The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-02

have sailed on the Metropolis. but preferred
waiting for the next vessel.
Capt ]. Henry Ankers. the commander of the
lost Metropolis, has his residence at iil Pulaski
street Brooklyn. where his wife and four chill
dren live. He brought his tcn-ycar-od son
here. expecting to take him on the voyage to
Para. but learning that n dangerous malady was
epidemic there. he sent his son back home. lie
has been in command of the Metropolis three
months. Before that he was in the employ ot
the Pacific Mail line MS Captain. ic is 30 years
old. the son of n sea captain. and has followed
the srn since boyhood, and is recognized a. q
skilful seaman. Nine years ago he was with
his father on n voyage. Their vessel was
wrecked and his father was drowned. lie mar
rowly escaped.
WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED IN NEW YORK
The loss Of the steamer Metropolis recalls
to the mind of u reporter for THE SrN II conycr.
sntion which he had with Capt. Ellis on the list
of last month Just as that officer was golhk
tO Bermuda ~ n passenger ON the steamer
Gamma Capt. Ellis had for a long time com,
manded the Metropolis. and was IN chargc oi
her when she mnde meE m,n1rhVN ~ New F Y"FFk
under sail He stated that though ne had
been offered thccon mand 81 the Ne,ropqiis ior
her trip to Brazil, he refused to RISK his me any
longer i'm her as he regarded her as utterly un-
senworihy. At the best. he stated. she was n
hrokon-down affair. and now she was being
ssnt to sea with dead load of railroad iron in
her hold and large number OF passengers on
her ggi"r deck. The strain 9n the ola h9ll
railroad iron would undoubtedly .disarrangc
her compasses. Besides. there would of ncses-
~
cargo between the heavy load OF iron on the
bottom of her hold and the load OF passengers
on her deck in which case she would be more
The Metropolis was built at Mystic. Conn. in
1861. She was sold 10 the Government in 1852,
and lifted up for hlockadng service. Aiterward
She was sold. and was laid up ut Dclamatcr $
iron works. She was then sold NJ auction in
ISL TO the, present owneri cut in two. ,9nd
muda route, and IN 1878 she broke her ma-
chn.ry. aud WI. three weeks under sail before
made wuirips on the Old Dominion line. Sine,
then she has been laid up IN Atlantic Bnsia and
! thoroughly overhauled. Mr.. Charles W. Cope,
land OF BROOKLYN owned one-c Eighth OF her aud
he regarded her ~ -tap'h md senworthy. Sht
! WAS never owned hy the Narragunscu Steam
| ship Company ns has been stated. That Me-
| trOpoli- was side wheel steamer.
Mr., George u. Iuut. of Lunt Brothers. at o
South street. part owners ot the VI NtrOpoliS
| said Yesterday that the steamship WIS not over
| loaded. Bytne conditions Of the contract un
| der which M.ssrs. =. a 7. Collins carried mer
| eh"ndlSe IN the steamship, the loading was t'
! he superintcndrd personally 10y one Of the own
| rrs. and that the owner was To- hnyf right {
stop the loading q, any time. Mr. l.uni hiwscl
! went To- Philadelphia and suprrnirnded th'
| shipping Of the cargo. But. lac added. II may h'
! thought that the owners were Interested in set
| ting aboard ~ large cargo rs could hc stow
away. because. thereby. the steamship could u.
! set to work az something else. That. be said
tain quantity of moNables Then the owne
/ would dtake large loads. But the contract wa
! lililt iit steamship SHOULD cost MtrSf~. L. " 1
! Collins certain sum Of money ever,
| day So il would naturally be TO the owners in
! tcrcst To- send light cargo.
Can't. Aukers an experienced. Trustworthy sea
! man. wrote. on the 29th inst from Delaware Bay
! that IN" ships draught on that day was clever
! feet and two inches forward and thirteen Zee
| AT. Mr Iunt had learned from Inspector Oar
| ling of the Atlantic Insurance Company tina
| the Metropolis could with perfect safety carry
cargo with sixteen feet draught. She could hav
| held 300 tons more. Capt Gibbs, who sailed II
| th" Metropolis to A-pnwal when she was oi
| the Old Dominion line. SAID ycstrriay. that h
used 10 load her two feet lower than she wa
londed 10y MIR. Lunt.
Inspectors Darling. Jones. Wilson. and Mar
tin saw the Metropolis on the dry dock nj III
foot Of Clinton street. where she was overhaul
ing for two or trre days Just before sailing 4
Philadelphia. They pronounced her III prOpc
condition 10 prosecute her voyage.
The iusurnncrs on the Metropolis were s2i
OOO In the ID 'lawnrc Marine and Fire lusuranc
Company and the same amount in the luSur
ance Company oi North America. Mr.. Collin
said that he felt 80 confident OF tho srnworthi
ness of the Metropolis that he elected ligh
insurance ou her and Mr.. Hand. President q
the Delaware Marine and Fire Insurance Com
pany. said that his company made an "Nnmina
tou Of TIA" vessel hefur" Issuing "a policy. an
had certainly thought her to be "A very fair r.Sl
Col George l.. Church. President II III" CON
pany. says that there were only 2bn persons /
the Metropolis, all told. and that she WAS IL
| overloaded.