The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18
-Censure American Line
for Sending Out
Crippled Vessel.
Vast Crowd Halls With
Cheers Steamers Arrival
at Her Berth.
Defective Condition of Boilers the
Cause of the Slow Voyage,
Only Two Being Available
From Start.

NEW YORK, Jan. 17-Hailed with
cheers from a vast crowd that thronsed
the pier OF the American line, the steam
ship st. Louis, six days overdue, was
hauled into her berth to-day. While her
detention was in part due to tempestuous
weather, it was in the main attributable
to the fact that the defective condition of
her boilers admitted of maintaining only
a very low rate Of speed, even under the
most favorable conditions. The voyage
from Cherbourg to the Sandy Hook light
ship consumed 13 days hours and 20
minutes, which was 8 days 10 hours and
% minutes behind the ships best record.
According to the statements of passen-
gers only two of the ten boilers were
available when the voyage began, and at
times only one of these was in use.
Four men were scaIded by esca ping
steam during the voyage, but apart from
this no accident occurred, and at no time
was the safety of the vessel greatly i'm
periled.
! For the first three days out fair pro-
gress was made, but on January the
difficulty with the boilers increased and
on the following day. when the condition
of the ship became known among the
passengers, much alarm and indignation
was expressed, ard meetings were held
in the saloon and IN the second cabin at
which resolutions were adopted severely
censuring the company for permitting
passengers to embark on a steamer in the
crippled condition ia which the St Louis
proved to be. These were embodied i'm u
statement drawn up by a committee of
passengers and which was made public
OH the arrival of the ship
So great was the anxiety of the passen-
gers when the vessel had been out about
"A week that a petition was addressed to
CONT toi i'm, off 10
head for Halifax or to transfer the pas
sengers to the first wcstbound steamer
that was met. Either of these courses
vas declared in the judgment Of the cap
tain to be too hazardous. Toward the end
of the voyage the discomfort of the pas
sengers was materially increased by a
scarcity of provisions and of water for
washing purposes.
After reporting her arrival off Nan
tucket last night the St Louis made
somewhat better time, and came into
port several hours ahead of the time
when she was expected. On her way up
the bay the st. Louis saluted with
whistles from all passing craft. and as
she approached her berthsthe cheering on
the pier was answered by her passengers.
who thronged the rails. waving hats and
handkerchiefs and straining their eyes to
catch the first glimpse Of familiar faces
among the multitude ashore.
As soon as the ship was made fast and
the passengers began TO rush ashore
guards were placed at all the gangwavs,
and no ono was permitted to go aboard.
nor were any of the officers and crew
permitted to leave the ship. A few min
utes sufticed for the first and second class
passengers to cross the gangplanks to the
upper deck of the pier, where they were
surrounded by rejoicing relatives. on the
lower deck of the pier similar scenes
were enacted among the steerage passen-
gers. who, however. were soon compelled
/ to part from their friends in order to go
! to the immigration depot on Ellis Island.