The age-herald., 1900-11-05
STEAMER ST. PAUL
 IS BADLY DAMAGED
American Liner Struck a Liner
 With Serious Results
DAMAGE IS OVER $25O,OOO
Starboard Engine Is Completely Wreck ed-Five Months Will be Requir- ed to Make the Repair
 Passengers Injured


 New York November 1.-The steamship St. Paul of the American line arrived In port today 24 hours late, with her star board propeller gone and her engine room badly damaged. Statements of different officials vary as the cause of the accident, but the damage sustained by the ship will probably amount to several hundred thous- and dollars.
 The St. Paul left Southampton and Cher bourg on October N with a full cargo, BIC cabin passengers and 243 in the steerage, About 8 o'clock on the evening of Wednesday last a sudden shock was felt all over the ship, although it was not suf- ficiently severe to cause a panic. The en- zines were stopped in a few seconds, but it is said that during that brief time the whirling machinery, free of the weight of the propeller wrought havoc in the engine room. The officials of the steamship re- fused to allow anyone to enter the engine room.
 James Wright, second vice president of the International Navigation Company, which controls the American line, was
 
 abroard in October to bring bring back his family. He said 'I was smoking in my state room when I felt a slight tremor throughout the ship. I thought that pro- bably her head had fallen away a few points and that she had in consequence shipped big sea- The shock was so slight that the average passenger did not apprehend that anything unusual had oc- cured. l went below to find out what was the matter. found that the ship had lost her starboard propeller together with part of her tail shaft and had otherwise dam aged her machinery.
 Struck Derelict.
 Captain Roberts and Chief Engineer John Hunter are under the impression that we struck a derelict. We were run ming at full speed at the time, but were not over-taxing her engines or driving her. Chief Engineer Hunter at the moment of the accident happened 10 be passing through the pantry and immediately turn ed the emergency valve, shutting off the steam. About the same time the assistant engineer happened to be in the vicinity of the tail shaft when the propeller struck something and dropped off, carrying with it a portion of the tail shaft which broke just inside the stern of the ship. The gov erning machinery worked splenddly and the engines were brought to full stop in ten seconds.
 ''The St. Paul will leave on Tuesday for the Cramps shipyard, Philadelphia, where the necessary repairs will be made. Mean" time the Friesland, which sails on Wednes- dax Anfru uy;JI faIy tha passengers mails and freight to Southamp- ton.''
 Samuel Bettle, the acting manager of the line, said today, after consultation witn Chief Engineer Hunter:
 At six minutes past o'clock on We'd nesday, while the ship was running at full speed under the most favorable conditions. although she was pitching and rolling a good deal, the St. Paurs propeller probobly struck derelict. The tail shaft broke just inside the ship and the extreme end of the propeller dropped into the sea and serious damage was done to the starboard engine, which was stopped within ten seconds. None of the crew was injured and there was no excitement among the passengers, many of whom remained undisturbed at dinner, unaware that an accident had oc- cured The ship had a succession Of strong head wind and seas throughout, but it was not through driving her that she lost her tail and shaft propeller and stern tubing"
 Over $25o,ooo Damage.
 One of the engineers of the St. Paul made the following statement tonight:
 Tt will take five months to repair the damage, which is to the extent of from $250,0 900 to $500, ,0O0,OOO The starboard engine is a wreck. The ship did not strike a de- relict, but an unusually big sea struck her, throwing the stern out of the-water, and the propellers having no resistance, made frightfully rapid revolutions, which caused the starboard engine to race, and the star board tail shaft broke in two and wit the wheel fell into the water. The amount of damage done Is not surprising. when you take into consideration the sudden libera- ton of 0,000 horsepower.
 Four of the six cylinders are completely wrecked, two piston rods are bent, one con- meeting rod Is bent and the starboard en- zine shaft is sprung six inches The star board engine is wrecked beyond repair"
 ANOTHER ACCInENT