New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-20
SCARE ON MAURITANIA
GIANT LINER POUNDED.
Propeller Breaks IN Hurricane
Fogbound at Hook.


peller. She went through an experience with wind
and that put her to tremendous test an
experience that several passengers declared they
would never go through again for fifty times the
price of passage.
The biggest and fastest. ship aAoat, which has
ploughed through real heavy weather for more
than dozen trips and broken records despite the
gale. had on board 1857 passengers with the eN-
ception of a few who we're so i'll that the Wrath
of the hurricane meant nothing to them. every one
aboard was frightened when the steamer trernbled
and vfbrated as II some gigantic triphammer were
pounding her without and within
The pounding lasted only for minute. but the
passengers said It seemed Ike an hour Inc
minute of suspense began exactly At noon on
Thursday when the big turbiner dropped into the
trough of tire sea between two colossal comoers
was then that the huge bronze blade on the low
pressure propeller aft the starboaTd sl1e ne"
off at the boss and the other two blades churned
in the heavy sea. The pounding and vibrating
ceased when the engines were stopped, and fears
were set at rest
Every one aboard had some strange experience
TO relate but nearly all described the behavior of
the vessel practically alike. Captain Pritchard
the bridge. cool and calm Il he had any
fears for the safety of his ship he did not sno"
It TO the passerge-s who rushed no along the sun
deck to the bridge to ask him what the trouble
He told them that a blade had snapped off the
propeller and coolly sent his officers below to as
sure the passengers that there was no danger
Within the cylinder of the disa bled propeller
was disconnected from the engine. and under two
propellers the Mauretania again under way.
riding the seas she had done before the accident
Captain Pritchard had been through bad weather
many times before but never on such a gigantic
vessel as the Mauretania. He once said that he
could do anything under the in the way of
manpuvring his latest charge and he proved it on
Thursday under the most trying circumstances
Coupled with the story OF the storm every one
aboard declared yesterday that Captain Prtchard
and his marvels of self-control and dis
played remarkable discipline.
CAPTAIN Pritchard went from the Mauritania on
her last arrival in Liverpool to the bedside of his
dying wife. She expired the day after he arrived
and he buried her week ago Friday. The next
day ne took the Mauretania out of Liverpool. and
never once throughout the storm passage did he
betray his grief
Down in the steerage was Mrs Rhoda Stevens.
wife of Ernest Stevens the chief steward Of the
Lamport & Holt liner VelasqUez. She received a
cable message from New York the day the Mature
tania sailed to hasten to the bedside of her hus-
band, who is death at the Long Island Col
lege Hospital Mrs. Stevens tried TO get cabin
accommodations. but they all taken, and,
rather than miss opportunity of seeing her
husband alive. took the best she could get place
in the crowded steerage.
Throughout the trip she thought of her husband,
and her grief was intense when the Mauritania
anchored in the fog off Sandy Hook on FRIDAY.
Being an alien. and coming in the storage, she
would have been taken to Ellis Island and kept
another whole day away from her sick HUSBAND
had not the immigration officials tempered the
law with discretion and let her go at once from
the ship to her husband.
Practically all the passengers were anxious 70
get up the city. but with only two propelers IN
use Captain Pritchard and the Sandy Hook pilot
would not think of taking the big liner up Am
brose Channel through the fog Mrs. Alfred G.
Vanderbilt sent wireless message TO this city
asking that q tug come down and take her off the
steamer but Captain Pritchard persuaded her TO
abandon her plan.
Notvtthstan ding the fact that the Mauritania
landed her passengers safely. there was much talk
among thern-talk that would not downfall the
shaft had become bent and its fast revolutions had
caused the awful pounding as the two remaining
blades struck the steel plates Of the stern Ihere
were reports, many of the passengers declared
that the coal had bowled over in the bunkers
and that nine ffremen had been badly bruised and
injured hut all these rumors denied yesterday
bv Vernon H Brown, the local agent of the Gu
nard Line
The Mauretania had hardly made fast to her pier
when a diver was sent to make examine
ton of the stern. Mr.. Brown said late yesterday
afternoon that the diver had made examination
ten feet above and below the broken propeller
and twenty-five feet forward. and that he reported
no damage except the loss of the blade on the aIer
starboard propeller. Mr.. Brown said the steel
mates We're not even scratched. and that the re-
MORT Of the twisted shaft absolutely false.
The Mauretania is in perfect condition. he said
There is no leakage in the stern. and If she were
Goa led she could start out for Liverpool tomorrow
and make the trip two propellers. No one was
hurt in the stokehole result of her losing
rroneIIar blade One stoker struck himself in the
log with a shovel: another stoker got into a fight
and received punch in the head and another
s+oker cut his finger while shaving. and that is all
there ia to the so-caIled accidents in the stokehole
IT, No,,-s+sr;a will sail as usual on Wednesday,
Iohn w Gates who with his wife was a passen-
Oer on the Mauretania, discussed politics and the
storm as the Mauritania was piloted up the Am
hroso Channel by the pilot boat New YORK which
led the way through the fog. a straw vote was
taken on board when the news OF Mr.. Chanlers
nomination was received
Seventy per cent of the votes were IN favor or MT
Taft against Bryan, and 10 per cent were IN FAVOR
Of ChauIer against Hughes
Mr. Gates said he would not vote for Mr. Hughes
and that he knew many Republicans of the same
mind He said he knew Republicans board the
steamer who would vote for Ch4nler. 1T Is not be
cause OF his autfracing fight that refuse to vote
for Hughes said Mr.. Gates but because of the at
tack he has made against personal liberty kno"
many Republicans who will not vote for Mr.. Taft
Mrs Isaac T.. Rice who a passenger, said
that there was much interest abroad In the Anti
Noise Society which she organized. She said that
the subject was being taken UP in Germany, Eng
land and Holland and that within year there
would be formed international organization lot
the prevention of unnecessary noise
otto Kahn, who had been abroad several months
said that there misunderstanding between
c.atti-Casazza and Andreas Dtppel the two dIec-
tors of the forthcoming productions a. the 'i1--
nolitan Opera House.
Mrs Vanderbilt denied rumor that she "
engaged to be married to Willing Spencer. She vas
accompanied by her SON.
Thomas NJ Dougherty. secretary OF = u
>-,or NirdIinger the thea rical manager. said he
stne IN the smoking room of the Maure-
.ta whom the propeller blade snapped on. he
Ia he WAS awakened by shower Of brass tacks