New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-20
DAMAGE TO LA BRETAGNE.
PLATES FORTY FEET WIDE MAY NEED
REPLACING.


MIR. scHwAB REPLIES TO CRITICISMS
oFTHE GERMAN SHIPS FIRE-FlGHT-
ING EoUIPMENT-THE BARBA-
ROSA TO SAIL ON MONDAY
The steamship Barbarossa which had such a re-
markable series Of accidents on Thursday after
ha .,or,ed IN her trim 10 Bremen. and was obliged
N return Is still tied 10 the end Of two OF the
North German Lloyd piers in Hoooken' All uas
Yesterday men were busy unloading COMPANY "e".'
Nos 3 and on her port side The hre started III
No g. and all Of the cargo in 1t. OF course hau ~
be removed as It was burned and water-soaKeu'
II was found necessary also 10 uhioau ->o' = az
water had got into II. too.
The origin of the fire was found yesterday 10 nave
been in a case packed with machinery In whlch, IL
is supposed. there must have been some OIL. Inc
case was found have burned from the INSIDE
outward and cases slowed around II were padiy
cbarred But the bales OF cotton which were FUR
thor avav from the box OF machinery were merely
slightly scorched. a board OF survey appointed by
the insurance underwriters made an investigation
into the damage done tho cargo yesterday Out u'u
not make public any estimates OF the amount
La Bretagne, with a great wedgelike gash III he'
eide extending from about two feet below the
water-llne to the rail on her deck. had Dig gang
OF longshoremen working all THURSDAY hsh' an.
Yesterday removing the cargo with which she hau
been loaded in preparation for her expected sa"
q f0-0A
line was soon raised several inches above tne water
nv the tightening process and men were set at WORK
preparing to repair the damage The French Con
sui appointed a board of survey 70 report 'he en-
tent of her injury, and they were engaged AT inns
task Yesterday The officers of the French Line
were reticent about their plans, but Charles Trey
voux the passenger agent. said that La uascosne
would not be sent to this side to take lie Bretagnes
place. and that La Tourane would sail next lhufs-
day. taking the passengers booked on La bretdsne'
When asked II the injured vessel would be sent 10
dry1ock. he said: mo: It is not necessary The
whole of the cut is above water-ine and the plates
can he nut on without her being taken from the
water"
At the pier however II seemed to be the I'M
preston that she TO be sent to the Erie BASIN
to-day The cash which the Barbarossa cut IN the
Frenchman is fully twenty-five feet from top 70
hottom and at its greatest width more than Blk
feet Besides this there is large crack twenty
feet further astern right under one OF the iife-
boats It seems probable that tho repairs VIII re-
quire the replacing of plates in her side forty rect
In width. - ~
Various accounts given of the COLLISION
Michael Mcdonald the pilot who had charge OF the
Rarbarossa was seen yesterday in the ONCE OF the
Board OF Pilot Commissioners His story "a given
to the reporters is follows:
81 started down with the Barbarossa a little
after II o'clock. and got as far as Mickeys Nose
covered that she on fire. kept on TO the
Southwest Spit turned and came back at full speed
TO Quarantine We didn't anchor. but waited for
the oompany's superintendent. He ordered her 10
go to Hoboken | went full speed TO the Battery,
where l reduced to half speed. and In few min
utes to slow At a point some distance below the
French Line pier | had to port the helm 10 avoid
a collision with a Pennsylvania Railroad ferry
boat I then put the helm hard astarboard. but
she didn't answer to it. Then gave the signal to
stop The captain at the same time. without my
knowledge. ordered the port anchor dropped Not
knowing the anchor had been dropped, gave the
order port engine full speed astern. Finding that
she still didn't answer, ordered both engines full
speed astern. But It didn't save us. The only
| other thing could have done would have been to
order the starboard engine full speed ahead. There
| was plenty Of water, thirty-fve feet AT the end
of the pier. don't know how to account for the
collision"
Mcdonald was advised by the Pilot Commission
ers to see Mr. schwab. the North German Lloyd
! agent and find out whether the line intended
! bringing charges against him. He did So but Mr..
| Schwab told him that decision had been
reached in the matter yet.
D. A. Nash the secretary Of the Board OF Pilot
! Commissioners said yesterday that he thought
that If McDonalds official report to the Board be-
fore which he would have 10 appear, was as salts
! factory as the story he tells, action would be
taken detrimental to him. Mcdonald is pilot Of
|
| q, 1880.
When Mr.. Schwab seen yesterday ne CT.
planned the collision with the Bretagne as follows:
THE Barbarossa coming UP the river with
strong flood tide and. being obliged to stop and
at the same time turn into the New-York side to
avoid a ferryboat, she lost her steerage way. and
OF course. wouldn't answer her helm and the tide
carried her into La Bretagne. The damage to the
French liner is bad. l it will a large
amount. How much. / really can't say; l don't
know. but at any rate great deal more than
could wish It were. The people OF the French
Line very nice about II, however. 1t must be
aggravating TO them TO have had It happen just
when they we'll booked and had a big load Of
freight on board"
REPLY FROM MR. scHwAB
Later in the day Mr. schwab gave out the follow
| ing statement In answer to criticisms made by
some of the passengers printed in yesterdays
papers:
The statements made by several passengers of the
morning erroneous and based on misapprehen-
sion. The crew of the ship did their full duty dur
| ing the fire, as has been confirmed to me by a
number OF passengers who had occasion to observe
bridge by the captain OF the Barbarossa who saw
smoke issuing from one of the ventilators. The
captain thereupon Immediately ordered OF the
officers to Investigate and ascertain the cause of
the smoke This officer with one OF the engineers,
discovered the fire in hold No. 3. and Immediately
turned on the steam from the pipes that communi-
cate with every hold, and are purposely built in
the Steamer III OIutI 10 HI WIN
live steam at a moments notice Five lines of
hose were then brought into play and sent streams
of water into hold No. through small hatch in
the lower deck the port side. The officers
directed the streams Of water from the hose. and
the themselves had comparatively little to do
with the actual work OF extingushing the fire.
The fire under control In half an hour from
the time first discovered. and this was due mainly
TO the live steam turned on In hold No. g.
When the matches were taken of arrival at
the pier the oxygen in the air caused the flames 10
breaksut afresh, but they were soon extnguished
by the streams Of water that were turned The
actual fact that the fire discipline perfect
and that the appara I'm frst-class condition
OF the five lines OF hose used four leather
and one was old hose that was al first
stretched the deck but disconnected by
order of the captain. 1t was this old canvas hose
which by the passengers and which,
presume, considered by them TO be the only
I bosa tn IN In ght rD tha Ara