New-York tribune., 1902-10-12
BELATED SOUTHWARK IN.
PASSENGERS CRITICISE VESSELS SEA
WORTHINESS.
-FOUR DAYS LATENESs AsCRIBED BY OF
FTCERs To BLOWING OUT OF BOLT
N THE BOILER

N THE BOILER
The American Line steamer Southwark arrived
here yesterday four days overdue. from Ant
werp and southampton. She passed the Nan
tucket signal station Friday afternoon al 4;4O
O'Clock going under reduced speed. and docked
al Jersey City late last night
AT m-eting Of the saloon passengers on oc-
tober 10. resolutions were adopted by unani
nous vote stating that since on the voyage
number OF mishaps had occurred 10 the South
wark's machinery. including the disabling Of one
OF her boilers whereby the vessel was rendered
unmana gea BILE and drifted for nearly twelve
hours, from which IL appeared extremely prob
able that had she encountered a storm, she
would have become entirely helpless and the
lives OF all the people on board exposed 10
serious danger. and from information they be-
heved trustworthy. II appeared that various
mishaps occurred 10 her machinery her last
outward trip from this city. and on her journeys
between Southampton and Antwerp. so that the
state Of her machinery and boilers and outfit
and unsafe condition for her voyage was known.
or in the use OF due care. ought 10 or would have
been known TO the steamship company. the fol-
lowing appeared to them 10 be the case:
II appears 10 that sending the said vessel
TO sea for a long voyage with more than three
hundred passengers in such condition was
act showing reckless Indifference or az least
SluSS Lt6llbEIltc III 10 kne liEnLs convent
ence ana safety Of her passengers"
The captain and were praised in the
resolution Tor bringing The ship 10 port under
adverse circumstances. and Ia was resolved 10
send copy OF the resolution to the steamship
company
The Southwark. going slowly was passed in
mid-ooean on Sunday by the steamer Kaiserin
Maria Theresa, and signalled that a feed pump
was out OF order. On her arrival al Quarantine
yesterday. the captain refused 10 make state
ment as 10 her long passage. Friends of the
eighty passengers on the Southwark were some
what worried over the delay.
Last night the officials only explanation Of the
delay was defective feed pumps" According TO
one Of the crew. when $50 miles out from South
ampton boiler burned out and only one en-
gine could be used after that.
The passengers say they heard no explosion
and that they either learned Of the trouble from
the officers OF noticed that the boat was no
longer moving. The first diffcuty that came 20
the at-e ention Of the passengers was slight de-
lay on the irst night out This was explained
they .aid. a trining accident. readily re-
paired. On Monday morning. September %
however. they said they awoke 10 md the ship
no longer moving The explanation given by
the captain Of that they said was that a bolt
had blown out sending steam into the frebox
and putting out the fire A slight delav would
be necessary, explained the captain according 10
the passengers 10 let the water out Of the boiler
and make the necessary repairs Later il be-
came known that the fourth assistant engineer
had been severely burned in trying 10 check the
rush Of steam
J. +. Shoemaker. one Of the passengers said
OF the accident The accident made IL neces-
sary 10 desert the engine room. and TO draw the
fires. IL fog had arisen. the general opinion
that the ship would have been unmanaee-
able. The statements OF the officers a bout the
accident were thought unsatisfying The slow
ness OF the boat after the accident was rather
alarming In one Of the days We only made los
knots and there a certain TWO hours ,,-bar
We made only five miles The trip started undsr
poor auspices. The fremen, before sailing ex-
pressed themselves as disSa tisfied with rhe on
CINE T. When the voyage began the sailors
was not reassuring-
Captain J. J. Damn said last evening al the
pier:
L have no statement 10 make. We have got
here all right
d. D. Downing also one Of the passengers
said.
we believe that the ship was not in sea-
worthy condition.
other passengers say that the sanitary condi
ton Of the boat poor. that il was Sunds,
Sepfember ~ before the pumps were 10 80,
/ working order and that al times the odor ,-ss
almost unbeaTable. They say that the steu,ar5s
with perhaps one OF TWO exceptions were f-ra.,,
men and that according TO report the stStar
were also inexperienced. and had trouble fro1o
the start in hring properly and getting up snf
hCient steam
! There were several members Of the Fs,ai
expedition on board. one OF whom was Len e
| Barnard OF Chicago
The Southwark is a twin screw stearnar %.
642 tons and is 4T79 feet long She yras h,,I. .
| in 1888 by Denny Co, at Dumbarton ScotIsn5'