Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-23
DRIFT G ABOUT
Accident to the Belgenland
Told By a Passenger.
FOUR. FROM THIS CITY
WASHINGTON LADIES WHOSE
TRIP WAS CUT SHORT.
No Anxiety After Cause of the Trou-
BILE Was Told to
ALL
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star


HALIFAX, y. s, July 10 1872
Steamship Belgenland of the Amarica,
line, which left Philadelphia July > bound
Tor Liverpool, broke her main shaft when
hVe days out, after making l las miles. For
tunately for her 90 passengers. she was
perfectly seaworthy. After drifting about
'hFee days and four nights the watchers
were rewarded by passing ship on the
iourth day. The freight ship Scholar Har-
rlson line. owned in Liverpool towed tho
disabled steamer to this port taking seven
days.
The Belgenland. Capt. J. p. Hin COM
manding, is vessel built originally for tho
Red Star line by the Barrow Shipbn{ding
company OF Liverpool, having for the
greater part OF its twenty-three years ex-
istence piled between PHILADELPHIA and
antwerp, but recently it has formed mar,
OF the fleet of twenty-five vessels owned
anu run under the name of the Interna-
ional Navigation Company. Included in
Inc recent gigantic purchase by j. Pierponf
Morgan x Co ro'''
When the accident occurred IL was I'm The
early watches of the morning of .ba 8F,h
day out. There was an unusual no,,pdinn
about OF the machinery for some seconds
Ioiiowed by terrific shock, felt through
out me vessel. succeeded by a Migratory
motion, llkened by some to a monster sha X
ing me ship as a terrier does a rat
Then there was a total inaction on the
par OF the machinery, but this was more
lnah balanced by the activity Of all aboard,
sallors running TO and fro executing orders
OF the officers, passengers rushing from
lhelr state rooms to learn the cause of the
shock, falling in which they stood about in
groups discussing the probable reason
therefor until more reliable Information
officers
Be it set down to their credit. that none
control of herself. but when assured nv mar
genial friend of all-the purser. in whom nm
had learned TO trust-that they were I'm no
danger OF sinking each returned without
more ado TO her berth
Since our ship could not proceed all was
made ready for signaling by day or night
whenever the seaman stationed aloft in the
crows nest on the foremost should
declare anything in sight When next dav
a vessel was seen a flag telling that we
were disabled was run up and bombs We're
exploded, but the unknown strange shin
darted off into the mist again This was
very disappointing, for the crows nest had
been the center of attraction for all
Another day before there appeared sail
ing in full sight steamer of about our
own size, to which we sgnaled without
eliclting the faiutest recognition. Finally
she faded from our vision leaving us 70
solve the problem of how il was possible
for us to see, but not be seen without SO
much as huckleberry bush behind which
to hide.
Many began soon thereafter TO grow
superstitiously expectant that the third
steamer sighted would be the one to which
we would owe our deliverance. which gen.
eral prophecy was duly fulfilled about I
a. m. the next day when there was discov-
cred to the port side in the distance two
lights Upon sending up rockets response
came Immediately. The two spoke to each
other. our captain asking if they would
tow US to Halifax, and receiving a favor
able answer. About $3.50 one of our small
boats was sent to the other ship to COM
plete arrangements. Il was Just about
close ahead OF us, so those assembled on
board, I'm different stages of dress and un-
dress, were enabled to see her amid the
glow of the sun rise. Meanwhile the sailors
had been busily making ready the cables
which were to fasten our good boat to the
one ahead which. when finally harnessed
pranced from side to side like the sea
horses in the myths, piunging to the port
side, then to the starboard side, struggling
as If to free her Of the new restraint put
upon her.
Our boat, however, moved along much
more smoothly under tow than by steam
When we were fairly under way we met
many tramp steamers larger and better
than our tow. which was to get the large
amount of salvage money whether she took
long or short time to finish her mission
Also We passed and talked with some large
ocean liners, who sped along to tell of our
mishap at some port days before we should
reach one, while one bore our request for a
pilot to be in readiness when we should be
Halifax.
The passengers aboard were mostly bound
for summer vacations In Europe. A Cook
party of about forty-1ve and a sketch club
from Buffalo were in the company Only
four Washingtonians. Mrs G. L. Smith,
Mrs Mary Smith. Miss S. A. Sheads of the
Post Office Department and Miss NJ E.
Sheads of Washington public schools. were
among the passengers.
To many this delay meant abandoning the
trip for this year at least, as In
case Of the professional passengers whose
time was so limited that they could not
complete satisfactorily the itinerary decided
upon when leaving Philadelphia. Those
however, to whom time was not so impor-
tant an item re-embarked from Halifax or
Montreal and continued on their way to
as per former plans.