The New York herald., 1875-12-15
THE BURNED CITY OF WACO.
INVESTIGATION As TO HER DESTRUCTION
STATEMENTS OF DIVER WHO HAS IN

INVESTIGATION AB TO HER DEsTHUCIloN-
STATEMENTS OF DIVER WHO HAS M
sPEcrED HER WRECK.
The investigation in reference to the loss OF the
steamship City OF Waco with every soul on board, on
Galveston bar on the voyage hence TO Texas, s vir
tually at an end and still only by conjecture that
any definite conclusion can be arrived at as to the
cause Of the fearully fatal fire which took place
board her The vessel had large quantity Of petro-
leum or other mineral oils board, which must
tainly have aggravated the horrors OF tho scene
for the unfortunate passengers and crew. The
Treasury regulations are unfortunately very
loosely constructed respecting passenger YES
sells being allowed to carry nfammable materials
the rule reading that they may carry 1t provided
II is 'the only practicable route" The Havana steam
ship City OF Merida lately carried quantity
OF petroleum TO Vera Cruz, in Mexico by permission
ofthe Secretary Of the Treasury the ground that It
was the only practicable route" no other vessels
had proceeded from here to that port for many preced
ing weeks Returning to the question OF the lost
City OF Waco-how she lost-will doubtless remain
great mystery that OF the steamers Benvle,
Missouri, Zodiac River Belle, D. R. Martin and the
tugboat w. A. Hennessy, which have also been SINH
lary lost.
lEsTERDAy's DEVELOPMENTS.
The following official letter received yesterday at
the Office the United States Supervising Inspector OF
Steam Vessels The delay of the investigation at Gal
weston owing to the absence official duties Of
the local inspectors of that port
OFFICE OF UNITED STATES Local INSPECTOR OF
STEAM VESSELS GALVESTON Dec. 9, 1875. I
ships, Second district New York city
We had purposed to have investigated the divers who
had examined the wreck of the City of Waco; but on
our investigating Captain j. N Sawyer agent Of NAL
lorys line, here, yesterday learned from him that
the divers had been summariy summoned to New York
BY your making inquiry at the Office of the New
York Wrecking Company you can gam Information on
We have already examined five persons and intend
to examine several more, who absent present
cur coasters that run from our port AS soon as we
get their testimony we viii forward you copy Of the
sarne.
We not been able thus far to discover the origin
of the fire board the steamship City of Waco Cap
tain Sawyer stated yesterday that of the divers
had reported to HIM that there had been "bg fussn
in the fore part the ships lower hold conveying the
that explosive material had exploded in that
part of the ship which corresponds with the explosion
heard by the mate Of the ship Caledonia whose testi-
Supervising Inspector Rogers has requested us to
make searching investigation of the calamity and
JOSEPH Q. BARNARD,
United States Local Inspector Steamships District
Of Galveston.
THE STATEMENT or DIVER cARLE
Yesterday afternoon, on application at the Of
fce OF the Coast Wreckng Company by Cap
tain Addison Low, one of the divers was found
before the local board consisting Of Messrs simonson
and Matthews, and made the following sworn state
ment:-l went on the steamship City of Waco off CAL
bar; when first went down it aft; that
the first examination made; found her upper and
lower decks burned of, beams in position; this was
from after bukhead TO the stern; then went forward
from the anchors the bulkhead found the upper and
lower decks burned of there deck beams bent in the
centre from the foremast TO the bukhead forward of
the boers this the burned part Of the ship
forward starboard port open; the starboard side had
fallen in in my judgment the falling of the starboard
side ODened the the Dlace To WAS q
engine and boilers her engine stands in
It's position; as far as / could see the steam
drums and tops of the boilers seem to
be in their posion from the loose pipes and Jackets
(for covering the boAers it impossible for to
get at the bottom of the boilers ] found bodies;
all the deck houses burned off, both masts were
gone also; could not form any opinion as to the
origin of the burning OF the Ship the ship is badly
burned that had to work almost entirely by feeling
when going around the would up in clouds
and it was impossible to see would have to stand
stall and let the water settle before could see could
form opinion TO whether the fire ''tookn in the
hold deck the ship lies in about fathoms
of water about five miles Off Galveston and miles
outside the bar; she burned between the bukhead
OF the engine and after bulkhead the engine COM
partmenL W. J. earle.