New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-05
ST PAUL LOSES PROPELLER
AMERICAN LINER DAMAGED AT SEA BY
STRIKING A DERELICT
PASSENGERS WERE CALM. AS THE ENGINE
WAS QUICKLY STOPPED AND THE
SHIP WELL HANDLED.

SHIP WELL HANDLED.
The American Line steamship st. Paul arrived
yesterday day late, and with part OF her ma
ohinery badly damaged. At o'clock on last
wednesday evening. while she was in latitude
is IS and longitude 4S03. she was either struck
by high seas submerged derelict, which
carried away her starboard propeller, piece Of
the outside end Of the starboard shaft. broke the
starboard shaft inside the stern. and dam
aged more or less the machinery connected with
the shaft Some of the engineers think that the
ship ran into derelict. The ship trembled only
slightly as the starboard propeller and part OF
the shaft dropped into the sea, and although
some of the passengers knew that something
unusual had occurred, not one of them became
excited. At the time the ship was going at full
speed and she continued on her way to this
port under the port engine at a reduced speed
The extent of the damages caused by the acci-
dent will not be known until the starboard en-
gine Is opened at Cramps yard. Philadelphia
The ship will leave her pier. No. IA North River,
for the Cramps on Tuesday.
Whether she will be out of service for long
time will not be learned until the exact damage
is known An officer expressed it as his opinion
yesterday that 1t would probably take five
months to make the necessary repairs. AS no
one at present knows Just how badly the yes
is merely contectural. Arrangements have al
ready been made whereby the Friesland which
sails on Wednesday, will carry the passengers,
mails and freight. which would have left this
port the St Paul the day which she
was scheduled to sail this week for Southamp
ton and Cherbourg. The Friesland will stop at
Southampton. A slight leak In the stern of the
St Paul was caused by the accident.
HAPPENS WEDNESDAY EVENING.
The St Paul left Southampton and Che-bourg
October 81 with full cargo. 916 cabin and
245 steerage passengers.
Nothing unusual occurred on the voyage until
about o'clock Wednesday evening last.
when sudden shock felt Some Of the
saloon passengers at dinner, others prone
nading deck and a number had retired to
their staterooms.
Among the passengers was James A Wright.
The second vice-president Of the international
Navigation Company, who went abroad in Octo-
Der to bring his family home. In speaking about
zhe accident to a Tribune reporter yesterday he
said:
Il was sitting smoking IN my stateroom, when
I felt slight tremor throughout the ship. I
thought that probably her head had fallen
away few points and that she had in
Quence shipped a high knew that some
thing unusual had occurred. and L went below
to find cut what was the matter. There was
excitssaent Of course. some passengers were
aware that an accident had occurred.
Il found that the ship had lost her starboard
propeller, together with part OF her taiIshaft,
that the remaining part OF the tailshaft
broken, and that her starboard machinery was
damaged Some of the engineers thought the
ship had struck derel!ct. Perhaps she did, as
there many derelicts at sea- We were
ming at full speed at the time. The second as
sistant engineer was at his post when the ac-
cident occurred. and he Immediately turned the
emergency valve, thus shutting off the steam.
The governing machinery worked splendidy,
and the engines were brought to a full stop in
ten seconds.
Il do not know as yet the full extent Of the
damage caused by the accident, does any
body else Just how much damage done
VIII not be learned until the starboard engine is
opened at the Cramps yard. 1t will also be
learned then just how long it will take to repair
the ship The assertion alleged to have been
made by a passenger that the engine looked like
a mass of junk is untrue. ! saw by looking at
the machinery one or two things broken, nothing
more"
NO ONE Is INJURED.
Clement a Griscorn. 5r. whose father is presi-
dent Of the company, is manager Of the line.
He has been slightly I'll for several days at his
home in Flushing, Long Island. His sickness
kept him at home yesterday. and his duties
were attended TO by Samuel Rattle. his assist
ant In speaking about the accident Mr.. Battle
said yesterday soon after the St Paul reached
her pier:
AT 500 D. m on Wednesday night last, while
the ship was running at full speed under the
most favorable conditions although she was
pitching and rolling a good deal the St Faui S
propeller probably struck a derelict. The tall
shaft broke just inside the ship and the extreme
end with the propeller dropped into the sea and
serious damage was done to the starboard en-
CINE, which was stopped within ten seconds
Meme Of the crew was INJURED and there was no
excitement among the passengers. many OF
whom remained undsturbed at dinner unaware
that accident had occurred"
Among the passengers the ship was Colonel
Thomas P. Ochiltree. He treated the accident
lightly when seen at the Waldorf-Astorla yes
terday by Tribune reporter.
The weather damp and thick and the
seas were running mountains high," he SAID.
and as I was suffering from an attack OF
neuralgia I stayed in my stateroom When the
so that did not even leave my stateroom for an
hour and a half afterward TO learn what had
occurred. then went into the smoking room
where I found many OF the passengers chatting
and laughing as usual
All talk Of any excitement among the pas
seneers is rot. There was no panic or anything
OF the kind even among the women. Some OF
The passengers jokingly asked me II had been
Jared. While we knew that something had oc-
Cured we did not learn what 1t until the
next morning
think from what heard on board that we
struck dsreiict. After the accident the speed
OF the big liner was lessened, but at that we
made good time and was only fifteen hours late,
and an hour or more Of that time was consumed
~ giving aid TO a sailing vessel off Nantucket.
me vessel had run short Of provisions and we
stopped to stock her UP with and other re-
necessities accident