The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-18
SAVANNAH. GA SUNDAY. JANUARY

against the company as we see fit and
to endeaVor to collect damages"
Rev. Arthur Crane of Savannah, Ga,
said:
Whatever we may say in condemna-
ton of the management of this line
and the way we are being treated. we
should like il distinctly understood that
none of our anger and indignation Is
directed against the officers and crew.
We received nothing but courtesy and
honorable treatment from them, and
we do not hold them at all to blame
Tor the hardships and dangers we have
had to endure"
After the first week the food sup
ply was appreciably cut down, accord
ing to the statements of passengers,
and cream and eggs were taken from
the breakfast menu, and only small
allowance of milk was given to each
passenger. From subordinate officers
on the ship it was learned that the diet
of the crew for the past week consist
ed solely of oatmeal and potatoes.
After about a week the running
water supply was cut off, and passen-
gers could get water for toilet and
bathing purposes only in buckets. as 1t
was brought to them by the stewards.
Met with stormy Weather.
On Jan. . the steamships boilers
| copmenced to leak badly and con-
| tined to do so until yesterday. The
| st. Louis encountered unusually
| stormy weather throughout On Jan.
II and IL the steamer ran into a gale
| from west-northwest to northwest, ac-s
cOmpanied by violent squalls and
snowstorms. on these two days the
ship logged only 125 to 1870 knots. On
! Jan. TO- when the saloon passengers
| learned of the exact condition of the
steamers boilers and engines, they
held an indignation meeting in the
smoking room, and passed resolutions
censuring the International Navigation
Company for sending the st. Louis to
sea in ner dangerous condition.
A copy of these resolutions was
handed to Capt Passow, demanding
that the ships course be headed for
Halifax or that her passengers be
transferred to some passing fast
west-bound steamer. If feasible.
The resolutions attribute the delay
to the crippled condition OF the ships
| boilers and say:
| ROasts for the management.
1--WE cannot too severely condemn
the recklessness of the management
that would send such crippled vessel
loaded with human freight, to contend
with the storms and perils of an Allan
! tic winter. We believe that our lives
have been put lin jeopardy, and GER
tainly our loved ones at home are be-
Ing made to suffer great mental an
guish, not to mention the severe fnan-
cial losses many of US have incurred,
| and are now mourning"
The committee having the matter In
charge consisted of A. y. Lloyd, Louis
| b. Bernei. Rev. Arthur Crane, G. w.
Boynge and Ralph Nichol
| The second cabin passengers also
framed resolutions. the gist of their
protest being In the subjoined para
graph:
THE boilers were in O. defective con-
| dition, and proof can be adduced that
| this was not only known to the COM
| pany but that passengers were wilful-
ly deceived and representations made
that the voyage would be finished in
the usual time"
This circular of protest was signed
by ii. Willard Of Chicago, as chairman; :
Gordon Graham, DR.. r.. j. Fernandez,
Miss Florence Mabbett and about
twelve or fifteen others of the second
cabin passengers.
What the Management Says.
The American Line gave out the fol-
| lowing statement:
THE delayed arrival of the st. Louis
was caused by leaving Cherbourg late,
and by extremely bad weather. There
| was nothing In the known condition
| of her boilers that would have pre-
vented her from reaching here after a
| normal passage, The marked loss of
steaming power could not have been
| foreseen. Even In the light of our
present knowledge, there is nothing in
any way that affects the perfect safety
of the ship, The management much
regrets the inconvenience caused the
| passengers and the anxiety caused
their friends"
What the Officers Say.
Capt. Passow of the st. Louis, when
| he came ashore, said:
1--WE have just logged along, and did
rot have a great deal of trouble. We
could not make fast time, and that was
all. I did not know that the passen-
| gers had passed any resolutions.
| did know that was called upon and
explained that 1t would be impossible
| for me to transfer them to any other
vessel. / know Of no resolutions. and
did not know that any had been drawn
up until ] was told of them in Mr.
| Griscom's office"
Clement A. Griscom, the manager of
the line, said, that the line would make
no further statement. When question
ed as to the resolutions of the pas
sengers. he said that they were unfor-
tunate.
I'VE did not have the least idea that
the vessel would not arrive in time"
he added. I'VE thought the vessel
would be able to cross and make the
speed that she had made heretofore.
We did not think that she would dete-
riorate in speed as she did on the trip.
The ST. Louis is in good condition and
she could now coal up and go out to
remain for months. The only thing is
she could not make the speed"
John Philip, the chief engineer OF the
st. Louis, said:
1--WE came into port with 24S tons of
coal in our bunsers. When we got
into Southampton on our last trip out
the boilers were all right The delay
of two days in getting into that port
was caused by heavy weather, high
gales and head seas.
II had no notice that there was any,
thing wrong with the boilers until we
were two days out of Cherbourg The
trouble began then. and since that time
the boilers have not been capable of
generating enough steam for high
speed"
NOTORIOUS NEGRO