cruising In the
path that the Pals would naturally take. When
1t realized that the steamer was safe IN
port the rejoicing was general
The Paris sailed from Southampton at ZOO
D. m on April 30 and passed Hurst Castle ut $50
p. m. on the same day. The story OF her voyage
is best told by Captain Watkins. who said to a
Tribune reporter:
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
mo doubt the American people have been anx-
iously awaiting our arrival and half expecting
tales Of stern chases and possibly. some brushes
with the enemy. l have nothing like that to
tell you. am happy TO say. The voyage was
fortunately without incident OF that character;
It was hardly enlivened by the little incidents OF
tarded us somewhat. so the voyage was not
particularly pleasant one. 1t was wet and foggy
and very cold There was high sea running
on Monday night and on Tuesday afternoon. 1t
was then that we experienced the worst weather.
But IL was not AT any time n comfortable thing
to promenade the deck.
When We left the Sicily Islands Minister
Woodford had received his passports. but hos
tilities had not begun. We knew. however, that
a rupture was only n matter OF few days;
had not a doubt that before we should be
many days at the American fleet would be
before Havana and a number OF Spanish war
ships after US 1t therefore Of the utmost
importance that We should make quick passage.
We did not make quick passage. but We did as
well as circumstances would allow The weather
DELAYED us hut llttIc the change Of course not at
all. Bad coal kept us day behind We had
hard work to MI our coal bunkers on the other
side. FOR a time I was afraid that We would be
forced 10 sail with much less than the usual
quantity though I very Ioath to DO 40. The
miners OF South Wales were on strike. as you
know and cosl was uncomfortably scarce. We
nlled our hunkers with great labor; but the stun
was n mixture OF Scotch and North Of England
conf hard TO handle and hard to burn It's use
reduced the average speed ~ the boat about two
knots an hour for four days.
Il had Instructions from the company. OF
course before leaving Southampton. They were
not long. and they were easy 10 comprehend
/ was ordered. In short. 70 follow my own judg-
mcnt as 10 tn. course the vessel should take
Naturally the Paris did rot take the usual
course: that. it seems 10 mr.. would have been
to court danger Of chase. II not Of capture.
took northerly course. From Bishops Rock
sailed north for about twenty-five miles and
kept north ~ the track about tina. distance
all the way over until We reached latitude %
Then We sailed south to point a little north ~
Nantucket and from there took the usual
course. The change OF course a more eff
fective precauiion against falling IN with n
Spanish ship than appears ut first sight. Twenty
miles out ~ the course II a long way Even
ia bright clear weather the Paris could no, be
seen at that distance.
The other precautions took were just
such az common sense would suggest to any
one sailor or rot. We travelled as fast as We
could we'll do even through Il fog that lasted
forty hours. We kept a bright lookout: We were
ready 10 run at top speed at moments notice:
We kept no unnecessary lights burning at night
on the decks-none after dark when Of. the Irish
coast and none after the passengers had left
the deck during the trip over. | may add that
the passengers I'D not promenade the deck
much; the weather was too bitterly cold for
that. SO that practically all the way over we
crept along without light 10 bctray our iden-
tity and only the masthead light and the green
and red sde-ghts to tell our whereabouts.
You must understand. how-yer. that our
security did not lie in these little precautions
but in our speed capacity. The Pars's best
record is 2Oai krots an hour: mean To say that
she has maintained that speed during the
massage 1t In true that bad coal would
fit ..a5rszf