The Washington herald., 1910-05-01
Gets n Tow.

Gets n Tow,
The Umbrla announced her condition
I and the Bohemia replied favorably 20 the
request FOR tow. Capt Mckay first
tried 10 shoot line 10 the German ship.
,, but the shrieking gale carried it far
away. Then, in spite Of the fact that
the seas were boiling riotously. the I'm
oria's first officer with a crew Of eight
men got in the starboard life boat and as
huge wave rolled upward they lowered
away smartly landing the boat nicely
upon the crest which IN falling hurried
them on their way 70 the Bohemia az
railroad speed. They bore a light line
which they succeeded in placing on board
the succoring vessel. To this line
hawser was bent and hauled to the deck
Of the German. In turn q great steel
towing cable was made fast 20 the havy-
SER and this was dragged through the
water and made fast 10 the winches in
the Hamburg liners stern.
II was o'clock when the Bohemia
turned her head toward New YorJ, and
began the work Of dragging the erst-
while proud liner 10 safety.
Everything went smoothly until d.sJ,
when a binding snow storm and gale
roared over the face Of the waters T.
was seen that the Bohemia was TOSSING,
Daaiy under the strain, but still she wal
lowed on. The lookouts or the Umbria
could not see the masthead lights Of The
towing vessel, but the hummine ~ the
cable showed that the German was
doggedly at her work. At II o'cIocl, a
fearful squan swept over the ocean. TAX
ms the Umbria upon her tail weather
bow. stopping her almost short There
came loud report and the cable traIIe5
into the ocean. The e.. ria fell of-
rapidly. drifting crabvi-e and wbistI,nr
10 the Bohemia, which answered her sig
nails from the outer darkness.
Drifting HeIpIessIy.
In the morning. however-it was Christ
mas day-the light revealed the Unbria
alone upon a desolate sea. She was drift
ing back over seventy-two miles which
the Bohemia had towed her before the
cable parted. But the passengers stinI
kept up their courage, relying implicitly
upon Capt Mckay and his officers.
There was the feast, which they had ex-
pected to eat in their homes, exchange Of
presents, and al sorts Of pleasures for
the children, OF whom there were not a |
few aboard.
Nine o'clock In the evening the look
outs reported steamships lights on the
port bow Signal guns were fired and
answered and within a half hour the
Wilson liner Calico came up. Conflict /
ing stories have been told as TO what
signals were interchanged between the
Calico and the Umbria. The Cunard |
Line stated at first that the Calico had
stated that they were short Of coal and |
could not undertake to tow the vessel A
later version, and probably the correct I
one. was that Capt Jones of the Wilson /
liner was only TOO willing to get n line /
aboard the Cunarder-he had a reputa-
ton for salvage workout that Cant |
Mckay had heard encouraging reports /
from the engine room and did not care 10 |
involve his company in an expenditure Of |
salvage money. In any event. the Calico /
got under way.
Throughout Sunday night the Tmbria |
drifted, and by Monday morning her no.
sition had altered about forty miles 20 |
the southwest There had been snow
storm in the night, and daylight found
her decks deep with snow, which the pas
sengers. anxious to do something. blithe-
ly shoveled into the sea. Later the
steamship Manhanset came In sight and
romped up, evidently looking for a tow.
But as the Cunard liner Gallia appeared
soon after the Manhanset withdrew.
Gallia's Departure.
The Gallia came abreast Of her big sis
ter and signals We're exchanged. The
passengers, Of course, had no idea but
that n line would ba r,,, o1.a ,r,.. |