The morning news., 1899-10-28
BROKE HER WHEEL AT SEA.
STEAMSHIP PONCE CRIPPLED ON
HER MAIDEN VOYAGE.

drick and TOwed Into Savannah.
Her wheel VIII he Replaced with
New One Here-Her Passengers
Remain in savannah Until the
Sailing of Their ship.
An exception to the rule that the possi-
biity of disaster aboard ship carries with
il fear and excitement which causes pas
sengers to think of their spiritual welfare
was shown yesterday when the steamship
Ponce, Capt. Dyer. with all the blades of
her propeller knocked off, was towed up
from Tybee. Forty rollicking passengers,
whose fate for several hours had been in
the balance, were on deck, and could not
apparently have been more satisfied if orig
inally bound for Savannah
The Ponce is new ship of the New
York and Porto Rico steamship Company,
and left New York on the afternoon of
Oct IS on her maiden voyage 10 San Juan.
Besides the passenger list of forty persons,
the crew consists of ffty-three, making
in all nine;y-thrce persons aboard. Special
preparations had been made for the voy-
age by the officers of the company who
desired 10 make it comfortable for the pas
sengers and carry them TO their destina-
on without mishap.
The prospects Of a pleasant voyage were
bright until last Saturday, when early
in the night, while most of the passengers
were still up, the machinery was sudden
ly brought to a stop by the breaking of
the propeller. No one could tell what had
caused the accident There was natural
inquiry among the passengers to know
the reason for the stop. They were quiet
ly notified and In a way not to cause any
excitement.
Preparations were made without delay
by Capt. Dyer and his assistants to rig up
sails and keep the vessel in the course of
other vessels as nearly as possible, in the
hope of rescue. The idea of converting the
steamship into a sailing vessel before she
reached her destination did not, of course
occur to the captain or any of his crew.
and the unexpected cali for sails required
some time In their arrangement. Passen-
gers and crew had confidence in their
captain, however, who is amiiar with the
coast, and they trusted implicitly In his
good judgment to deliver them safely.
Tuesday. when about 800 miles from Sa-
vannah, the Ponce sigualled the Dutch
steamship Prince Frederick Hendrick
bound from New York for West Indian
points and Europe. Officers from the
Ponce boarded the Hendrick, and made
arran cement for towing her to Savannah
This was about o'clock on the evening
of the Path, and before nightfall the dis
able vessel was on her way to this port
The trip was made without incident so
far as the passengers were concerned.
The Ponce arrived off Tybee at 10 o'clock
Thursday night and lay at anchor until
yesterday morning, when the tugs McCau-
ley and Paulsen arrived there and towed
her TO the city. She Is now tied up at
the Gordon wharf.
Capt Dyer said better luck could not
have attended the vessel under the cir
cumstances. He spoke very highly of the
conduct of the passengers, who took the
situation philosophically during the entire
voyage 1t was not In turn for these kind
expressions, however, that the passengers
got together when 1t was seen the YES
sci would reach Tybee safely, and formu-
lated and adopted the following resolu-
tions addressed to Capt. Dyer:
I'VE, the undersigned passengers on the
steamship Ponce of the New York and
Porto Rico Steamship company, desire to
take this method of expressing our thor
ough appreciation of the ability and sea-
manship displayed by Capt. Dyer and his
officers of the steamship Ponce during and
after the accident to the said steamship.
when she lost her propeller on the night of
Oct. 81 1899, in latitude 31.20 and longl-
tude 1920 We also desire to convey TO
Capt. Dyer and his officers our sincere
thanks for their uniform kindness and
courtesy from the time of sailing from
New York to the time of our safe arrival
in the harbor of Savannah Ga.
I'VE also request that Capt. Dyer will
accept a certain sum of money subscribed
by ourselves TO be distributed among the
members of the crew as he may, in his
opin on, decree just and proper, said sum
of money having been donated by the pas
sengeTs aboard and intended as a small
token of their appreciation of the able
willing, and cheerful service rendered by
the crew.
a majority of the passengers are at the
De Soto and will probably remain there
until the vessel is repaired. The steamship
company is taking care of them, and has
agreed to arrange for the return of any to
New York, who do not care to continue
on the voyage to San Juan. All seem to be
satisfied, however and so far as known
will remain in Savannah until the ship Is
repaired, which 1t is said will be in about
four days. The passenger list Is as follows:
Mr. f. 7. Adams, commodore Atlantic
Yacht Club; Mr.. Francisco Baston, Miss
Elena Colon. MIR E. Clark, Jr., Mr.. f.
Bonlla, Mrs. r Bonilla Miss Angelno
Bonilla, Miss May Bonilla. Mrs. p. r. Fer
nandez, Miss G. Fernandez, Mr.. Charles
s. Leech, Mrs. Charles S. Leech, Miss Ed
ma Leech, Master Frank Leech Miss Reba
Leech, Miss Stella Leahey, Mrs. G. w
Pressing, Mr.. Frederick r. Rohl, secre-
tary N. Y. and p r. $. S. Co.. Mrs. Fred
erick r. Rohl Miss Rippard, Miss Alice
y. Stockton, Miss NJ b. Justice, Mr. p
II. Farnham, Mr.. l.. Pereyo, Miss Marie
Vall Spinosa, Miss Stone Mr. A Solomon
Mr. w. r. Towns, Mr.. /. G. Bower. Mr.
J. d. Eisenstein, Mr.. e. w. Farnham
MIR J. A. Pearce, DR.. M. Zeno Ganda
MIR John Kesselring. MIR. Wilfred Hug
gins Mr.. f. Rucabado, Mr.. p. Alfonzo Y
Roso, Mr. Francisco Oliver.
The officers of the Ponce are: F. F.
Dyer, commander; first officer, Ernest
Sampson second officer, ]. f. Nichols;
chief engineer. w. T. Spiegle; first assist
ant. c. J. Stoddard; second assistant, A.
J. Hutchinson; third assistant ID. Stems:
purser, A. e. Ellis; chief steward, H.
Heinz.
The Ponce Is a sister ship to another
now being built at Harlan & Hollings-
worth, at Wilmington, Del. The
wheel for the other vessel had