The Washington herald., 1910-05-01


Gallia suddenly dipped her flag and got
under way. Capt Mckay was reported
to have "clasped his hands" and. gazing
at the departing vessel, TO have said.
What do you think OF thAtT'
According to one report, the code con-
versation between Capt. Mckay and Capt.
Ferguson OF the Gallia ran az follows:
Il am disabled; stand by"
Cant; I am carrying mail"
we hold you responsible"
Later Capt. Ferguson explained that he
had signaled that his vessel had Just
enough coal 20 make Liverpool. and in
view Of McKays statement that he ex-
pected 10 have his engines repaired upon
the morrow he had decided 10 proceed.
Whatever the real facts were. the mat
ter was adjusted by the company with
out the waste Of many words-upOn the
public. at least.
AFTER the Gallia disappeared the I'm
bria drifted some fifty more miles before
another northwest gale But grand work
was In progress In the eng1ne-room IN
the meanwhile. Tomlnson had dis
covered that the crack IN the thrust shaft
was between the two collars nearest the
engines. II ran diagonally across the
shaft, extending along and inside one
one OF the collars The shaft az that
point was twenty-s.x inches in diameter.
To all intents and purposes the great bar
OF steel had practically broken in two.
The roof OF the shaft tunnel was trussed,
and then the two broken ends were sup
ported from the roof by chains. This
done, the engineers, without the aid OF
adequate appliances, began the work OF
boring holes IN the hard steel, so that
the ends might be coupled and pinned
together Holes six inches wide and five
deep were drilled into the shaft. and
bolts ftted min all a work consuming
seventy-twO hours during which the en-
gineer and his assistants got about four
hours sleep.
Starting the Engines.
At 3 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon
Tomlinson wh!stled up the tube that he
was going 70 start tho engines. This he
did, turning tho shaft very slowly at
first, and then more swiftly. as the bolts
seemed to hold under the strain. The
vessel made progress for two hours. when
the head OF one OF the bolts snapped or,
compelling the Umbria 20 lay 20 for
sixteen hours until a new bolt could be
put IN place.
The engines were started again az
O'Clock Tuesday night, and they ran
until Wednesday afternoon, when another
bolthead carried away This was re-
placed at . o'clock in the evening, and
thereafter nothing occurred 10 interrupt
the vessels slx-knot course 20 New York
on Thursday afternoon she picked I'D
ner pilot and an hour later the questing
telescope OF the marine observer at Fire
Island picked her Up, and sent word 20
the world that q vessel almost given up
for lost had reappeared from the heart
OF the great deep.
Her arrival In the harbor was tho oc-
caslon Of great rejoicing. The water
front was crowded with cheering specta-
tors, and the whistling Of various craft
was incessant The passengers Of the
Umbria crowded about Capt Mckay with
congratulations and thanks-some OF
them on the part Of tho women passen-
gers being OF nature 20 embarass the
grizzled commander. Tomllnson, too.
came IN for his share OF gratitude. and
later he was made much OF in the city.
Several times thereafter the Umbria fig
ured IN the sensational news OF the day.
In 1905 a crank placed what was thought
20 have been an Internal machine in her
bunkers II was discovered. and really
was bomb. but It could not have ex-
ploded, even had it gone into the furnaces
the explosive was missing In 1907, a
tidal wave struck her. smashing her
bridge, denting her steel saloon, and car
rying away boats. But the Cmbria ar
rived IN port on time, nevertheless.
Capt Mckay retired many years ago.
and lived In Long Island at last reports.
Two years ago he crossed 70 England
upon vessel OF the line which he served
Tor so many years.