The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-05
MISHAP TO THE ST. PAUL.
The Liner Loses Her Starbonrd Pro-
peIler In Mfd-Occnn.

pctIef IN Mtd-Occ0ns
NEW YORK, Nov. 4.-only n nautical
expert would have suspected that any
thing had gone wrong with the American
liner St. Paul, which steamed into port
this morning with all hands well. from
Southampton and Cherbourg. The sharp
eyes of the expert might have guessed by
seeing no feathery fuss under the great
ships starboard counter that her star
board propeller was out Of commission.
In fact. the propeller, which is about
twenty feet in diameter and weighs sew
eral tons. lay many fathoms deep on the
ocean bed in mid-Atlantic, and the star
| board engine room presents q wreck OF
broken and twisted steel and brass never
before seen on a modern twin-Bcrew in
an American port.
The miracle is that the St. Paul's double
bottom was not stove by the crash OF pis-
tons. cylinder caps, connecting rods. &C.
centres. and so forth. that at about six
minutes past eight o'clock on last We'd
nesday night, when the St. Paul was in
mid-ocean. sent thrill through the hearts
of the whole ships company.
Different passengers describe the effect
of the disaster in different ways. All unite
in declaring that the first thunderous shock
and the subsequent vibrations Of the ship
lasted not more than eight seconds. Then
there was a slowing down and the veteran
sea-crossers knew that the starboard en-
| gines were not working. AS the sea was
| very rough no boat was lowered to inspect
| the outside damage of the ship. She pro-
| ceeded within five minutes after the tunult
| at three quarter speed under her port en-
gines. A few Of the passengers learned
| that night what had happened. but most
| of them knew little about their peril until
| the next morning.
Capt. w. ]. Roberts, who was tempo
| rarily commanding the ship during the
absence of Captain Jamison, who is on
vacation. was with his officers, prepared
to calm the passengers with assurance OF
the ships safety if they had needed
calming. After she had started pitch
ing through the seas again they concluded
that the accident was not serious. 1t was
not until the St. Paul reached port that
the passengers fully realized the extent
of their danger. All passengers were ex-
cluded from points where they might get
a glimpse of the starboard engine room,
but some few managed to see 1t or get
some of the engineers or their assistants
to tell about it.
Mr. and Mrs. w. S. Perkins, OF Coving-
ton. KY. were in their stateroom when. as
Mr.. Perkins expressed it. there was a
tremendous shock, followed by series Of
strong vibrations.
Il thought Of the accident to the City
OF Paris said Mr.. Perkins today, land.
strangely enough. surmised that some
thing like it had happened to the st.
Paul"
Mr.. Perkins said his wife did not leave
their room, and they say that when they
compared notes with other passengers the
next morning, they found that none OF
them had done so. Some OF those who
were in the dining saloon got up and all
looked anxious for a while. Mrs. Perkins
says she heard the chief engineer, John
Hunter, had shut off the steam from the
starboard engines by throwing off the
emergency lever in the pantry, just astern
of the saloon. She said that one passen-
ger had succeeded in getting into the star
board enginerOom, and reported that the
machinery was a mass Of junk.
Samuel Bethel, acting manager Of the
International Navigation Company at this
port, gave out this statement
ION last Wednesday evening at SOC
o'clock the st. Paul struck with her star
board propeller a submerged derelict which
carried away the propeller and the tail
shaft just inside the stern tubes. Part Of
the tail shaft was lost with the propeller.
There was slight damage to her starboard
engines. They were Immediately stopped.
No one was injured. The whole thing was
over within ten seconds. Many passengers
were at dinner, and many did not know
what had happened until they heard about
it later.
THE st. Paul will be sent to the Cramps
for repairs. The Friesland. which will
sail Wednesday for Antwerp. will touch
at Southampton. No artists or aewspa-
per men will be allowed aboard the ship
or permitted to interview the captain or
engineer. as in this company we do not
have our employees do the talking, cut do
it ourselves"
What happened in the starboard engine |
room after the propeller and tail shaft |
had been twisted off may be described, |
from information gathered from several |
sources, as follows:
The engines began racing, jumping from |
speed of about eighty revolutions to one |
shaft. as big around as flour barrel, par
ed. The governor, which is supposed to |
automatically cut off the steam the mo-
ment the engines race, failed to work, and |
four Of the six cylinders. unable to with |
stand the pressure suddenly put upon |
them, were blown apart
1t is said the whole cylinders are the |
high pressures. which are IS 1-2 inches in |
diameter. The Intermediate cylinders. 80 |
inches in diameter, and the three low |
pressures. n inches each, were wrecked. |
Chief Engineer John Hunter was on his !
way to the captains room 10 turn in his |
report, as he does at each shifting OF the |
watch. He knew instinctively that some |
thing had happened to the starboard en-
Sines. and he ran to the pantry and turned
the emergency lever.
He thought at first that he had stopped
the engines but almost simultaneously
the second engineer or assistant on duty
had shut of the steam in the engine
room. There was a great crashing of
metal around the engine. In the five sec
onds that elapsed before all was quiet in
the engine room there was a great
gushing up Of steam. The bed plate of
the engines was started and much CT the
other frame was broken.