The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-18

Passengers Complained That She
should Never Have Been Used for
the Trip with Her LenISy Boilers.
Say, Too, That They Were Put on
Short Allowance of FOOd-wntcr
supply Also Was CurtaiIed.
New York, Jan. 17.-Hailed with
cheers from vast crowd that thronged
the pier of the American Line, the
steamship st. Louis, six days overdue,
was hauled into her berth to-day. While
her detention was in part due to tenn
pestuous weather. 1t was in the main
attributable to the fact that the de-
fective condition of her boilers only ad-
mitted of a very low rate of speed.
even under the most favorable condi-
tons. The voyage from Cherbourg to
the Sandy Hook lightship consumed
lS days hours and 20 minutes. which
was days, Is hours and % minutes
behind the ships best record.
According to the statements of pas
sengers only two of the ten boilers
were available when the voyage be-
gan, and at times only one of these was
in use. Four men were scalded by es-
Gaping steam during the voyage, but
apart from this. no accident occurred,
and at no time was the safety of the
vessel gravely imperlled.
Held Indignation Meetings.
For the first three days fair pro-
gress was made, but on Jan. the
difficulty with the boilers increased.
and on the following day. when the
among the passengers, much alarm
and indignation were expressed, and
meetings were held in the saloon and
in the second cabin, at which resolu-
tons were adopted. severely censuring
the company for permitting passengers
to embark on steamer in the crippled
condition in which the st. Louis prov
ed to be. These were embodied in a
statement drawn up by a committee
of passengers, which was made public
| on the arrival of the ship.
So great was the anxiety of the
passengers when the vessel had beer
out about a week. that a petition was
addressed to Capt Passow, requesting
him to either head for Halifax or to
| transfer the passengers to the first
west bound steamer that was met
Either of these courses was declared
in the judgment of the captain, to be
too hazardous. Towards the end OF
the voyage the discomfort of the pas
sergerS was materially increased by
scarcity of provisions and of water
for washing purposes.
Fast in the stretch.
After she was sighted off Nantucket
last night, the st. Louis made good
time to New York and reached her
pier some hours ahead of the time set
last night. A large crowd gathered at
the American Line pier and cheered as
the ship came in with her load of hui
man beings, for whose safety grave
Every vantage point on the big dock
had been occupied from early in the
morning, and as the steamer passed up
the river before the docking tugs had
taken charge of her, those who had
been anxiously awaiting her arrival
gave vent to their feelings with cheers,
accompanied by the waving of flags
and handkerchiefs. The signals were
answered from the steamer, and then
there was more cheering.
The tugs having gathered around the
St. Louis. she was slowly brought to
the dock. and when she came within
speaking distance, the excitement on
the pier grew. 1t did not take long
for the first and second cabin passen-
gers to cross the gang planks, once the
lines were fast. and as they got be-
yond the rope enclosure they were
gathered to the arms of their waiting
relatives.
Women's Ready Tears.
Each little group provided a scene
the women in most cases weeping in
their joy. While this was going on on
the upper deck of the pier, where the
first and second cabin passengers land,
similar scenes were being enacted
among the steerage passengers on the
lower deck of the dock, but in this
case the passengers had to again part
from their friends to go to Ellis ISL
and for examination by the immigra-
ton officers.
When the passengers started ashore,
a quartermaster was placed on guard
at every gangplank, with orders from
the dock superintendent not to allow
anyone to 20 on board. None of the
ships officers was allowed to come
ashore.
The passengers freely expressed their
feelings at the delay. A. p. Lloyd of
Baltimore was one of the signers of
the first cabin passengers resolutions.
He said:
What Passengers Said.
There was no pleasure nor gaiety
aboard the ship. Everyone was de-
pressed and angry as men and women
could be in such situation. Suspicion
began from the very moment that we
left Southampton. When 1t first be-
gan to be ruMored about the ship that
the boilers were defective and leaky
and we sought information from the
officers and stewards, we could learn
nothing. Our fears were either
laughed at or PECULIARLY eyasive an
swers made.
But when the officers saw that we
were in deadly earnest and would not
be denied in our endeavor to know the
truth, they changed their attitude.
and told US promptly what we wanted
to know, or told US that they knew
nothing about the cause of the delay.
All of. the frst-class passengers have
put their cases into the hands Of my
self and Mr.. Bernei as their lawyers,
and authorized US to make such claims