New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-16

TIDE SWINGS HER WHEN SHE ANCHOR
IN CHANNEL BECAUSE OF FOG.

The fog which made navigation of the harbor
difficult yesterday morning also claimed vic
tins at sea. The passengers who had expected
to land yesterday from the Lucania. of the
Cunard line. were doomed to disappointment.
the big ship ran aground in the fog at the
entrance Of the Gedney Channel at a. m, while
the vessel was feeling her way into the Lower
Bay and did not get free from her sandy berth
until p m. 1t was no ones fault that she
found bottom and stayed there all day.
The Lucania crossed in command of Captain
Pritchard. OF the Ivernia. Captain Mckay. her
commander having stayed at Liverpool until her
return owing to trouble with his eyes Captain
Pritchard picked up from the pilot boat to bring
his ship in E. E. Mitchell. They were both on
the bridge as the steamer picked her way into
Gedney Channel after passing the Sandy Hook
lightship. 1t foggy that the buoys
marking the channel could not be seen Captain
Pritchard suggested that the anchor be dropped
and the vessel lie where she until the fog
lifted. The pilot objected to the vessel being
anchored in the channel. but finally gave way
TO Captain Pritchard's wishes.
The anchor down. the vessel began 10 swing
toward the south In few minutes her stern
was fast aground The tide was falling and
there was nothing to do but 10 make the best
OF II. The fog lifted within ten minutes after
the Lucania grounded. Had she not anchored
she probably would have had no trouble at all
and would have reached her pier in good season.
The marine observer at Sandy Hook discov-
cred the plight OF the steamer when the fog
lifted. and sent word TO the city. Vernon H.
Brown. the agent of the Cunard Line. set off
down the bay with three tugs. and later i'm
pressed a fourth into service. They were the
W E Chapman. the John Nichols the L ].
Merritt and the Kirkham. They were not able
TO bulge the steamer. but kept her from floating
further ashore. The revenue cutter Gresham
offered her assistance. and stood by until she
at last free. In order to tighten the stern
the water in the two after boilers. weighing 80
tons. was put overheard How much this helped
10 free the Lucauia at last was not demon
strated
SHE LIFTED WITH THE TIDE
AS the tide rose again in the afternoon the
ship lifted with it, and few minutes after
o'clock she swung around. She was not free
however. until o'clock. when she got loose by
her own efforts. She then proceeded up the bay
and arrived at her pier soon after Z o'clock.
Captain Pritchard said after the steamer
docked that the pilot was in nowise at fault
and Mr. Brown said il was no ones fault. Mr.
Brown said, also, that the steamer not in
jured in the least, and would sail next Saturday.
according to her schedule The passengers took
the delay in reaching their destination with
good grace.
Among the passengers was St Leo Strachey
the proprietor and Editor of The London Spec
tator,'' and his wife. Mr.. Strachey said he had
never been in the United States before. and had
come for pleasure only. He greatly i'm
pressed with the view of the city from the bay.
AS IL was dark when the steamer came through
the Upper Bay the lower part of the city was
lighted up by electric lights. He thought il was
much more beautiful than Venice He expects
to do NewYOrk and Washington. Douglas Rob
inson met Mr.. and Mrs. Strachey.
Another passenger was Mark Hamburg, the
pianist. He will open concert tour which is
to include the principal cities Of the United
States. at Carnegie Hall on November %.
L. Mancinel one of Maurice Graus conduc-
tors, also on the Lucania. He will conduct
the opening opera of the season at the Metro
politan Opera House. "Otello.'
w. ]. Bishop. formerly bookkeeper and cash
Ter for S r. & ]. c. Mcconnell. Of Burlington.
Iowa. brought back on the Lucania in
charge of B. r. Seamans. a detective. of Bur
lington. Mr.. Bishop is charged with the en-
bezzlement of several thousand dollars He fed
to England two months ago. and there ar
rested by a Scotland Yard detective. He is
only twenty years old.