MORE WRECKS IN THE ATLANTIC.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1834, 22 June 1874, Page 2

MORE WRECKS IN THE ATLANTIC.

; From the New York journals to hand i we compile the following particulars of the loss of two large trans-atlantic steamships, the Europe and the N'ederland :— TOTAL LOSS OP THE EUROPE. The Europe was one of the French line of American steamera, and ran in conF junction with the Ville dv Havre and th* Ameriqiie, the last-mentioned of which , was lately lost on the coast of France on her first return voyage across the Atlantic. The Europe sailed from Havre in the eincl of March, and Bye days afterwar4s she was found to be in a sinking state. The leak appeared to be in the engine-room, no proper pumps were available, the water gradually increased, until the fires were extinguished, and there was about twelve feet of water in the engine-room.; The Europe had on board a. large number' of passengers, the number of persons ion board, including the crew, being four hundred. Her officers and crew were French. While she was in; this state, the ; National Company's steamship Greece, bound from Liverpool to New • Yorkj hove in sight,; and- when signalled bore down upon the disabled vessel. Captain Lemaitre, with all his passengers, officers, and crew went on board the Greece,letting theiif eight boats drift away. While the ships were lyiiqg plose by each other, Mr Buck, the chief officer of tne Greece, examined the Europe, and found that though the water ; was rising steadily though slowly in the engine compartment, all the other compartments were dry It was found that though the Europe had been almost left to herself during the night, the water had not increased more, than two feet. Cqptain Lemaitre says that he was. prevented by Captain Thomas, of the Greece, from returning to his own vessel, but, on the other hand, it Jb Said that none of the French crew, officers, or men, showed the slightest; desire toleava the Greece. When "day dawned, Mr Buck, an officer of the Greece, and a volunteer crew of twenty men went on board the Europe to attempt to sail her to Liverpool, and immediately got canvas. on the vessel ; and headed h«r for the English channel, while the Greece went on to New York. For two days the prize crew struggled to get the water down,' and they found a pump stowed away in the forward part of the ship which they rigged up^but still the water gained, and threatened, through the motion of .the vessel to burst through the bulkhe&ds. Two days, aft^r. parting from the Greece, the Europe sighted the National Company's steamer Egypt. By thistime the water had appeared in one of the cargo departments. Mr Buok ; says ;— ?-lita sighting the Egypt and, oominvinjoatiflg

with Captain Grogau we consulted him as to the difficulties and possibilities of the case. There was every indication of the advent of a aouth-weat gale. The water was rising in the ship and she was straining at her bulkhead from the weight of the water, which rose eighteen feet in the engine room and stoke hole. Captain Grogan consented to tow the Europe, and it was hoped that she would be brought into port that way, but the hawser broke. The barometer was falling and the Europe on account of the weight of the water in her, was becoming unmanageable. With things in this position, Captain Grogan signalled for all hands to come on the Egypt." Mr Buck "obeyed this order, though reluctantly, as in the face of it he could not personally take the responsibility of risking the lives of the volunteer crew, with such a craft in a rising storm." He is "sure he could have saved the Europe if she* had been a properly equipped vessel; but the French pumps were wretchedly inefficient. It was only after considerable search proper implements were found and the deck pump was discovered stored away in the fore peak. With this the water was greatly reduced in the cargo compartment. " The Europe was not seen again, and probably foundered after being abandoned for the second time. The ship was one of the finest of thn fleet owned by the French TransatlanticCompany.andwasconsidered to beafine, seaworthy vesseland well found in every respect. She was lengthened last year at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, and altered from a sidewheel steamer to a profiler. Her tonnage was 4600 ; length, 426 f t; breadth of beam, 44ft.