Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-16
Marine Disaster.
Lo.. es ,be Steamship cl,y Of wa.h-
ington.

Tho City Of Washington, from
Liverpool to New York, struck on
Gull Rock Bar, Eovn Scotia, Port
Lcabar, seventy miles west Of Sambro,
at . p. NJ, July 9th, In q dense fog.
She Is likely 70 become total wreck.
All passengers, crew, baggage aud
spnrc stOrcsarelanded at Port Lenbar.
She hal dense for all the way from
Queenstown.
The City of Washington sailed from
Liverpool oil the Gath of June, aud
ftom leaving that port until the ves-
sci struck ON the west side Of Port
Leabar, on tho western coast, neither
sun or stars had been seen so it was
impossible to obtain observation
during tho entire passage in order to
ascertain the position. When the
steamer struck, about 2 o'clock OH
Saturday, the fog was SO dense no
objects could be seen three yards
ahead.
Everybody on board supposed the
vessel was proceeding on her way To
New York, and The only intimation
to tho contrary WAS u heavy grating
sound rs the vessel was driven over
The rough bottom of the shoals where
| she now lies.
The steamer was going at the rate
OF nine knots when she struck. There
was 10 excitement OH board at the
time, and everybody was perfectly
calm. Capt. Phillips, the officers and
crew Immediately set about lowering
the boats and getting passengers on
shore, of whom there were % cabin
and 48l steeragc. In the meantim
guns Were fired from the stranded
ship, and in answer to them men
came alongside in small boats, from
| whom the first intiInatiou was OBJ
tanned as to the locality where the
vessel had been driven. Fortunately
| the sea was calm, and the ship was a
distance from the main land of only
about a quarter of mile. Ar the
boats were speedily launched and
nlanncd, and III three hours from the
| time o! the disaster, every soul GU
board was landed at Port Leabar,
where the Inhabitants busted them
selves providing temporary accom-
inouatiOnS for passengers and crew.
The fog did not lift till the next
morning, when for the first time il
was seen that the vessel narrowly
escaped total and immediate destruc-
tion, with a probable loss ofcvery
one on board. The distance between
the front bows of the ship AMI Little
Gull Rock was only about 200 Yards
How she escaped i'll the dense f,g is
marvellous, aud all on board, passeI.
gers aud crew, are deeply thank ful.
In the direction the ship was steering,
along the dangerous western coast Of
this province, her escape from des-
truction on reefs and sIukru rocks.
so plentifully splnklcd along the
coast, was simply prUvidcmtial. There
!sno theory offered TO account for The
ships deviaticn, though it is fact
that 10 observations had been taken
from the time ofleaving Liverpool to
the moment of the disaster.
/ The place where the steamer is
grounded is inside of Little Gull
Rock. or what is properly known as
Gull Rock Bar. This is distant from
Lockport (the nearest por,) twcnt,
miles, aud from Halifax about eight
miles, in latitude 1889 north, lon.i
tude 64:66 west.
The cabin passengers have beer
comfortably accommodated in houses
ut Port Leabar, while for the stecrag,
| passengers ana crew tents anu avn
inEs made from the ships sails have
been erected on shore, where they
have been comfortably attended tC
since landing.
Ragged Islands received their name
from the rough nature OF that part oi
the coast. Several ships have bccl
wrecked at different times within
three or four miles on either side oil
where the City of Washington lies.
The City of Washington was bull,
at Glasgow in 1855. She was consid.
cred staunch vessel, being of iron,
with stout iron fastenings; was 80.
feet long, 40 broad, 26 deep, and o.
draft; was ship-rig"ed; had three
decks; was furnished with watcr-tight
bulk-hcadI. and had u maximum ca.
pacity of 1856 tons burdc:. During
the Crimcan war she had made sever
al important trips in the service OF
the English has been in the service OF
the company for Il considerable time,
but was used latterly as an extra
vessel. Uinsurcd at all. the risk are
prohanl y@held by underwriters in
England.