328 Sport and Life. 



Sailing on the 23rd November, 1892, from Southampton for New 

 York on the fast liner Spree, just about daybreak on the fourth day 

 out, when we were about a thousand miles from land, the neck of the 

 propeller suddenly snapped clean off and the great flanges dropped 

 to the bottom of the sea. Before doing so, however, that vile 

 old screw did not hesitate to give the old ship a parting kick by 

 knocking a huge hole in the stern, I2ft. below the waterline, where, 

 of course, it was quite out of reach. In five minutes the whole aft 

 compartment, comprising the second class saloon and cabins, was 

 full of water 3oft. of it causing the stern to be flush with the sea, 

 and the bows of the ship to be cocked high up in the air. The 

 hole was much too large for the pumps to make the slightest 

 impression, but fortunately it was fairly smooth at the time, and the 

 plates forming the compartment withstood the vast pressure. There 

 was no disguising the fact, however, that the first rough sea would 

 at once send a thousand souls after that vile old propeller. The 

 huge steamer was totally helpless, and rolled heavily in the swell, 

 our only hope being the speedy appearance of a rescuing vessel. 

 After a few hours of semi-panic, with fainting women, &c., on 

 deck and in the saloons, people began to settle down, and the 

 lifebelts with which they had adorned their persons when the 

 lifeboats were got out, were taken off and sat on. The worst about 

 our position was that every hour the Gulf stream was taking us 

 further north out of the usual route across the Atlantic. This, and 

 prayer meetings under the active leadership of Mr. Moody, who 

 was on board, continued for three days. Long days they seemed, 

 which some of us tried to while away by whist, and others by 

 poker in the smoking room. On the fourth morning, just at dawn, 

 we were picked up by the little Lake Huron, our Captain having 

 informed some of us the evening before, that if we were not sighted 

 during the night our last chance to- be seen by vessels was pretty 

 well gone. Our happy rescue was brought about by the fact that 

 we burned barrels of pitch all night, the reflection of which 

 prompted the captain of the Lake Huron to leave his course 

 believing that it was a ship on fire. 



