The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1899-05-26
The Paris on the Manacles,

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'Manacles" have seized another vic
tim. Upon one of these cruel
rocks off the coast of Cornwall, with
in sight of the still standing masts of
the ill fated Atlantic transport liner
Mohegan, lies the magnificent Amer
lean line steamship Paris, her double
bottom ripped open and two forward
compartments full of water.
In the darkness early yesterday
morning, with all her $50 passengers
in their berths and most OF them
asleep, the Paris ran on the manacles,
narrowly cleared Jagged rocks which
had ripped open the Mohegan, went
through the ouly safe channel among.
the dreaded reefs, and stranded on
the Lowlands Point on fat rock,
right between two high masses of the
same formation.
BY q merciful combination of cir
cumstances, not a life was lost, al
though it was by the narrowest
chance that an appalling disaster was
averted The most favorable circum-
stance was that the night was calm
and the sea so smooth that, even if
other aid had not been forthcoming,
the Paris boats could have been
launched without being jeopardized.
Then, too, tbs tide was within an
hour Of full flow.
All the passengers were rescued and
safely landed at the nearby town of
Falmouth, England. The mails also
were carried there.
The Paris still lies upon the rock,
but, though she rests apparently with
an even keel upon a broad. level bed
of sunken rock and holds an upright
position, favored by calm weather,
she has evidently sustained serious
damage. The situa tion she continues
to occupy is precarious.
Efforts to tow her off failed. At
low tide she j. SO high that an ang:y
sea beating against her sides would
probably destroy her.
The passengers will be transferred
to the steamer Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse, which will sail Wednesday.
When the Paris struck there was
no excitement, no panic. Capt, Fred
erick Watkins, on the bridge, gave
his orders, the crew went to their
stations, prepared for any eme. gency
and the passengers were assembled in
the saloons. Remarkable pluck was
shown by all, especially the women.
At the time the vessel struck the
weather was misty.
How the Paris came to be so far out
of her course is as difficult a problem
as was the case of the Mohegan; bnt
as in the Mohegan's case, it seems
that even apart from navigation the
lookout was not as effective as it
might have been.
A plausible theory is that the pas
sage was a strange one for the Paris.
This is believed to be only the second
time she has varied the voyage from
Southampton by calling at Cher
bourg and it is possible that her Of
ficers mistooks their calculations,
thus taking her fifteen or twenty miles
out Of her course,
The captain of a Falmouth pilot
boat says that St. Anthony's light and
the coast were clearly visible when
The wreck occurred. He say that the
Paris was on the wrong course and
burned blue flame to warn those in
charge Of the steamship. The Paris
proceeded parallel with the shore
some distance, until she struck the
rock.
Captain Watkins and the crew, 327
all told, remain on the stranded liner,
which keeps up her stream, while
tugs stand by to render aid in any
An early attempt will
be made to pull the vessel off the
rock,