The French Liner Passed in Mid-ocean by the "Bremerhaven". NO DISTRESS SIGNAL SHOWN It Is Thought that the Steamship Had Some Slight Injury, Which Had Been or Was Being Repaired. The delay of the French Line steamer "La Champagne" had begun to assume a serious aspect, when the Dutch oil tank steamer "Bremerhaven", Capt. M.W. Ninnes, arrived yesterday, with a report which, removed all grounds for serious anxiety. The "Bremerhaven" from Antwerp, passed the Frenchman on Sunday night last east-southeast of the Newfound-land Banks. She was apparently hove to, facing a severe northeast gale, either pending repairs that were making abroad her or because of some weakness that had developed, and which made it more desirable to lie bow on to the storm than to chase before it. That she was not seriously crippled was evidenced by the fact that she displayed no signals of distress; that she was under control was attested by the absence of signals, and she, in fact, carried the regulation steaming and side lights and no others. If not under control she would have shown two red lights, one beneath the other. The inference therefore is that "La Champagne's" injuries were of such a character as not to preclude using her engines or a portion of her power, or that repairs had already been effected, but were of such character as to neces-sitate great caution. Capt. Ninnes's Report. Capt. Ninnes's report, made when the tank steamer reached Quarantine yesterday afternoon, was as follows: Feb. 19, 9:30 P. M., latitude 43 degrees north longitude 44 degrees west, passed mile and a half north of a trans-atlantic steamship, evidently one of the French line, almost stopped, and heading to the northeast, faring a tremen-dous sea. She had two masts and two funnels, and showed the regulation sidelights and mast lights, but displayed no signals to indicate that she was disabled or in need of assistance. She possibly had sea anchors out, although it was too dark to see if such were the fact. The weather had been very stormy, the wind blowing hard from the northeast, and it continued to blow throughout the following day, Sunday, and part of Monday, with very heavy seas from the northeast. When informed that "La Champagne", due last Sunday or on Monday at latest, had not yet arrived, Capt. Ninnes said that he was certain it was "La Champagne" he had seen. Capt. Ninnes called on Agent Bocande of the French Line as soon as he came ashore, and Mr. Bocande afterward said that there could be no doubt that the vessel sighted was "La Champagne". She was all right, and must soon ar-rive in port, though doubtless proceeding under reduced speed. If complete repairs had been effected she was likely to come in during the night; if repairs were such that she was coming along at half speed, or at, say, eight knots, she would be here to-night or Sunday morning. Ninety Milies from Her Course. The position in which "La Champagne" was sighted was about ninety miles south of her course, which Is the same as  that taken by American Line steamers from Southampton and other steamers coming out of the English Channel past Scilly. She was a hundred miles south of the route of the west-bound Queenstown steamers, as shown on the February Hydrographic chart issued by the Government. She was 160 miles east of the point at which the lane of the Mediterranean steamers joins that of the English steamers.  She was 460 miles southeast, or more nearly south-east by east from Cape Race, New Foundland. She was about 1,600 miles from Havre and 1,3.50 miles from New York. The French line vessels frequently take a course somewhat southeasterly of other liners, but her position might be easily accounted for by the force of the northeaster, which may have drifted her out of the course while repairs were being made. The tank steamers invariably keep clear of the lane of the liners. When "La Champagne" left Havre, Saturday, Feb. 12, she met westerly winds. According to Capt, Ninnes, he had westerly winds from Feb. 11 to 18. On the 18th, or when "La Champagne" had been out six days, and he had been out seven days, the wind came suddenly out of the northeast, and it blew hard and ever increasing. With these con-ditions, it is assumed that "La Champagne" must have averaged about 375 miles a day, until the breakdown occur-red, and to have reached the longitude at which she was seen by the "Bremerhaven", she at this speed must have been out little over four days. Injury Probably Slight. When seen by the tanker she had been out a little over seven days, and, assuming that the above conjectures are approximately correct, she had had three days for repairs when seen. At that stage of the proceedings, unless the conditions aboard were very favorable, she would without doubt have signaled to the tank steamer. That she did not is taken as proof conclusive that her situation was not such as to give her oflicers or crew any great concern. Capt. Ninnes, when seen at the office of his vessel's agent yesterday afternoon, gave fuller details of his sighting the French steamer. At 9:30 o'clock of the night of Saturday, the 19th, the Captain said it was dark and cloudy. The wind was blowing about twenty miles from the northeast, and a good sea was battering the starboard quarter of the tank-er, while with each pitch the screws went a-racing, and hummed like a windmill. The Captain was on the bridge with second Mate Bateman when the lookout in the crow-nest called out that he saw a steamer's light on the starboard bow five or six miles distant. The "Bremerhaven" was steering west-northwest. Presently the green of the stranger's starboard light was seen. She was heading to the northeast, and Capt. Ninnes expected to pass to the south of her, and tried to keep the star-board light off his starboard bow, but the stranger was evidently not steady. She wobbled, and In about fifteen minut-es her red, or port, light came to view. The "Bremerhaven's" course was accordingly altered so as to pass to the north of the other vessel. She gave her a berth of a mile and a half. It became apparent, though, as she neared her that the liner, which she had been made out to be, was barely moving. Probably Under Way. Owing to the swaying of the Frenchman, it took three hours for the tanker to get the other's red light abeam. Capt. Ninnes examined her carefully through the glass and thought that she was under way, but could not be certain. She was floating on an even keel, as could be seen by the relative position of her lights, which showed that she rolled naturally And without any indication of a list. He felt certain that nothing was the matter  with her screw. It might be an injury to a cylinder, in which case the engineers would have recourse to the usual method of disconnecting the crip-pled cylinder. It is possible that no adequate repairs could be effected till after the worst of the storm which occurred on Sunday and Monday morning, and it that were the case a still further delay in "La Champagne's" arrival would he accounted for. La Champagne brings 48 saloon, 53 second cabin, and 203 steerage passengers, and she has a crew of 175. Her officers are Capt. Poirot, Second Capt. de Monvel, First Lieut. Motay, Second Lieut. Houyvet, Third Lieut. Bellange, Purser Salvy, Chief Engineer Vallin, Second Engineer Lagnion, Third Engineer Martel, Fourth Engineer Le Pinlec. Steward Lanoire, and Physician Julllan. "La Champagne" is rated as an eight-day boat from Havre, sailing Saturday and arriving here Sunday. During the bad weather that has prevailed this Winter, however, the Havre steamers have been so delayed as to sometimes reach, their piers Monday morning. "La Champagne" is a single-screw steel vessel, with four decks, and, is divided by eleven bulkheads. She measures 7,087 gross tons and 2,527 tons net. She is 482 feet long, 52 feet beam, and 32 feet depth. Her engines are triple expansion, with three cylinders, working on the same shaft. La Champagne was built at the yards of the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, at St. Nazaire, France, in 1886. Passengers booked to sail to-day on "La Champagne" are being transferred to other vessels or booked for "La Bretagne", which sails next Saturday. Mails which were to have gone on "La Champagne" will be forwarded on the Hamburg-American Line steamship "Fuerst Bismarck".