New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-17
NIAGARA WAS IN DANGER.
GOULD YACHT RAN ON THE ROCKS AT
BERGEN.
PULLED OFF BY EUGENE HIGGINs's VA
RUNA. AND REPAIRS COST OVER $1,000
SAILING MASTER BLAMED FOR
NOT TAKING PILOT.

SAILING MASTER BLAMED FOR
NOT TAKING PILOT.
The one hundred and six days that the
Niagara Howard Gould's yacht, away from
this country were many Of them full OF excite
nent. Some Of them were much too full for
either the comfort or the safety OF Mr. and
Mrs Howard Gould and their guests.
When the Niagara left this port early in the
spring she had on board Mr. and Mrs. Howard
Gould DR.. and Mrs. Cleveland, Sailing Master
Caws First officer J. A. White, Second Ortcer
Patten and a crew Of seventy-three men. Mr..
Gould was his own captain. The yacht touched
at the islands OF Jersey and Guernsey, Dart
mouth, Cowes, Southampton and Havre AT
the last named port the party arrived on sat
urday. and the next day they steamed up the
Seine to Rouen whence Mr.. and Mrs. Gould and
DR.. and Mrs Cleveland and some Of the officers
went to Paris. There they spent five days
visiting the Exposition.
Thence the route was to Ostend. At Lief. the
next port the yacht stopped at Mr.. and Mrs
stone and Mr. Turner. Of New-York, Joined the
party Kirkwall the capital Of the Orkneys,
was the next place visited and after that they
called at Reyhvfc, IN Iceland. The three days
thev spent there were very hot. The Governor
and his wife came on board. and the sailors
went TO the five not springs to see the natives
do their Washing Leon. the quarterrnaster,
tried to jump across a spring, but one OF his
legs fell into the water up to the knee. At first
he thought there was nothing the matter with
him but later he tainted. and it was found that
he was badly scalded With native treatment
he was soon made comfortable
The Niagara touched at the Shetland Islands
and at Molde At this place Dr. and Mrs.
Cleveland left the yacht and started home
ADVISED NOT TO TAKE A PILOT.
There was a good chance at Molde 70 get a
pilot Tor the other ports in Norway that the
Niagara was going TO visit. MI Gould thought
that II would be wise to have one Of these ex-
perienced captains on board to get them safely
into Bergen But the sailing master, Mr.. Caws,
was sure he could enter the port all right. al
though they were then eighty miles away from
it. on q wednesday evening in approaching
the harbor which is lighted by three beacons
Mr.. Caws mistook the lights and sailed between
the wrong two The Niagara's bows went
crashing on rocks. her stern aioat in deep
water. About the time she struck there were
preparations on board 10 lower anchor. and the
carpenter had gone into the windlass room be-
tween decks TO heave on the capstan. All was
excitement and anger. Mr.. and Mrs. Gould
were indignant because Mr. Caws had assured
them there was no need OF pilot when Mr.
Gould had thought it best to have one
AS soon as there was time for orders the car
penter was sent below TO close the doors CS the
water tight compartments. The ports were
closed and the well was sounded to find only
eleven inches Of water. The ballast tanks and
even drinking tanks were pumped out Sixty
tons OF fresh water were thus run off into the
sea. While the crew were preparing 10 get out
cables, three prans Norwegian boats). with
natives on board came alongside and told the
men Of the strength of the tIde-that there was
a difference of nine feet between ebb and flow
The Niagara draws sixteen feet forward and
eighteen feet three inches aft. At low water it
was possible almost to walk over the rocks her
bow was fixed upon Mr.. Gould sent TO Bergen
for tug. On the next day, Thursday. the
American yacht Varuna, belonging TO Eugene
Higgins, happened to sight the Niagara and
went to her assistance. With twelve-inch and
a ffteen-inch hawser she pulled away to move
the stranded yacht, but all she did was to snap
the manila hemp like lotion and leave the
Niagara as far on the rocks as ever That night
the Varuna lay by, resting for another attempt
IN the morning.
and the Niagara's seven-inch, and bringing
them forward from the horsepipes clear around
the ship and tugg1ng hard, pulled the Gould
yacht INTO deep water. The Niagara steamed
slowly TO Bergen where she went into drydock,
and her owners and their guests stayed at the
Norge Hotel It was found that her Keel from
bow TO foremast for forty feet was hattened
Her cardboard plates We're injured and eleven
had to be taken out. Eighty-five men worked
on the yacht night and day for two weeks, and
the cost of repairing her was $1,000
The man who had the contract for rentting
the yacht had 10 hire the drydock, ard, as he
did not get the work done soon as he had
agreed TO have il finished, there was a dispute
between him and the Of the drydock. The
dock proprietor came TO Mr.. Gould for settle
ment and the American Consul was called in
to straighten things out. He decided that Mr..
Gould should pay the amount agreed upon, and
the contractor should pay the owner Of the
drydock.
While Mrs. Could waiting at the Norge
Hotel, she received note OF greeting from
Kaiser Wilhelm. who was cruising of the Nor
way coast. From Bergen the Niagara conttn-
ued her cruise, which had 10 be shortened.
so that il could not take IN the ports at first
included such as Stockholm. Christiania, st
Petersburg and ArchangeL
VISITED BY KING OSCAR.
At Marstrand King oscar Of Sweden and Nor
way visited the yacht With party of sixteen
or seventeen, including several women, he came
aboard at 1O:3O o'clock in the morning, and
stayed until o'clock in the afternoon. After