BREAKDOWN OF THE UMBRIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4577, 23 February 1893, Page 2

BREAKDOWN OF THE UMBRIA.

[FBOM OUB LONDON CORBBBPONDRNT. I London, Jan. 6. The Cunard steamer Umbria, about which, last Thursday, snch great anxiety was felt that re-inßurauoes conld 'with difficulty be effected at twenty-five guineas per cent, was repotted safe en Friday afternoon, and duly reached New York on Sunday, eight dayß late. The Umbria left Queenetown in a gale on Dec. 18, and the weather was awful, the passengers being battened down for four days after. The firßt intimation which the passengers had of the accident was duriog dinner on Friday, Dec. 23, when the vessel came to a standstill, and later in the evening the captain formally announced that the vessel's shaft was broken. Tbe manner in which he broke the news is thus described by a correspondent, who was among the passengers :— When the men had assembled in the smoking-room, a' out 7.80 in the evening, and were lighting their cigars and sipping their coffee, Captain M'Kay entered. •* Gentlemen," he said, calmly, " I am very sorry to inform you that we have broken our shaft, and Bhall be unable to proceed further for the present. I shall, however, acoept a towing? offer from any vessel large enough that comes within hailing distance." There was a momentary silence. Then a plaintive voice inquired* "Why don't you send up rockets P'* " There will be time enough for rockets," the captain responded, "when a vessel comes near enough to see them.". y THE VKSSEIi TAKEN IN TOW. Though the passengers fully realised that the vessel was now drifting helplessly in the Atlantic, with few exception* tfcett patience and courage were admirable. In order to lessen the motion of the ship oil waa poured upon the waters with satisfactory result. At daylight next moraine a sail was descried, which proved to be the Bohemia, a vessel of about 3000 tone, bound for Hamburg. In reply to signals she agreed to take the TJmbria in tow. With considerable difficulty a steel hawser was passed on board and made fast. The work of towing then commenced. In the meantime the storm increased, and daring the night, in the very height of the gale, the hawser parted, the vessels lost Bight of each other's lights, and when the morning broke nothing could be seen of the Bohemia. ■ THE CONDUCT OP THB GALLIA. On the Monday another steamer hove in sight. It was the Manhansett, froai Swansea. Immediately afterwards the Cunard steamer Gallia, bound for Liverpool, was sighted ; but, notwithstanding signals for assistance, she eventually proceeded on her voyage without offering aid. This conduct of Captain Fergusson of the Gallfa is very much criticised ; but it is thought that it may hare been due to some misunderstanding. The report of the incident made by Captain M'Kay, o£ the Umbria, ia as follows: — "We signalled to the Gallia to lay by, and she did so for a time. As we also signalled to her that we were making repairs, and expected to proceed on our way, it was evident that she took that for an assurance that we did not need her, and proceeded on her way. Some passengers expressed disappointment at the action- o£ the Gallia, aB she left us before we had tested our machinery after repairs." The New York correspondent of the Daily New sends the following description of the incident, given by Mr Simon Stern, a New York lawyer, who waa among the saloon passengers : — < The Umbria was lying in the trough, o£ the sea, with very high waves running, displaying the usual signs of distress, three black balls. At night she carried three red lights, and was constantly sending up rockets in the hope of attracting tbe attention of passing steamers. When the Gallia hove in sight we had been three days under repairs. The weather was very rough and t»e barometer was falling. It was expected that the repairs would be completed the next day, and everyone felt confident that they would be .effectual provided we had a smooih sea and fair wind; so the steamer's crew did not go wild. It was considered wise, however, by Captain M'Kay to ask the Gallia to stand by until we had made sure that we could proceed, but, after learning our plight, tho Gallia dropped flag, and away Bhe wept. I have never heard of such a proceeding in sea-craft. True, we were not in immediate danger, but were drifting to the southeast out of the line of large steamers that could take us in tow if our machinery continued to be unmanageable. In my estimation the action of the Gallia was as cowardly as if she had passed by a sinking ship with the men clinging to the spars,, refusing to help them because she was carrying the mails. If the Gallia had belonged to another line it would have seemed different, but as a sister ship to the Umbria she was in duty bound to render any aid she could. When the news spread through the ship that the Gallia had refused aid, a deep feeling of gloom settled over the passengers. I don't mean that they were alarmed for their personal safety, but who wouldn't be alarmed eight hundred miles from New York and two thousand from Europe, with a broken shaf fc'and the great steamer drafting about in.theheavysea? ':• ,'..",.'.'.. V-! ,„' •' ':• ' MENDING THE SHAFT. ' ... It appears that the chief engineer c£ the Umbriß, Mr Tbmlinson, had his misgivings about the effect of the storm on the shaft of the vessel on leaving Queenstown. He and his men were, it is stated, on almost continuously during the forty-eight hours preceding the Friday evening watching the shaft. They had detected signs of weakness in the ponderous mass of .steel, and they watched in order that the collapse which they feared should not take them unawares, and irreparable mischief perhaps be done before the engines could be Btopped. On the discovery of the fracture, B£r Tomlinson took prompt measures to remedy the mischief. With regard to the natureof the fracture, Mr William Owen, civil engineer, London, explained to Eeuter*s correspondent that it was not a complete break, but a split caused by a flaw in the metal. He regarded the temporary repair of the shaft effected by the Umbria's engiueera as one of the most admirable devices he had ever seen, especially considering that the work had been done while the ship waa rolling in the trough of the sea. On this point, Mr Tomlinson, chief engineer of the Umbria* informed me that che work of repairing the broken shaft was the most laborious he had ever had in his life, but the staff had willingly undertaken it. They agreed that a shaft of that kind had never been* repaired before by the method proposed in similar circumstances. The broken shaft had no support for 26ft, and for seventytwo hours the men were working continuously with drills and chisels. They worked in relays, being, cix hours on duty and six hours off. The fractured part was in so confined a place that only two drills could be worked at the same time.