Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-06-22
THE CITY OF BOSTON.

THE CITY OF BOSTON.
Her Loss Admitted by the Owners
Cause of the Disaster-Comm untca-
ton of Mr.. Inman to the London
Board of Trade.
From the New York Herald June 4.
The sad fate of the steamer City of Bos-
ton, which left this port on the 25th of
January last, cannot longer be gainsaid.-
Everybody can remember that the vessel
left this port on the date above mentioned.
She had on board at the time general
cargo, consisting of cotton, oil cake, -four,
beef bacon, lard, hops, tallow, wheat and
copper ore, weighing altogether $50 tons,
and had also on board 937 tons of coal for
her own consumption. She arrived at
Halifax On the 9th of January, and there
took on board the mails, small quantity
of cargo, consisting of extra luggage of
passengers and packages shipped by the
naval atorekeeper, which made about 20
tons extra weight. The total weight the
ship had on board when leaving Halifax
was: Machinery, 800 tons; cargo, 916 tons;
coal, 1877 tons; making a total of 2,067 tins.
The above mentioned facts are stated,
together with other particulars, in a COM
munication made by Mr.. William Inman,
of the Inman line of steamers, to the secre-
tary of the marine department of the board
of trade in London. In the same commu-
nication the loss of the steamer is admitted
by Mr.. Inman. He says:
Il can no longer conceal from myself
the overwhelming probability that the total
loss of this company's steamship City of
Boston, with all on board, has taken place,
and the time has come, therefore, when I
feel bound to report her loss officially to
the department.
II have no direct evidence in my possess
sion showing the date, manner, or cause of
the loss, but as statements have appeared
in the newspapers and questions have been
asked in the house of commons rejecting
upon the seaworthy condition of the vessel
on leaving Halifax, think it desirable to
take this opportunity of placing on record,
for the information of the board of trade,
the particulars Of the case which are in my
possession and appear to be material"
The communication then goes on to give
the measurem ent of the vessel and to show
by the company's figures that she was pos
sessed of ''as good qualities as a seagoing
boat as any crossing the Atlantic" Mr..
Inman gives his views Of the cause of the
loss. He says:
'sThe company's steamer Etna, with the
outward mails for Halifax, arrived at that
yy
clear weather and no ice visible on the
northern track. I think that Capt. Hal
gross upon this report took the northern
track. By all accounts the ice broke up
suddenly this year, and can only come to
the conclusion that the vessel foundered in
consequence Of getting among it. My
company's steamer City of Antwerp, which
left New York the day after the City of
Boston left Halifax, was aware of ice to the
northward, although it was not SEEM
Mr.. Innan claims that his view of the
loss appears to be the more probable, from
the fact that no portion of the wreck has
ever been picked up. He also refers in the
communication to letter published nsthe
London Times on the 18th of March, signed
H." enclosing copy of an anonymous let
ter from Halifax-which was afterwards
used by Mr.. Darlington, NJ. P, in the
House of Commons charging that ''the
vessel had been lost from overlooking"
Another letter is mentioned, which ap-
pearsd in the London Times of April IL,
signed s'One who has often crossed the At
lantic" The writer of the latter letter,
on being discovered, it appears, inserted
full apology, but the writer of the other
letter signed 'sZ." Mr.. B J. Jenkins), fail
ing to apologize, has been sued for libel.
Mr. Inman's communication then goes on
to state how long his company's steamers
have been engaged in the passenger traffic,
and how many passengers they have carried
safely; but carefully avoids mentioning
how many passengers and others lost their
lives on the Inflated City of Boston or any
of the other ships of the company. The
communication also contains full and ex.
plicit list OF the cargo, with the marks and
numbers, names Of oonsignees, and other
items of interest to those only concerned in
the freight and merchandise.