The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-22
THE AMERICAN LINER WRECKED
CLOSE TO THE SCENE OF THE
MOHEGAN DISASTER
PASSENGERS ARE ALL SAFE
LANDED FROM THE STRANDED
STEAMER WITHOUT LOSS Or
SIGNS OF A PANIC
DISASTER DUE TO WEATHER

Ship Went Out of Her Course Owing
to the Dense Fog and Han Upon
the Rocks While Moving Almost
at Full Speed - Under Favorable
Conditions the Vessel VIII Be Re-
leased with Small Loss.
FALMOUTH, May 21.-The American
line steamer Paris, Capt. Watkins, from
Southampton and Cherbourg for New
York, struck on an outlying ridge Of the
Manacles early this morning at a point
half a mile from where the wrecked
Atlantic transport liner Mohegan lies and
five miles from Falmouth. The Paris,
which sailed from Southampton yester-
day, called at Cherbourg and picked up
fifty passengers. She left Cherbourg at
o'clock last evening. Soon after
o'clock this morning at high tide and in
a dense fog she ran ashore.
From the first there was no danger.
Life boats and tugs were soon literally
swarming around the vessel to render as
sistance. A majority of the passengers,
who numbered $780, were brought to Fal-
mouth, where they obtained lodgings for
the night.
Capt. Watkins reported that his ship
was lying comfortably in smooth water
and that there was no occasion for any
alarmist reports. He reported the pas
sengers and crew all well.
The first jntimation of the vessels
striking the rocks was a slight grating
sound which was followed by a second
and more pronounced shock. The look
out yelled that there was something
looming ahead, but before there was time
TO reverse the engines the ship had gone
on the rocks 200 yards from the shore
Assistance was summoned by means of
rockets and the coastguards promptly
telephoned to the life-saving station for
boats
\ majority of the passengers were not
aware that an accident had happened un-
til they were called up by the stewards.
On reaching the deck they found the
ships boats in perfect readiness for their
reception. The sea was perfectly calm
and the only discomfort the passengers
experienced was caused by the slight rain
that was falling at the time Owing to
the calmness of the sea the boats could
PERFECT ORDER.
Perfect order prevailed aboard the yes
sci. Capt Watkins stood on the bridge
giving orders and his perfect self-pos-
session and calmness of demeanor had a
reassuring effect on the passengers In
accordance with the instructions of the
captain the women and children were
the first to be taken off the ship Such
perfect order was maintained that a pas
senger explained the situation as simply
a slow procession of women and children
making for the boats
At daybreak the vessel could be made
out more distinctly. The brilliant st
Anthony light at the enrance to Falmouth
harbor could be distinguished plainly
through the misty rain and the standing
masts of the Inflated Mohegan could be
seen nearby. 1t is said that a Falmouth
pilot boat shouted a warning signal to
the Paris, telling the captain that he
would put the vessel on top of the Mo-
hegan if he did not alter the course of
the ship The warning, however, came
too late and the Paris struck a little
to the westward of the Manacles.
1t is suggested that as this is onlv
the second trip from Cherbourg the Of
ficers of the Paris were not familiar
with the course
The crew of the Paris are still aboard
the vessel. 1t is believed that the steam
eI mas d large rent IN ner bottom in the
forward part of the ship. Tugs are
standing by her and will assist in an eff
fort to get her off the rocks
DETAILS OF DISASTER.
Further details of the disaster show
that when the vessel struck, the crew
were summoned on deck. The passen-
gers upon appearing were met in the
companion way with comforting words
and assurances of their safey Excep.
tonal GOODNESS was shown on all sides
the stewards distributing coffee and
stimulants to all who desired them.
Capt. Watkins had his gig lowered anf
rowed ashore in order to ascertain hi.
whereabouts and to telegraph to Fal
mouth for tugs to assist his ship. IL
the meantime rockets were sent up anC
signal guns were fired. When dawI
broke every one on board was relieved
to find the shore on one side and life
boats lying near by on the other Tn,
vessel lay with her head to the south
west, the reversing of her engines havin,
put her broadside on to the rocks Hap
PLY the sea was smooth and there wa
no wind otherwise there would proba
bly, have been different tale to tell.
The dangers of the vicinity were strik
ingly brought home to the passenger
and crew by the masts of the wrecke,
steamer Mohegan, which are sticking OH
of the water, and by a miserable bel
buoy, which tolled almost constantly. p
if sounding a death knell
When Capt. Watkins returned from hi
trip ashore he learned that there wa
already considerable water in the hold
and the tug, which had arrived stood h
in readiness for any emergency. All tn
passengers were transferred to the tu
Dragon, but, besides the clothes the
wore, they took nothing with them. The
were landed at Falmouth shortly after
o'clock, the local agent of the America,
line meeting them and providing ther
with every care and quartering them a
the various hotels and the Sailors homo
When the Paris struck the tide wa
within an hour of the flood, and thi
proved insufficient to raise her off tn
rocks. Hundreds of people visited tn
scene during the day.
LAVISH IN PRAISE.
The passengers are lavish in thei
praise Of the admirable behavior of tn
officers and crew, and declare that 1t wa
due to their self-possession that no acc
dent occurred to any one. Perfect disc
pline, they say, was maintained through
out.
1t is stated that those in charge of til
Paris were so perfectly confident tha
they were pursuing the proper cours
that the vessel was steaming eighteen {
nineteen knots an hour when they strucl
There will be little danger to the steams