The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-10-21
STEAMER HIT
BY HURRICANE
PUTS IN PORT.
Norwegian Steamship Mia
Linps Into Port Badly
Damaged.
STEERING GEAR
LOST IN HURRICANE
Fire Menaces Ship When
Electrical installations
Break.


Battered fore and aft, with every
hatch tarpaulin gone, and cargo dam
aged slightly, with narrow escape
from destruction by fire when the
electric wires, which had the insula-
ton blown or worn off, and which set
fire to the cabin; with the bridge
smashed, deck piping broken and
steering apparatus gone. the Nor
wegian Steamship Mia, formerly the
Ocean, put into port early Friday and
anchored in the stream.
A board Of survey composed of
Capt. Ammonses, of Mobile. repre-
senting Norwegian ship owners of
Norway; Capt Alex Zelius, local
ship chandler. and Capt. Langfeldt.
of the Norwegian bark Oaklands,
visited the Mia Immediately upon ar
rival, and recommended numerous re-
pairs. A contract was made with
with the Gulf Machine Works at Pen
sacola for a large part of the work,
and this was started yesterday. It
will require about FIVE days to have
the vessel ready to proceed to sea.
The Mia, leaving Galveston for
Copenhagen with cargo of oil cake
last Sunday, encountered the hurri-
cane Wednesday, Rarometric pres
sure and readings Informed the cap
tain that hard weather was coming,
and preparations were made to meet
it. When he took bearings, however,
Caps Lindfit1 Who Was II comm and
of the Mia, discovered that his COM
pass had shown some imperfectfon,
and that he had run more than forty
miles out of the course he had laid
out. About the time of this discov-
cry the hard weather was encounter
ed, and Capt Lindnter said that IL
was one of the worst storms that ne
had ever encountered. The skipper
| was here some two years ago, In com
mand of the Norwegian ship Freioa,
and upon arrival met many old-time
friends in this city.
i The storm prevailed for hours, he
informed friends here, and seas were
mountain high. To add to this men
ace, the wind blew at hurricane
velocity, and the sturdy ship rolled
and pitched fearfully. The Mia rs
built like the steamship August Ber-
mont, we'll known to Pensacolians,
/ and has eight matches. All of the
matches were covered with tarpaulin,
and three layers were used. The
force of the wind may be slightly
comprehended when it is known tnar
every tarpaulin was torn and shat
tered, and the matches left exposed.
In addition to the matches being rx-
posed, it was found that the electrical
| apparatus had been dismantled. Elec-
trio wires which were carried into the
cabin lost insulation in the hurricane
and these live wires brought a new
menace for the steamer when they
set fire to the cabin. This danger was
overcome by the hurricane, which
soon had the electric plant itself out
of commission. The cabins were
slightly damaged.
The seas, however, surging ana
breaking over the ship, flooded the
quarters of engineers and men, and
ruined their personal property ano
clothes. The bridge was battered
severely and considerably damaged
and the steering wheels were smasn-
ed The ship is steered electrically
when in good condition, but had to be
brought into port slowly, steered wltr
| difficulty by hand.
Those aboard the Mia informeS
persons who called yesterday that il
was one of the very worst storms al
sea they had ever experienced. The
exact location of the vessel during tht
weather was not ascertained correct
ly, but it was estimated that it wa:
about one hundred miles or so frcn
Pensacola
The bids asked fer the repair Of
tarpaulins were presented to loca
J firms, and one sent to Mobile. It il
expected, however, that local firm
will handle this work, and that ths
replacing of the twenty-four tarpou
Inns alone will figure up to more thai
$4,000 The board of survey, which
recommended that the ship be thor
oughly repaired before proceeding t,
sea, estimated that it would take
: week for all the work to be com
!. pleted. They did not make an es:I
mate of the cost of the same.