The New York herald., 1878-02-06
crowd The fuud for the relief Of the sufferers
amounts thus far 10 200.

crowd The fund for the relief Of the sufferers
amounts thus far TO $1,000.
PRELIxM,Rx STEPS TOWARD AN 'INvEsTroA-
POSE OF IDENTIFICATION.
wAsmxaros Fob S, 1878.
The station at wreck OF tho Metropolis reports
to the chel signal oacer the arrival of Captain
william Harrison. of Philadelphia. ono OF the sur
vivors of the steamer Metropolis. who has been sworn
and there by p. T. Collins and others 10 give .
correct report OF all the circumstances connected
with the wreck. 1t Is his intention 10 have
all the bodies taken up Tomorrow for the
purpose OF Identification - far ~ possible, and has
brought collins 10 which to place the bodies that are
ldenthed so that they can be sent TO their friends
rected 10 get the names OF those VINO are identified
and any other Information possible. Tho telegraph
station al the wreck viii probably be discontinued TO-
morrow, February O. after getting the above 'nforma-
tion
BODIES BURIED.
The stati at the wreck OF tho steamer Metropolis
reports 10 the chief sgua officer at quarter past
nine A. NJ, to-day, that Mr.. William h. White, citi-
zen, buried two men yesterday, one OF them having
brown hair and light complcxlon about i've teet eight
inches In heght medium sze ana looked 70 DC oeard
less; the other about The Same size, with
small musache Tho bodies were not examined
One OF them marked with the letters III. D." on
his arm. 'af gar
THE IxspEcrISG OFFICER.
Supervising Inspector General Dumont has received
Metropolis. from which u appears maj tnc steamer
was inspected by Andrew Crait, assistant hull IN
spector and John W. Bake assistant boiler inspector
Captain Dumont has ordered thorough investigation
by tho inspectors at Philadelphia
MAIL POUCH PICKED Up.
The mail pouch that was sent 10 the South Atlantic
squadron by The late steamer Metropolis was picked
up on the beach ana taken caro- Of by the EMPLOYS:
OF the life SAVING service. Tue Postmaster General
has teegrapned to Currtuck beach, asking that the
pouch may be immediately sent TO tho Navy Depart
ment, as 1t contains important naval dispatches.
WHO is RESPONSIBLE ?-sTATEMENT OF CAP
TAIN ANKERs-rHE LIFE SAVING PATROL.
Captain J. II. Ankors, commander Of tho steamer
Metropolis at the time OF the wreck at Currituck
Beach, arrived in this city yesterday afternoon from
Norfolk and reported to his employers. Aessra Lunt
Brothers. No 92S South street. Here areporter ofths
HERALD shortly afterward found him, and from his
lips obtained statement touching the condition
OF the Metropolis well as the conduct or tho lilo
saving patrol at the OF the wrock In response
W . query oil tho reporter Captain Ankers stated
that tho Metropolis was thoroughly seaworthy and
In hrst class condition when she slariod upon
her voyage. "It had not known the vessel was
thorough seagoing crait,n no said, 81 would never
have placed my loot upon her deck. Aud 10 substan-
tiate my statement am willing TO take command Of
duplicate ship to the Metropolis Tomorrow. She
was by no means rotten, but every piece OF timber IN
her was comparatively new. She was not merely
longthened, but rebuilt throughout and was, for
WAS made by a passenger named Hawkins thai ho mad
picked up pieces o the deck which chppsd OH peheatn
his feel, and the statement mas been used
as q proof that the vessel was unseaworthy Now,
the fact OF the matter is that the deck upon which
Hawkins picked up those pieces was tue hurricane
ROTTEN riMBERs COMMON IN SHIPS
ssIn fact the hurricane deck nothing but prone
made deck, and 10 intended more Tor ornament Than
use. But despite Hawkins statement, the joints OF
sss nosa Covered sn Alter wreck
! inspected some OF the timbers that came asnorc
and found them good and sound Tners may have
THAT'S nothing, for nearly every vessel that
floats has more or less rotten timber in her yet
ourri,usk Beach, ,m,neda,sly amer tho wrocE, Cap.
tam Crein, OF the Board OF underwriters, was tnerc
shsn being circulated that the ship was IN an unsea-
worthy condition. He gave u as his opinion that no
the Metropolis breaking up as raptdv as she
d." -..
rHs LIFE SAVING PATROL.
ISIS u true asked tho reporter that the lifs saving
FRO! were negligent in rendering you assistanoer'
-It ia, replied Captain Ankers, "and II 10 TO this
l ascribe the entro responsibility Tor the dreadful
DO you think the patrol could your vesscls'
DO not understand now ,,,a they could mol not; s ioT'
TO see the lighthouse on she beaon, and quite dis-
Iy at that"
aa' p" did the 0'''0' 90 "n'0 'n'' ''A'D'' 'n'
Yen. they did absolutely nothing, unless I except
act that they dragged some OF the people out or
Turf alter they had been washed from the vessel
came the rescue Of tue wreck with two
ds OF powder and three shot, together with
ar and a hali.inch line Now, this was simply
:sh They should have brought moro powder
shot ana stronger, AS we'll as larger Inns l un-
and they had a keg OF powder At tne station
o. and It is "a mystery 10 me that they lett it be-
We then saw that iitte OF no hoIp could be
,cted from the PATROL SO we jumped IN and swan
ere washed TO the shore"
What were your facilities on board for saving
OF the most perfect kind. Wo had go Iie-saving
.eis, while the number OF souIs on board was but
!. Every soul could have beon saved had not the
swept many away bciorc they had time 10 collect
cir tnousnts."
NOT ovERLADEx
"ls IL true that the vessel was 0veriadenf'
'It Is not The tonnage o The vessel. was 819, and
all we had aboard were 900 tons oi railroad iron aud
ihen you 90 not ascrlbo tao loss Of tho vessel TO
any fault IN ner construction or outhtr
II DO not II was caused by that frghtiul gale In
SKETCH OF CAPTAIN ANKERs
Captain Ankers medium sized man, about forty
years He has followed the from his 10Y hood,
but his first executive position was attained IN 1861.
when he WAS appointed chief ofliccr OF tho irIgAte
Potomac. His hcxt post OF duy was the quartcrdeck
The Crcassian, when he was ordered 10 the supply
boat Seneca. all government vessels during the great
rebellion. He was next ordered 10 the sloop-
oi-war John Adams aud toward the close oi
the rebellion became c0mmandant OF tire United
States frIgate Gcmgbok. Alter the war no
maudcd ,ne brig j. W. johnson, owned by the firm OF
u. W. Richards Co.. OF this city, aaa engaged the
trade with the Canary Islands. HIS next position
executive officer OF tpe brig rie, owned ny Messra
Lunt Brothers, OF this city. He also chief officer
OF the steamer Monterey when that vessel went on
trip Peru The interests OF the Peruvian gov
erpmonL lin the carly stages Of the Cuban
Captain Ankers espoused tho cause OF the ln-
surgents, and was nado chicf officcr Of tho
insurrcctionary steamer hornet, winch LEFT this
city In 1870 aud Pori-auPrince by the st.
Domingo Com MISSION Alter tho Hornet was seized
and boiicd Captaia Ankers joined apary TO explore
French Guiana, aud In tnat connection commanded
the steamer Electric Spark His next employment
was as chief officer OF the Henry Cnauncey, vi tho
Pacific Mail, with Commander Cray. With The latter
officer he transferred To tue Acapulco. or tho
same line. He thch became COMMANDER OF tho Henry
Chauncey and ran her until 1876, when
she was hauled OF the service. Ho then IT.
ted out Fall River for the Haylian govern
ment, after winch chief ofncor OF the City
of Chester when that vessel made her hrst trip 10
California He was also commander OF the Colon, OF
the same line tor time until December oil last
ysar, when no took command OF the Metropolis.
Aukersi cmn0Yera. HrOlneYa. spAak