New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-30
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.


A dense fog closed in on the steamer the
City OF New York. about 10 O'Clock Saturday when she
was about fifteen miles south of Barnegat Light, bound
for Havana, with sixteen passengers, the mails ana
miscellaneous cargo The steamer had left her pier IN
this port about p Directly after the fog set In the
whistles were blown at intervals of half minute About
1O:45 D. M another foghOrn heard close by, and I'm
medatey the bark Helen crossing the bows OF
the steamer The engines stopped and reversed;
but before the could be stopped she had cut
into the IRON hull of the bark few feet forward OF the
mizzen-mast Immediately after cries were heard,
"Stand by. We are cut In two"
W. H. Taylor, the mate of the Helen. after calling to
the captain and watch below to themselves sprang
to the steamers anchorchain and climbed on board.
-Four OF the Heens sailors climbed up IN the rigging;
three OF them tried to get on board OF the steamer Dut
one fell overheard and drowned. The other re-
NAMED in the rigging TO be taken OFF afterward by the
steamers small boat In charge Of second mate Johnson
An examination was then made Of the steamship and
it was found that she had lost large part of her stem
arge hole made in her port bow ten feet abaft the
stem, and another about four feet from the STEM
Through these holes the water was pouring into the
steamships hold. The bark sank within three minutes
after the collision Her masts remain out OF the water
She lies in lat 39' 80 North long. 74o West From the
cries heard board OF the bark when she was struck
II IS believed that the boatswan, cook and boy were
killed by the collision. The captain was asleep in his
stateroom and probably drowned.
After remaining In the vicinity OF the wreck over two
hours the City NewYOrk returned TO port and barely
escaped collision with other steamers. The main
engines and pumps kept running all day yesterday
TO keep the vessel free from water. Her cargo is being
transferred 10 the City OF Mexico OF the same line,
which Will sail tomorrow The City Of NewYork VIII
90 into dock for repairs 1t stated that very little
excitement occurred the steamer from the collision
and that the Mexican Mail officer Yelez slept soundy
that he was not aware OF what had occurred uhu ne
awOke yesterday morning.
The Helen was an iron bark OF 2s2 tons burden, built
in Dundee Scotland, In 1867 and owned by John
Machan & Coz OF Dundee She left Cardiff, Wales with
coal for Havana. March II, and sailed from Havana
for NewYork on June 49, with cargo Of 553 hossheads,
40 boxes ana 1877 bags OF sugar.
THE LIST OF THE LOST.
The following is list Of the members or the crew OF
| the Helen who were lOsti
BARCLAY. CAPTAIN ROBERT; Of Montrose, Scotland,
forty-nne years old. He leaves wife and one son.
lie was Ssee TINS s was hs second Voyage on the
Helen. which he had commanded one year ne nag
been master OF vessels tor twenty-three years, ana
was wrecked once before, about twenty-five years
is P bI 1G S co hhs man he
twenty-three years old, single He fell overheard
as he was climbing on 20 tho steamer .
Ross, JAMES. Apprentice; seventeen years old, Ross
was asleep in his berth and supposed to have been
killed by the collision
l
his berth, and supposed TO have been killed by the
shock.
William H. Taylor the mate OF the bark tells the fol-
<yiug story Of the accidentI a. took the deck at
o'clock and the captain went below In few minutes
he came changed the of the vessel one and
one-half points to the eastward. He then went below
again. leaving orders to be called at midnight At 9
o'clock 1t began to be fOggy and hour afterward It
was thick 1 stationed two lookouts forward, with
orders TO blow the foghorn and had the vessel under
short sail. At 1045 heard steamers whistle. aud
about three later saw her masthead light on
our port beam. ran 70 the cabin called tue captain
ana told ali hands to save themselves. he steamer
was then so that II was Impossible 10 AVOID a
ns about FIVE feet forward OF the rigging, cutting
us nearly IN two and carrying away our mZzen top,
70 rouse the others Of the crew. and climbed the
| steamers cable. At the same time GaOreuson took
hold anchor stock but ne fell overheard ana was
drowned IN the meantime the two men at the lookout
and two OF watch below got In the ships main rig
ling and three OF managed to climb aboard the
steamer. William Maragan staid In the rigging unul
| the ship went down, and was then picked up py the
| steaner,s boat. AS the steamer struck us L heard
shrieks from below, and think the men asleep were
injured by the collision. Three minutes aItSr%nra one
burniag and although did not change our course
been avoided"
WHAT THE OFFICERS OF THE STEAMER SAY.
Captain Deaken, when the CITY OF New-York reached
her pier reported the fact Of the collision TO her owners
Later conversation he said that the NeW-fork lett
PIER North River AT 4&O p. IN, Oh Az
$3.50 having crossed the bar the pilot was discharged,
and the snip steamed along in company with other
southern-bound vessels The weather was hazy and
the wind was strong from the South. At O45 Barnegat
Light was about four miles west
Five minutes later" said the Captain. the weather
cleared and turned IN. At lO:4O the accident oc-
Cured At that time the weather thick and foggy.
The whistle was blowing at regular intervals Second
Orcer Johnson was in charge or the deck and the first
intimation he had Of vessel lying in the immediate VI
Guilty was the sound of fog horn He responded to IT,
starboard bow. The engine bell was at once rung 10
stop and back, but the collision was inevitable. The
bark was running the steamers DOW ana just De-
fore the collision she lured The steamer struck heT
few feet forward OF the mizzen rigging. -Four OF rhe
crew OF the bark climbed on board Tue steamer Inc
first who had hold Of our chains hung on Tor ieg
seconds ana then dropped into the and was drowned
deck just before me collision anu aief the
vessels had together, ordered the port quarter
Of IT. The boat was gone about hour and quarter
aud returned to the ship AT l22O WIN one OF Tue crew
tTe cis enabled the men in the boat to nd him
While the boat out the whistle was blown con
Helen went down within three minutes after the coils
ION The danag e TO the New-iork was found To be Sc
LIVED The shin was taking water so fast that 1t took
the donkey pump and blge apparatus TO Keep her cea
Her forward compartment filed with water BOout
O'clock Yesterday morning we headed for New-York:
while coming up the bay the tog was very nea.y anu
collisions with TWO other steamships were oatey
avoided one them just grazed US Shortly after thls
anchored, but al o'clock he fog elearea up sun
passengers on board conducted Themselves with re-
| mnrkable GOODNESS at the time OF the accident Two
| Young women, when they heard the disturbance ON
deck put their heads out OF the windows OF their state
rooms and inquired the OF the row. On being told
h state of affairs and being assured that there was no
danger they turned again There Was no excitement
| or c9uiusiOu among the passengers whatever"
| The second officer, Mr.. A. A. Johnson, VINO was III
charge Of the CITY Of New-fOrk up TO the ug o. Tue
Cnsion said that the fog began 10 set In thlck ABOUT
| 1910 Zen minutes later lie thought he heard tOg-
Gor1, on the starboard bow and he responded with
bast of lie whistle. Then the lookout called out that
ier was vessel thestarb0ard bows ana az me same
o,.nf no made her out. she heading In the OppO-
ate dirccon To the NewYOrK, aud she had kept her
eourse johnson says, would have struck tne steiner
| rIsncIng blow She luifed up 10 the wlnd however
| ~ b.xV an