The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-04

AnILkrATEDsrEAHsHIP.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
The Magnificent s.Ciiy OF Vera Cruz-uitl
all on Board, Believed to Have BeeI
Lost nj sea.
Nxw YoKx, September s.-A specia
dispatch from St Augustine, FloridA,says
There is very little doubt that tn,
steamer aoity Of Vera Cruz" of the Mex
ican Line, which sailed from New Yorl
on the 18th Of August for Havana ant
Vera Cruz, went iown in the recent hur
ricane, which has already strewn oul
coast with wrecks. The terrible discovery
was made yesterday, when portions Of the
mail carried by the Inflated vessel were
washed ashore some miles south of this
city. One mail bag contained letters fol
Cuba and Mexico which hsd been posted
IN Paris, France, August 18th; and anoth.
er lot was found with envelopes bearing
the post marx OF New York, August Is
This at once indicates that the lost vessel
Twas mail steamer bound for Southern
port, and the surmise was that It mus,
nave been the City OF Vera Cruz, as she
left New York on the day last named.
Closer examination showed several bills Of
lading OF the-steamer Vera Cruz.
Saturday evening large steamer. sup
posed to have been the Vera Cruz, passed
| The brig Caroline Eddy, then about sixty
miles from the coast of St Augustine.
This brig was soon alter struck by the hur-
ricane and wrecked, drifting on the beach
near the place where the last letters were
found. At the time the steamer was
sighted she was headed south. The City
Of Vera Cruz must have been struck by
the hurricane, and probably foundered,
Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Every hour brings news Of some start
ling discover in regard TO the supposed
wreck. A body Of lady and that Of lit
tie child have been found on the shore,
cast up by the waves. They were buried
by party OF wreckers on the sapds near
the place where they were found. This
makes already five bodies recovered,
three tthers being eorpses OF unknoW
men. Two from their dress are thought
TO be passengers, aud the other was
evidently sailor.
The shore for over forty miles south Of
this place iastrewn with the cargo of the
steamer. A trunk was found marked
"Hermsndez." This corresponded with
1.-THE name Of lady on the passenger list Of
the City OF Vera Cruz, as appears in the
New York papers Of last Thursday.
The mails, or at least all that could be
recovered oi them, were brought here yes
terday aud will be fafEsrded 70 their des-
tinAtion. Two sailing yesasls, lp addition
to the brig Eddy, have come ashore since
the gale near here. The signs are that the
hurricane has been very fatal TO shipping.
The City OF Vera Cruz was wooden
vessel. .ST4 toms register, built at Green
Point d. L, in 1874, Tor Alexander &
iSonss line Setweenthis atty, Hayana srd
MEXICO. In which trade shs NRs employed.
she Wss screw vessel 296 feat long, 81
ieet beam and 26 feet deep, and had 9
Idrapght of 10 teet Of water. She had three
dects. was bjR.rigsed, and her motive
power consisted OF Two Gompound-cylin-
der engines. Her propeller vas - ieet
inches in diameter, with pitch oi g ieet
Iron strips four inches vide and i've.
eiVhts OF an inch iu thickness, doubled
and disgoually laid strengthened the YES
| sel very materially. She had accommoda,
tion for 100 passengers, and was hnely iur-
nished. Capt. Esa Sick was commando,
and Captain Horn was ant officer. She
carried crew Of fifty picked men.
1he Superintendent OF Foreign Mails
at Washingtou. Yesterday telegraphed
Postmaster James, OF this city, as follows:
TThe postmaster OF St Augustine, Fla,
having tslegraphed the Postmaster Gen.
4 eral to-day as folloEsi "A lot OF foreign
mail was washed ashore and has been de-
lliyered 10 me-. Shall loose package and
dry letters2 What disposition shall !
make OF same2 Letters from France via
New York for Havana That officer has
been IIGtTucted by wire, after DRYING the
letters washed eshore TO make up as nearly
a. possible 10 condition received and for
ward 10 the postmGeter At ew Hork."
The liusS5 got copy Of this dispatch,
made an investigation and settled beyond
a doubt that the recovered mail is part OF
thst sent from this scity In the steamer City
Of Vera Cruz. That vessel took an IN
usually large consignment Of French
mails Of this description, there being no
less than nine bags altogether, while the
Niagara, steamer which left the day
following, took none whatever. Il Il
suggested that in the event OF an accident
to the CITY Of Vera Cruz, or II the steam
er became eunmanAReable In storm, the
crew and passengers might have taken TO
the boats, bringing the mails with them,
and have aiterHSrd thrown the malll
i overheard to tighten the boats. The Post.
office authorities here say the mail gashed
ashore. and post marked New York, An
gust 25. and Paris, August Is, indicates
! that the mail arrived here by the Bolivia
from Liverpool, and was dispatched BY
the City OF Vera Cruz at the Office OF the
Alexadria hue.
up TO noon to-day no further iniorma'
ton as to the reported loss Of the Ven
!, Cruz has been received, though an answer
TO the dispatch 10 st. Augustine, Florida
asking for details Is momentarily expected
The owners do not believe that the steam
i er hss been lost, but think she encoun
tered hurriSaue, during which the mai
, and baggage went overheard. They pro
nounee her one Of the strongest vessels II
the world. She was on the dry-dock pre-
yious 70 her last trip. The vessel VA
worth two hundred thousand dollars
, and Il insured in London and America
! Many OF the relatives and friends Of the
J. pas ,engers and crew are at the othcl
z awaiting information. Captain 2. Harris
who commanded the steamer on her pre-
! yious voyage, Is on board. The ehiei en-
gineer Is named Miller, and the purser
i Burke.
Among the passengers Of the Vera Cru
was Major Gen. Alfred A. Torbert, VIII
distinguished himself during the rebellion
A q cavalry commander. Gen. TorbeI
? was attached the army Of the West ant