Press enter after choosing selection

Steamer City Of Washington Wrecked

Steamer City Of Washington Wrecked image
Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
July
Year
1873
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Halifax, N. S., July 8- The tug boat Daisy, of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, arrived here this moruing with Heury Manan, purser of the Inman tteamdiip City of Washington, from whom tho following particulars of the shipwreek are gleaned : The City of Washington sailod from Liverpool on the 2-lth of June, and fionj leaviug that port until the vessel struck on the west side of Port Leboar, on the western coast, neither sun nor stars had been seen, so that it was impossible to obtain observations during the entire passage, in order to ascertain the position of the ship. When tho stenmer struck, about two o'clock on Saturdny, the fog was so thick and so dense that uo objects could be seen three yards ahead. Bverybody on board Bupposed the vossel was proceeding on her way to New York, and the only intimation to the contrary was the heavy grating sound as tho vessel was drawn over the rough bottom of the shoils where she now lies. The stearaer was going at the rate of about niiie knots when she struok There was no excitement on board at the time. Every body was perfeotiy calm, aud Capt. Phillips, the officers and crew immediately set about lowring the boats and getting the pasiongers on shore, of whioh there were tweniy-eight cabin and 481 steerage. In the meantime guns were fired from the stianded ship, and in answer to theni men oame alongside in small boats, from whoin tbe first intimation was obtained as to the locality where the vessel had been driven. Fortunately the sea was calin and the distanaco from the mainland only about a quarterof a mie. The boata were speedily launched and nianned, and in three hours irom the time of the disaster every soul on board was landed at Por. Lebear, where the inhabitants busied themselves in providing for temporary aocommodation for the passengers and crew. All passengere' luggage and effects, ship stores, etc, were also Baved and landed. The ship is lying on an even keel, as ïf riding at anchor. There is about fifteen feet of water at high tide on the shoal. The engine room is f uil of water, which ebbs and flows through it, and it is Kupposed that a hole was stove in tbe bottom beneath the engine room. The second deck is pretty clear of water, but below that the ship is full. The fog did not lift till yesterday morning,. when for the first time it was 'sten that the vessel tarro wly escaped total and immediate destruction, with probably the losa of every one on board. The distance between the port bowa of the ship and Little Guli Rock was only aboat two handred yards. How she eacaped in the dense fog is marvelous, and all on board, the passengers and crew, are deeply thankiul. In the direction the ship was steering along the dangerous western coast of this province her escape from destruction on the reefs and sunken rocks, so plentifully sprinkled along the coast, was simply providential. There is no theory offered to account for the ship's deviation, though it is a faot that no observation had been taken l froni the tiine of leaving Liverpool to the moment of the disaster. The place where ' the 8teamer.ÍB stranded is inside of Little . Gull Bock, or what is properly known as ■ Gull Rook bar. This is distant from ' Lockport, the nearest port, twenty miles, and from Halifax about eighty miles, iu latitude 43 deg. 39 min. north. longitude 1 64 deg. 66 min. The cabin passengers have been comfortably accommodated in houses at Port Lebear, while the steerage passengers and crew are in tents and awnings, made irom the ship's eails, which have been erected on the shore, where they have been comfortably attended bince landing The agenta of the company -liere have ohartered a steamer to briug the passengers and crew to Halifax. She sailed tor the wreek at daylight this morning and will probably return to-morrow af ternoon. The passengers will be forwarded totheir destinations by the most expeditious routes, instructions to that effect having been sent to the agenta here. It is not oorrcctly known whether the ship will prove a total los or not. It is thought that all the cargo will be got out in a damuged state. Divers and wreckers, with their gear, leave here immediately for the wreek. A feeling of intense relief pervades this community that no lives have been lost, and that a seeond Atlantic calamity has been avertsd:- Halipax, N. S., Jufy 8;- Very lktle further has been received from the wreek of the City of Washington. The passengers are supplied with cooked provisions from the ship. It ig expected that she will be got off if the weather continúes favorable. There is great anxiety among the passeugers for the arrival of the M. A. Starr, which sailed from here this tnoming for the wreek. The oflïcers of the ship report that no observation had been takeu for eight days. Vfhen the ship first struck there was only a fow f eet of water over the bar, the tide being lor, but the water carne in through the hole knooked in the ship's bottoni, and there ia now over ten feet of water in the hold. It will be impossiblo to ascertain the extent of the steainer'a injuries till the cargo is taken out, and it is hoped that the hole can be plugged and the vessel floated and repaired. She has a full general cargo, part of which was very valuable. Kagged Islands received the name from the rough nature of that part of the coast. Several ships have been wrecked at different times within three or four miles on either side of where the of City of Washington lies. The most notable oí these were the transport Emulous, when several lives were lost ; the steamer Pactolus, from this city, bound for St. John, New Brunswick, and the Philadelphia, Hezekiah Williams. There are two light-houses on the island, each distan t about two miles, one to the east and the other to the west of Lebear bar, but these are of course no protection in the day tiuie or in foggy weather, and fog horus, bella or steam whistles have not been placed there to warn approaching vessols of d&nger. In the present instance it is said tliat although the shore was po near that one Qiight have almost tossed a biscuit the fog was so dense that land could not be seen. Capt. Sheridan, submarino diver of this city, has charge of the recovery of the goods from tbe ship. „__ Partial reporta received at the Department of Agricultura from the cotton regions to July lat, represent mueh wet weather, which in soms states makes crops backward in maturing. The indicatione are that whatever may be the injury to the erop from ttais and other causes, the deficiency, it is supposed, will be supplied by a larger planting area than heretofore, I and therefore it ia believed the erop of this year will at least be equal to that of last; The annual statement of' the Erie Eailway 6bows the fnndud debt to be $4,750,000. The capital stock is the Rame as last year. The present floating dubt ig f 1,700,000. A full report of the affairs of the company, including the earnings for the first six months of the present year, is deferred until the end of August next. Under the new assessment law of Indiana, it Í8 estiuiated that the tsxable property of the State will reach $1,(100,000,000, benig an increase of over $300,000,000 upon the sppraiaement of 1869.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus