Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-04
ANOTHER OCEAN DISASTER
Probable Loss of the Steamer Gity
of Vera Cruz.
COMPLETE LIST OF PASSENGERS
The Florida Shore strewn With the
Wreck and Rail Bags.
lspsclAt BY rrlEaEApn 70 THE nnooaD-umos.l

NEw York, September Sd.-A Herald ST.
Augustine special says: There is very little
doubt that the steamer City of Vera Cruz. OF
the Mexican line, which sailed from New
York the 18th day OF August for Hav ,na and
Vera Cruz, went down in the recent hurri-
cane which has already strewn our coast with
wrecks. Only the faintest hope remains that
any OF the passengers have survived This
terrible discovery was made here yesterday,
when portions OF the mail carried by the Ill.
fated vessel were washed ashore some miles
south of this city. One mail bag contained
letters for Cuba and Mexico, which had been
| posted in Paris, France, on August 18Th, and
another lot was found with the envelopes
bearing the postmark, New York, August
| 25th." This at once indicated that the lost
vessel was mail steamer bound for Southern
| ports, and the surnise was that it must have
! been the City OF Vera Cruz as she left New
| York on the day last named.
NEW YORK, September 3d.-A special
| from ST.. Augustine, Fla, gives reason to be-
lieve that the steamer Vera Cruz, of the Ha-
vana ard Mexican line, which sailed from
! New York August 25lh has been lost with
all the passengers and crew. Parts of the
mail she carried have been washed ashore.
and the cargo supposed to be hers strews the
shores for forty miles below st. Augustine.
Five bodies have also been washed ashore.
and a trunk bearing the name of one of the
| passengers on the ship. large steamer,
supposed TO have been the Vera Cruz was
seen Saturday last about sixty miles off shore
from ST. Augustine by brig which was
wrecked in . gale which broke out on Sun
day. On the following Thursday the mail
matter was washed ashore. Nothing is known
by the owners in New York concerning the
vessels fate. The wires in Florida connect
ing with the Havana cable are, unfortunately,
not working, so that no inquiries can be
made of the agents at Havana.
LIST OF Observation-Disclosures OF BODIES.
The Vera Cruz was steamship, and she
must have been struck by hurricane, and
probably foundered on Saturday night or
Sunday morning.
The following is a list of passengers who
sailed on the Cisy of Vera Cruz: Rafael
Arrue, Mrs r. Arrue. Walter Betchie,
Adoifo Kosgue, Miss E. Burns. Miss A.
Clark, George W. Cole, Miss Sadie Foy.
General Forbes, Il. Fuenks, q. A. Garcia
Mrs. G. A. Garcia, II. Glashy, j ohm Gladhill,
John GaInbay, Felipe Hernandez, Mrs. Her
nandez e. Liolefeld, Roieriguez a. Mar
tinez, K. a. Owen, J. RAvensburg, Miss T.
Pubic, o. 2. Silva, j. st. Maur Alexander
Wallenge, NJ. Welsh, Mrs. NJ. Welsh, IL.
Alexandra.
Among the passengers was Major-General
Alfred L. a. Torbert, who distinguished him
self during the rebellion as o cavalry COM
mauder. General Torbert was attached to
the Army of the West, and was a strong
friend of General Grant
One naail bag contained letters for Cuba
and Mexico, which had been posted in Paris
france, August 18TH Another lot was found
with envelopes bearing post mark of New
York, August 25th. This alone indicates
that the lost vessel was a mail steamer bound
for southern ports and the surmise was that
it must have 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. Every
hour brings news of some more startling dis
covery in regard to the supposed wreck. The
body of lady and "a little child have been
found on the Shore cast up by the waves
They were buried by party of wreckers, on
the sand near the place where found. This
makes already five bodies recovered, three
other being corpses of unknown persons.
Two, from their dress, are thought to be
passengers, and the other evidently sailor.
The shore for over forty miles south Of this
place is strewn with the cargo OF the steamer.
The trunk found was marked " Hernandez"
Two sailing vessels, in addition to the brig
Eddy, have come ashore since the gale near
here. Signs are that the hurricane has been
very fatal to shipping.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSEL.
The City of Vera Cruz was wooden ves-
sci of 1874 tons register, built at Green
Point, l.. L., in 1874, for Alexander & Sons
line between this city, Havana and Mexico,
in which trade she was employed. She was
screw vessel, 296 feet long, 81 feet beam and
20 feet depth of hold, and had draft of 10
feet. She had three decks, was brig rugged,
and her motive power consisted of two COM
pound cylinder engines. Her propeller was
Is feet inches in diameter, with pitch of
% feet. Iron strips, four inches wide and
fve-eighths of an inch in thickness, doubled
and diagonally laid, strengthened the vessel
very materially. She had accommodations
for 100 passengers, and was finely furnished
1t is suggested that in the event of accident
to the City of Vera Cruz, or if the steamer
became unmanageable in the storm, the crew
and passengers had taken to the boats, hav-
ing the mails with them, and had afterward
thrown the mails overheard to tighten the
boats. The Postotfice authorities here say
the mails washed ashore postmarked New
indicates that the mail arrival bara bv tIS, ths
Batavia from Liverpool and was dispatched
by the City of Vera Cruz.
WHAT THE AGENT SAYS.
Tba ooo,+ sa,s h. bos 80 buJ
',' Nv n''' 'io' neaiu any news
OF an accident to the steamer City OF Vera
Cruz, and that the vessel was considered ca
pable of weather;up any storm. She was
io,doa l;cht,r ond e. a,u,raaa.lh - g.
tain Vansiee an exnert seaman and a had .
crew of f;ftv p;cked men At tbe Office of
the Alexander line at noon to-day no further
iniormaton as y 70 tne reports OF the loss OF
Her oSers do not bal;aye the sansr 1eks lost
but think she encountered the hurricane,
during which the mail and baggage went
oseiooatu . nney plthounoe th ,i her one oa 'ne
strongest StedlIierS III Jle WOtlu. one was on