New-York tribune., 1903-01-18
ST. LOUIS IN, SUITS LIKELY.
SIX DAYS DELAY 4LLEGED TO BE DUE TO OIL
HORNOUT BOILERS
Indignant Passengers Add Resolutions Denouncng Company 6"
Frasing Ships officers

The cause for the delay of the steamer st
Louis which arrived here yesterday after
voyage of 13 days. hours and 20 minutes
made al an average hourly speed Of 9.1+3 knots.
may be summed up in the statement that her
boilers were not equal to the task. From land
10 land it was not possible to raise the pressure
in them above 120 pounds. They carry 100
pounds under normal conditions. The second
day after the ship left Cherbourg the trouble
began, and from that day until two days be-
fore she reached port the entire available force
IN the engine department was kept at work on
the boilers cleaning them and putting them
into shape to increase the speed. The boilers
were cleaned and repaired in pairs, 80 that the
snip was rarely using all her boilers.
The condition of the boilers became the sub
ject of several Indignation meetings on the part
of the passengers, and as a result committee
of five was appointed to consider the grievances
of the passengers, prepare statement and to
examine the law to what legal action could
be taken against the owners of the ship This
committee is composed of A. Parlett Lloyd and
Louis B. Berne of Baltimore; the Rev. Arthur
Crane of Savannah: c. w Bonynge. of New
York and Ralph Nichol, of West Australia
The first two are lawyers, and to them the pas
seneers have intrustcd the legal side of their
cases They will see if there is ground for in
dfyiduaI suits The chief ground of their action
will be the alleged advertising of the St. Louis
as a twenty knot boat, anC selling tickets at a
price based on her speed. when 1t was known
that she could not steam at he" advertised
speed Some of the passengers assert that they
were induced by the agents to book on her in
stead of other steamers because sne was faster
and would reach this side first. One passenger
declared that he had intended to sail on an
other ship. and had booked his passage on the
ST Louis because Of the promise of the agent
that the St Louis would reach New-Hork on
Sunday The passengers in the first cabin were
unanimous in praising the treatment they mao
received from the officers the steamer
With the exception OF last Sunday and Mon
dav. the weather was not extreme. The log de-
escribed the weather of these two days as a
.,vboIe gale" Fresh gales" and moderate
breeze" appeared in the log frequently The
messengers were nearly unanimous that the
shin was an excellent boat and rode the
waves like duck" On only one occasion did
the sea board the ship. This on Sunday.
THE DELAY IN STARTING.
The passengers were discontented almost from
the beginning of the voyage The delay in sending
ont the shin was the first thing which aroused
their suspicious that everything was not as they
thought II should be- Those who had come down
from London on the special train reached South
ampton at the usual time before the scheduleo
sailing hour of the ship noon. They were sur
prised to see so much freight remaining on the
pier. and surmised that the vessel could not sail
on time At the sailing hour freight was stiil
being put aboard The passengers began to