The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-16
WHAT VESSEL WAS IT?
Fragments Of n wreck sighted. and n Life
boat Picked UP In the Atlantic.


On June tho schooner Anita, Capt. Small,
arrived here from st. Pierre. Martinique. and
reported that on the LIST inst large quantity OF
tho debris OF wreck. apparently that Uf
steamer. had boon encountered twelve miles
southeast OF Fenwick's Island lgonorally
marked on tho maps as Fenwick's bcachl.
north OF Worcester county Maryland, and
north of Assate ague Island. Doors. mouldings.
deck planks. and other fragments were strewn
about upon tho waves. and bout painted
black. was picked up. but nothing boro any in
dcation Of tho name OF the Inflated vessel OF
which these were tho remnants.
Three days later tho schooner Lottie. Speed
master. arrived from Virginia. and her log bore
tho record OF cncountering drifting mass OF
WRECK doubtless the Same sighted from the
Anita 1t was of Chincoteague light. on the
south end OF Assatcague Island. at six
o'clock on the morning Of the 9TH inst. that
Capt. Speed deserted the floating fragments.
All dry shattered planks. rails and cabin or
stateroom doors were to bo seen, and at six
o'clock in the evening. when on westward
tack tho Lottie picked up metallic lifeboat.
empty. On the thwarts OF the boat were burned
her number and the name OF her maker. " l..
The schooner William Todd recently ar
rived from Cnas. and her master, CAPT.
he had seen floating. and hnd picked up, the
deck house OF n steamer. empty and devoid OF
any name or mark of Identification.
II ia an open question whether this wreck can
have been the same fragments OF which We're
sighted from the schooner Mary W; Hupper,
sumner master in latitude "a ~ longitude
81 AZ, of the southern coast OF Florida. on
May 81 Nautical men do not believe that II
was but the fact remains. novcrthecss that the
Mary w. Hopper sighted qunrter-deck frag-
mcnts and the after part OF the house OF n
steamer. Just what the William Todd saw and
picked up If II was the same the wreck must
have noated n great way north. and then started
on return voyage scuthward on It's own ac-
count 49,
l.. Raymond the manufacturer Of the metallic
lifebOat recoV hy tho IOttic. died several
years ago, but his business is still carried IN by
his son. Lewis II. Raymond. at 100 Avenue ID.
referring TO his fathers books, Mr. RAYMOND
says that In 1850 there were built two metallic
iteboats each % foci long, numbered JO9 ana
$40. for the steamship Philadelphia. They were
delivered on oct. TO- Of that year and the boat
picked up WIS no doubt one OF them, as they
are practically indestructihle and would be. II
decently treated, rs good now as they were then
Tho numbers Of his boats have risen some
twenty-five hundred since those were made
and in the multiplicity " business he has Tor
gotten all about the philad 'lphia.
From other authority II Is learned that inc
Steamship Philadelphia was built in 1860: n
Wilmington, Del. for the firm OF \. l.. u
Griswold ot this city She was only EOS feet IN
registered tonnage was 3g7 tons. She was q
sido wheel steamer. and had beam engine
with i2-inch cylinder and IL feet stroke Ac
cording TO the American lloyds' oi 1871, she
was last seen in August. 1876. Both member.
Of the firm for whom she was built are dcad
In view Of the many changes in ownership
which may hcfnll lifcboat. there does not seen
any strong probability oi aseertaining pos iivc
men are. however. agreed that no steamer iron
this port is missing.