New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-02
MARINE AFFAIRS.
anil PARTICULARS OF THE LOSS OF THE
IRON STEAMSHIP CITY OF PHILADEL-

In 10 tho present tine the only account Of tho
,sck Of this fine iron steamship that has ben pub
Tsed. s the meager telegrsphic report from Halifax
hi, morning We are enabled to lay before our read
a., the full particulars of this Sad catastrophe.
II appears that the cause of the disaster is solely
,trbu able to the fact that the compasses, OF which
Ae ,bip was provided with elk. were almost useless,
o.ipe 10 the attraction Of the material Of which the
,e,sel was composed. These compGsees were ad-
us,ed in Glasgow and Liverpool but by some mex
plicabe fatality no two of them agreed. Capt.
Latch IL is said was unremting in his vigil lance,
scarcely leaving his post for hour from the time
that his ship left Liverpool until struck the rock, on
Cane Race But for some 4s hours prior TO that
event. owing to the fog and heavy weather which
,reveiled he was unable TO obtain an observation.
The vessel was built in compartments, but 90 great
IN. the shock that the bulkheads were started, and
,be speedily flied. and would have sank had the
beacbing been longer delayed. That she did not i'm
ediaiely 90 down in deep water, with all on board
when she struck is solely attributable to The fact that
,he was bailt in wo,er-t ght sections chambers.
In his extremity Capt. Letch did all that a thor
Oseh seaman could do for bis passengers and owners
and those who saw him through the whole Of the try
ng circumstances acquit him OF oil blame, and ac-
cord to him high praise for bis humanity and devo-
ton TO duty.
Az the facts are set forth in the narrative of our
informant, Mr.. Gadsby Of Brooklyn, herewith ep-
PENDED, we submit it, nearly as related by him:
NARRATIVE OF Mr.. ). W. GADsBY.
The City of Philadelphia sailed from Liverpool on
her frs. TRIP for Phlad ,lphia favored By wind AMI
tide at noon, on Wednesday, the 29'h OF August.
The day was fine and scarcely single individual OF
600 paesepoers but appeared happy as though
honnd upoD some pleasure excursion, rather thnn as
in most cases leaving home and country 10 seek shei
ter and subsistence IN another land Inc day ioho"-
inp our embark alton We took las, look al the aim
cS}4s NJ Old England and turned our faces toward
our Western haven. For six days We were favored
with 6ne weather, clear skies and smooth seas, aud
everything bid fair for prosperous yeyage' Our
din sailed and steamed nigh; gailany along, and we
snfoyed all the pleasure with none Of the usual DIS
comforts Of an Atlantic voyage.
But could not help observing that, amid the gen
eal herity, our commander, though prompt ana I'M
oeasDg in his attention 70 his onerOus duiles was evil
IDENTIFY troubled about some matter of grave moment
He rarely retired to his saterOOm, even for an hours
repose but paced the deck right and day. ever aud
anon peerbg into the compass boxes, and then con-
shifting with bis officers. At length closely exa mined
these objects of bis particular sOhcltude, the com
passes We had six OF them on board all Of which il
( soid were duly adjusted IN Glasgow aud Liverpool
butI discovered that no two OF them agreed some OF
Il EN- varied between FIVE and six points aud the two
steering compasses in the wheel house differed from
point 10 a point and hall
Ths lad state of things was undoubtedly TO be At
tibned TO the person pretCning 10 resu late The com
masses for in my opinion, with properly isolated COM
passes al iron vessel is easy worked as would be
one OF wood On the morning of the pam OF >eptem
Der heavy rain began 10 fall and the atmosphere
became so densely cou led that no observation could
be taken that day. The same kind OF weather pre-
vailed throughout the next day. and again no ooser-
yation was practicable. About o'clock in the after
pooD if l Tecollect Alright on casting the log, the
asi1 In ~ | knots
About u r. NJ, when nearly all the passengers
were in Their berths, and the ship was gong at tue
rate Of over ten knots an hour, she ran against
,unkeD rock, with fTightiul Conclusion Instantly
the ship was alive from every hatcsgay the passed.
sers-IDeB, women and cbildren-poured over tie
czech in the widest confusion and distress, aud many
of them in an almost primitive state of ntdity, rend
ne tne air with their shreks aud manilestins every
symptom of mortal terror.
Now the seamanshlp OF our Captain, and the dlscl-
mime OF the crew came into requislOn. The engines
were reversed and on taking sJundlDgs II as found
hat the ship was il deep water on both sides, aud
that she had struck rock on her port side near the
cu,water. stationed at the well TO see
how fast the water gained, While the carpenter ana
bs crew with oakum and blankets sought 10 stop the
hole But the latter was found 10 be impossible, as
the orfco was some six feet long py r,r- .-.;sl
through which the water poured in cataract. soon
fling the forward conne@. ment OF the hold to the
vster-line.
II web aScertained that the point upon which the
Vessel had struck of Cape Race so having taken
IN all rail the steamer was backed OH and headed icr
Chance Cove about miles 10 The nOrthward. his
Cove she reached, however. She had hardly 5ot INTO
shallow water ere the second compartment was
flooded and the fires extinguished During al OF thls
time the calm a mirror, but the log was so
dense that objects could not be distinguished snip
length distant. Boats were launched aud a party
sent to survey the beach; they reported good Win
q fine sandy bottom, whereupon the vessel was run
aground as far up as possible, and but about tnree
tUarters of mile from the shore and the anchors lei
The boats were then hoisted out and the passengers
having by this time mostly come 10 something IKE
their senses the work OF getting them ashore was
commenced. The ladies and children were first de-
buked, ana after them the male passengers. Durlns
the performance of this ardu0us duty the utmost care
was taken 10 prevent accident, by keeping IN check
the excited crowd, who would otherwise have rushed
into the boats, and swamped them. Fortunately but
Little surf az the time so that The whole OF the
passengers got on snore DS - n W.; WITHOUT
the slightest accident.
The shelter and provision for so large q number of
people thus thrown upon desolate shore some sixty
rides from the nearest village OF Town, was me next
Consideration. Spars, sails, provisions add fuel were
sent ashore tents rugged, fires hghted, iOod COOKED
and every thing possible under the circumstances was
done for the comfort Of the castaways. BY night
mattresses and bedding enough for the la lies were
got ashore; for the men, large tires aud close
quarters had 20 suffice.
On the next day most OF the passengers luggage
20, out and conveyed ashore; ont IN ooing thus
some confusion occurred from the fact that part of
the crew broke open of the trunks ana abstract
ed their most valuable contents These fellows we're
arrested and put in irons. On the day following the
bleaching of the steamer the wreck was surrounded by
a fleet OF fishing smacks, the crews OF every one of
Which watched every opportunity 10 steal property,
and am informed that they did carry oil coDsldersr
ble Some few If the more audaclous got broken
heads and treat 20 some scaldlng soup, from tne
cook and his crew, for their pains. large quantity OF
the ship's plate also many vaaables belonging to
the passengers were subsequently found IN the fore,