The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-11-10
ANOTHER DISASTER.
Steamer Waco Burned off the
Texas Coast.
The Passengers take to the Bon Is and are
not vet Heard srem

The Passengers take to the Boat and nre
not yet Heard srsm
New YORK, Nov. ga Galv- ston special
OF the 9th to the Merchants Exchange says
that the steamer City of Waco, bound from
New York to Galveston via Key West, anchor
ed with feet outside of the bar on the 8th in
slant, caught fire at one O clock this morning,
strong northeast wind bio wing at the time.
At 8 a. M, the passengers, officers and crew
took to open boats and were last seen bearing
down the coast westerly.
Steam tugs are cruising for them and car
riages have been sent down to the beach.
The bark Sarpedon, of st. John, N. B., dis
masted and abandoned, was passed Nov Sd,
lat. 40, Ion. 40, by the steamship Wyoming of
of this port
Nothing is known as to the fate of the crew.
The steamship City of Waco was valued at
S150,000 aud was partially in New York and
Europe. She was threefourths full of freight,
which was general merchandise and was val
ued at 100000. She was built in 1873 at Ches-
ter, Pa,
GALVESTON, Nov. 9.-rhe City of Waco,
which had burned to the waters edge with her
hull rolling IN the heavy sea, suck l D. m. to-
day in seven fathoms of water. The vessel and
was blowing gale. The passengers and crew
put OF in the ships boats, of which she had
four and life raft. Persons who went near
the burning steamer this morning report that
her boats were all cast loose except one, which
was hanging to the ships side, one end of the
boat having caught in her rigging preventing
Its being launched. The mate of the ship
Fusi Yama. which was lying quarter of a mile
from the Waco, reports seeing a boat with
persons in it pass his vessel at o'clock this
morning going westward. He could not say
whether there were any other boats The sea
was running very high at the time. Steam tug
Bucktborn was dispatched outside this morn
ing and has been coasting in sight of land all
day. Persons who have been out of the gulf
to the western extremity of the island, have
just returned and bring no Intelligence of the
missing boats.
Up. m.-Parties from the,lower island saw a
farmer from near San Louis Pass who reports
that he saw this morning small sail boat pass
down, which, from his description, IS thought
may have been one of the boats from the
Waco. The boat was drifting rapidly to the
westward.
7.3Op. m.-The steam tug Buckthorn has
just arrived and brings the following additianal
PARTICULARS: The officers of the Fusi Yama
could give no information. Her officers report
having seen what appeared to be a raft pass
them. They made an effort to launch one of
their boats, but before it could be done the raft
as lost to sight in the storm and darkness.
The officers of the Buckthorn report about -
miles west and miles from shore, passing the
foremost aud foreyards of the Waco with sails
attached, which had burned off just above the
DECK and they think this is what was taken
lOT d Idtt Wy Cuo L uSt auld Iuo DuCkJn0rn
went 20 miles west and could find no traces of
the missing boats
8p. m.-Steamship Clinton is just from In.
dianola and brings no news. The agent OF the
Mallory line is arranging tonight to despatch
another steamer at daylight with hopes Of find
ing the Waco boats lower down the coast The
wind changed to northwest about O'Clock
and it is thoughtful the boats had not made a
landing on the western coast, they have been
carried out many miles to sea 1t is stated
that the life boats are all supplied with water
but it is thought that the officers or passengers
did not secure any provisions for the boats.
There is no reliable Information to be obtain
ed as to the origin of the fire. There were
heavy showers of rain early in the night with
occasional lightning. Some think the ship
was struck by lehtuing, and having cons'd-
cradle quantity of oil on board, the flames
could not be extingushed. There is much dis
satisfaction expresse at the conduct of the
officers and men on board of other vessels
which were lying in sight, and number OF
them very near the bnrnihg steamer. With
the exception of the efforts made by the Fusi
Yama there does not appear to have been any,
thing done towards saving the lives of those on
board the Waco Their excuse is the terrible
sea which would have swamped their boats
had they succeeded in launching them. -,