Year: 1874

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
STATEMENTS OF OFFICERS AND PASSENGERS OF THE


EUROPE AND THE GREECE


Cant Lema,re. Commander OF the Europe, said TO
TRIBUNE reporter that at the time his Sessei WAS
upon the dock n Havre no sign OF any weaRness no"
the lengthening OF the vessel was dSeo'eicu A"o
vessel was docked because OF injuries received during
storm IN september last and IN the OF the vessel
The leak during the last voyage was first discovered
about SO hours after leaving Brest and he beeved
10 leaving that harbor they must nave oraggou o'o
some sunken anchor, moving some ono OF INC Pialcs'
causing a leak, which was greatly Increased ny 'no
strain caused by constant snccessioh Vi
heavy weather. On April 2, IL hao 30 i"'
creased In volume that during the afternoon
when the Greece came within signal distance, he deter
mined upon transfer OF the passengers sshais %
distress made and transfer safely eLeceu anu
at the time this was begun only two boilers were IN uSe'
the fires under the others having been extngusheu py
the water. When he left the steamer. between
and O'Clock IN the evening" there was
feet OF water In the hold The forward and ater
compartments of the steamer at this time, were
free OF water Believing the ship to be In imminent
danger of sinking he allowed no baggage 10 be removed
In the boats, but purposed in the morning, should
the weather permit, to remove as much as pos
sble Capt Lemaire states that tins matter was
perfectly understood by the officers OF the Greece yet
upon tho following morning, wneD he desired 10 go on
board the abandoned steamer. when the salvage crew
were being placed there, he was roughly pushed away
from the gangway by Mr.. Buck, first officer OF the
Greece and positively refused permission to return to
his ship As 10 the real OF the leak he could say
nothing. The pumps were oil in perfect order yet
were not sufficient keep the water from gaining upon
them.


PURsER LEvAL~


Purser Ieva OF the Europe the following state
ment II heard first IRON Capt. Lemain that leak
- Iaff Rrast
from him tnat through the stormy weather, by the
I'd Of April, 1t had become very serious. That
morning we sighted the Greece, and made signals
or Distress and they not seeming to see them fired Two
guns. The transfer was made in about an hour ana
a half. Capt Leonard first told me OF this intention
about in the afternoon No valuables saved, we
expecting return the next day for portion OF them
The entire mail matter was taken off about
D. m consisting OF from IL to IA bags We lay along
side the Europe all night aud the next morning Capt.
Leman was refused permission by Mr.. Buck to return
20 the Europe The manifest o. the Europe was lost
overheard In passing from the ship, but new
copy will be received in q few days. Several
officers Of Europe ready TO return with Capt
Lemare but were also refused permission The Europe
in the dry dock at Havre In September last 10 days.
having sprung aleak in a storm on the previous trip
have not heard that in this part Of the ship She
was ngthened last year, making her first trip In Au
gust, this being her fifth trip. Her pumps were
in good order up to the last The cargo was very valu
able one. and may be estimated at between two ana
three millions of dollars. 1t consisted OF general
assortment Of French goods including 5000 baskets OF
champagne and 40 tons of sardines


CHIEF ENGINEER DOUGLAS


Chief Engineer Douglas OF the Greece said We took
one French officer on board the first night None OF our
officers tried prevent the French officers from return
ing to Europe The French crew refused to work for
us unless they paid for doing and therefore Capt
Thomas instructed TO influence many as possible
Of them return te their ship before we lett her. None
OF her engineers would return for the purpose OF
making an examination of her condition. Her chieJ
engineer went 10 bed as he arrived on
board and has not been since. There was no
water to be found the French steamer excepting
that in the engine room when made my examination


made my soundings the presence OF the hrst oihcer
OF the Europe. cannot tell the Of the leak The
water was not up TO the furnaces, and the hres
could easily have been started and steam gotten up
The boilers were all good condition and did not try
the pumps Even on the next morning the fires could
have boon started without difficulty Tho crew
could have easily kept the boat up
and they would have had the valuable
aid Of steam power get into some port with they
had only the to do so Not one OF the
Frenchen would get out of bed TO 20 back with me-
was on the Europe for two hours.


CAPT C. THOMAS OF THE GREECE


Capt. c. Thomas of the Greece IN his statement but
reiterated the facts In the log lie denied that ne
prevented Capt. Lemare from returning to his ship on
the morning OF the Sd us and the statement that the
First Engineer also refused this permission he said
was equally false. None Of the officers of the
Europe he said expressed any desire to return to the
slip at any time even when told that prize were
10 be put on board They abandoned her night pre-
yiously without light any kind 10 mark her position,
caring little the danger they thus placed in the way
of other steamers.


G. F. 7. REED.


GF T. Reed OF this city Cof the firm Of Tiffany Col
and passenger upon the Europe stated that from such
Information he could gather he believed the leak
sprung during the previous voyage 1t noticed
after leaving Bres and gained rapidly that the cap
tain became alarmed. and on the afternoon OF the
cd inst sgnazed the Greece for assistance. This
the first information the passengers received that any
thing wrong and IN answer TO inquiries as TO what
was the matter were told themselves the ship
was sinking. In hour and half all were board
the Greece. saving nothing but what they wore
little hand bag that he had put on the boat
was even thrown overheard but was picked up by one
of the English boats. The boats Of the Europe
scarcely lowered before those of the Greece along
SIDE There was an exceeding rough sea. There we're
eight from the Europe and three from the
used in transferring the passengers and crew.
The ladies were first taken off in the
boats He did not doubt that Capt Lernare
really believed that his ship sinking, and that be
had no time look TO baggage. The leak occurred in
the center compartment under the machinery. The
Chief Engineer CT the Greece examined her. and eyed
20 allowed to try 10 her. and all energy this
end was shown by Mr. Buck the First Officer The boats
were managed with great skill, there danger OF
swamping on account Of the heavy Three boats
were swamped, but no lives were lost. Lieut. Lloyd
Pbenix, L. S. ", displayed much energy and
courage cutting away and helping to send
of the boats, exciting favorable comment
from his fellow passengers Everything possible
had been done for them by the officers and
passengers of the Greece they dividing hnen bread and
bed with them. OF the bitter feeling that seemed to