The Portland daily press., 1899-05-22

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order was maintained. We were kept
waiting below for an hour. Coffee and
biscuits were served out and then we en-
tered the ships boats. Steam tugs brought
us to Falmouth
The crew of the Paris are still aboard
the vessel 1t Is believed that the steam
er has large rent in her bottom, for
ward. Tugs are standing by her and will
assist in an effort to get her of the rocks.
The scene Of the wreck is about five
miles from Falmouth.
Among the passengers Of the Paris
we're many poor female emigrants. mostly
foreigners All have been safely housed
in the sailors home here. One of the
women describes her experiences as fol-
lows:
~ was awake when the vessel struck.
I heard dragging sound and felt q
shock, then the engines stopped. went
up stairs to find out what the matter was.
l could see the land quite plainly. /
thought the ship had stopped to take on
didn't think there was any
thing wrong and returned to bed and
stayed there half an hour, then the stew
ard told me to get up. l said, There's
my baby. Don't wake him." The stew
ard replied, If you want to save your
baby, get up l got up and dressed my
self and the. baby and went on deck. We
were much frightened but there was no
confusion. They treated us in the kindli-
est manner and finally brought us here"
The admiralty has sent several fast gov
ernment vessels from Davenport to assist
the Paris, which 1t is reported will prob
ably be a total wreck.
Among the vessels sent to the assis-
tanoe of the stranded steamer is q gun
boat, and Admiral Sir Edmund Robert
Frsemantle, commander In chief at Ply
mouth, has ordered q number Of torpedo
boat destroyers to hold themselves in
readiness to procesd to the scene of the
wreck at moments notice.
The news of the disaster to the Paris
spread rapidly in London and great ex-
element and alarm was felt until the
arrival of the information that all on
board were safe The company's offices
were beseiged with inquirers anxiously
asking. for news regarding friende or rela-
tives on board the steamer.
Further details of the disaster show
that when the vessel struck the crew
were summoned on deck. The passen-
gers upon appearing were met at the coIa-
panionway with comforting words and
assurances of their safety. Exceptional
GOODNESS WAS shown on all sides, the stew
ards distributing coffee and stimulaIts to
all who desired them.
Capt. Watkins had his gig lowered and
rowed ashore in order to ascertain his
whereabouts, and to telegraph to Fal-
mouth for tugs to assist his ship. In the
meantime rockets were sent up and sig
nal guns were fired.
When dawn broke everyone on board
was relieved to find the, shore on one side
and lifeboats lying nearby on the other.
The vessel lay with her head to the south
west, the reversing of the engines having
put her broadside on the rocks. Happily
the sea was smooth and there was no
wind, otherwise there would probably
have been different story to tell. The
danger of the vicinity was strikingly
brought home to the passengers and crew
by the masts of the wrecked steamer
Mohegan which were sticking out of the
water and by a miserable bell buoy which
tolls constantly as though sounding
death knell.
When Capt. Watkins returned from
his trip ashore he found that there was
already considerable water in the hold.
All the passengers were transferred to the
tug Dragon; but beyond the clothes they
wore they took nothing with them.
They were landed at Falmouth shortly
after z O'Clock, the local agent of the
American line meeting them and pro-
viding them with every care and quarter
ing them at the various hotels and the
Sailors Home.
When the Paris struck the tide was
within an hour of the flood and this
proved insufficient to raise her off the
rocks. Hundreds of people visited the
scene during the day.
The passengers are lavish in their
praise of the admirable behavior OF the
officers and crew and declare that it was
due to their smartness that no accident
occurred to anyone. Perfect discipline,
they say, was maintained throughout
1t Is said that those in charge of fthe
Paris were so perfectly confident that they
were pursuing the proper course that the
vessel was steaming Is or 10 knots an
hour when they struck. Though the
steamer ran into a fog about midnight,
nevertheless. it is said, she was running
at full speed when the accident occurred.
There will be little danger to the steam
or If the calm continues, but should che
wind veer to the east or southeast the
consequences might bs serious. The tugs
left the scene at about 8 o'clock.
In connection with the accident to the
Paris it will be of interest to mariners
and travellers to hear that the persistent
agitation since the wreck Of the Mohegan
has at last induced the Trinity brethren
to act, and lsst week they promised to
erecu a gas lighted, automatic sound