Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-16
The Wrecked Steamship.

The Wrecked Steamship.
We gave last week brief notice of the
wreck of the Inman steamer, City of WASH
ington, lost on the Nova Scotia coast, July 5.
1t will be seen that another Atlantic disaster
was but just escaped by her passengers.
The Cityof Washington sailed from Liver
pool on the oath of June, and from that time
till it struck on the Nova Scotia shore, Sat-
uaday, neither the sun nor the stars were
seen, so that it was impossible to obtain OBJ
servations during the entire passage, in or der
to ascertain the position of the ship. When
the steamer struck, Saturday, the fog was SO
thick that no object 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 the con-
trary was heavy grating sound as the YES
sci was driven over the rough bottom of the
shoals where she now lies The steamer was
! going at the rate of about nine knots when
she struck.
Everybody on board was perfectly calm,
and Capt. Phillips and the officers and crew
Immediately set about lowering the boats
and getting the passengers on shore. There
were twenty eight cabin and four hundred
eighty-one steerage passengers. Meantime,
guns were fired from the ship, and in answer
men came alongside in a small boat, from
whom the first intimation was obtained IS to
the locality of the vessel. Fortunately the
sea was calm, and the distance from the main
laed was only about a quarter of mile. All
the boats were speedily launched and manned,
and in three hours from the time of the die
aster, every soul on board was safely landed
at Port Lebear. where the people busted
themselves providing temporary accommoda-
lions for the passengers and crew.
The ship lay as if riding at anchor. The
second deck was pretty clear of water, but
below that the ship was full. sThe fog did net
lift till Monday morning, when for the first
time it was seen that the vessel had narrowly
escaped total and immediate destruction,
with the probable loss of every one on board
The distance between the port bows of the
ship and Little Gull rock was only about 200
yards. How she escaped is marvellous, and
all on board are deeply thankful. Consider
ing the direction the ship was steering along
the dangerous coast, her escay from destruc.
ton on the reefs and sunken rocks so plenti-
fully sprnkled along, was simply providen-
tial. There is no theory offered to account
for the ships deviation, though it is a fact
that no observations were taken for eight
days. The place where the steamer is strand
ed is inside of Little Gull Rock, on what is
properly known as Gull Rock bar. This
is distant from Lockport, the nearest port,
20 miles. and from Halifax about 80 miles,
and is in latitude AZ 80 north, and longitude
GA Sc west.
accommodated in the houses of Port Lebear,
while for the Storage passengers and crew,
tents and awnings made from the ships
sails were erected on the shore where they
were made comfor table after landing, being
supplied with cooked provisions from the
ship. The agents of the company in New
York chartered the stea inner NJ. A Starr to
bring the passengers and crew to Halifax.
Ragged Islands, the scene of the wreck
received their name from the rough nature
of that part of the coast Several ships
have been wrecked at different times, within
three or four months, on either side of where
the City of Washington now lies. There
are two lighthouses on the islands, each dis
tant about two miles, one to the east and the
other to the west of LIE Bear bay, but these
are of course no protection in the daytime
or in foggy weather, and fog horns, bells or
steam wi istles have not been placed there,
to warn approaching vessels of danger. La
the present instance 1t is said that although
the shore was SO near that one might almost
have tossed biscuit upon it, still the fog
was so deuse that the land could not be seen.
The City of Washington was built at
Glasgow in 1855, and was considered
vessel, being of iron, with stout
iron fastenings. She wac 800 feet long, 40
ieet broad, % feet Deep and % feet draft
She was ship rugged, had three decks, and
was furnished with water-tight bulkheads.
and bad maximum capacity of 1885 tons
burden. During the Crmean war she made
several important trips in the service of the
English.
This makes the sixth vessel this company
has lost since it began operations nearly
twenty years ago, and all blu. one have been
lost IN or near American waters. The names
of the lost vessels are: l. City of Philadel-
phia; 2. City of Glasgow (boIh off the Brit
lsh American coast); 3. City of New York,
run on Daunt's rock entrance to Queens
town harbor; t. Glasgow, not far from New
York, July ID. 1865 5. City of Boston,
never heard from for nearly three years
+. City of Washington, July 5, 1873.
The NJ. A. Starr brought the passengers
to Halifax, whence they were forwarded to
their destination. An official inquiry has
been ordered by the Canadian government
into the circumstances of the disaster. The |
ship after lying on the rocks few days,
broke if two, and her crew, which had re-
turned to save the corgo if possible. barely
escaped destruction. Her captain as yet
gives no satisfactory reason for running at
speed when his situation was not known,
and it is evident that not to her officers is
due the fact that her 500 passengers escaped.