Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-06-14
FIFTY LIVES LOST.
The Overdue Steamer Africa Given
Up by Her Agents.
sEysNTY-sW DAYS OUT FOR LEITH
In All Probability She Has Foundered
at Sea-SimiIar Misfortune to
Vessel of the Same
Line in 1881.

New YORK, June 13.-Today MessrS.
Senger Brothers, of this city, consignees Oh
the steamship Africa, which left this port
on March q for I.eith and has not since
been heard of, forwarded to Mr.. Edward
Carr, of Hamburg, owner Of the vessel, the
following certificate of Mr.. Harrison 8. Vim
ing, Chief of the Bureau of Inspection OF
the National Board of Marine UnderTrit-
ers, the consignees requesting him to give
such certificate, as the cargo is insured in
Europe and the steamer is given up as lest:
The Vessels Condition and Cargo.
This is TO certify that the German steam
ship Africa, built in Glasgow in 1879 SoS
tons net register, was loaded in March,
1888, under my inspection with Hour,
grain in sacks, &c Her cargo consisted OF
2l, 900 bushels of wheat in bulk and IA, 10
bushels in bags, 9,2l9 sacks of -four, 100
tierces of lard, and cases OF hoes, making
about l,S40 toes total dead weight, which
which put her down to the draught OF
water allowed by me. -.
Her cargo of grain was well slowed, with
shifting boards in lower hold and also
shifting boards between decks to keep the
bag flour from shifting.
The damaged shaft was taken out aud re-
placed by a new one, her decks were re.
caulked and her hull was in good order and
condition. Her cargo was well and oare-
fully slowed.
In nv opinion the above-named steamer
was in tit and proper seaworthy CONDITION
to proceed on her voyage to i.elth at any
season OF the year.
II. S. VIYING, Marine Surveyor, &c.
June II, 1888.
What the COnsjgnees Say.
In answer to inquiries of a reporter a.
the office of Messrs Seager Brothers the
following information was given IN regeri
TO the Africa. The vessel belonged to
Cars Hamburg Line. She left this port
on March - for Leith and Hamburg. As
she has been out seyenty.siX days, and no
tidings received concerning her, all hopes
of her being yet atioat has been abandoned.
There is no record OF steamer ever hay-
ing reached the other side on a similar
voyage after having been overdue the
len 9Th Of time the Africa has. For some
time past the marine under writer's have
not accepted the heavy premiums Tor ln-
surance offered by the shippers. Captain
BuchhOltZ was the name OF her command
er. He belonged to Hamburg and was
forty.six years old. Although he had
commanded steamer only few years,
he was considered competent navigator,
having had long experiences es captain of
sailing vessels and been mate of the PO-
lynesia of the line to which the Africa be-
longed when the former vessel was under
the command OF Captain Winkler, the
commodore of the fleet.
NORecord of Her Crew.
The names Of the other officers and the
crew OF the i'll fatei steamer are unknown
to the consignees, nor their exact number,
but it was calculated that there were be-
tween fifty and sixty persons on board
She was a comparatively new boat and
worth from $4,000 to $4,000. She had
been to the East Indies once and made
several trips across the Atlantic. Her last
voyage was from Rio Janeiro to this port
with cargo of coffee.
Theories ~ TO Her Loss.
As to the cause Of the loss OF the Africa
only theories can be advanced, owing to
the lack of any certain knowledge on the
subject. Her consignees attribute it TO
collision with another vessel or with ice.
The latter is considered the more probable,
as II is unlikely that two vessels should
come into collision even in mid ocean and
no trace of eitker, or of their crews be dis
covered. At the time the Africa left
March -, there were number.ot icebergS
rel orted as having been met on the voy
age by incoming vessels, and it is thought
that the Africa ran into one of the floating
ice mountains ard fOundered with all on
beard. Other shipping men think that
she may have become disabled through
some injury TO her propeller and been ul-
able by means Of her
Sailing Powers
alone 10 live through some storm that
overlook her. Ii will be noticed that IL.
spector Nining in his certificate alluies -
l.. koft -, n,, har
| last voyage TO this port she broke her shalt.
This was repaired, but the marine under
| writers refused to pass the work and or
dered that new shaft should be placed in
her. This was accordingly done. 1t is
not improbable that she may have broken
her shaft aga n after starting for Leith and
| the disaster arisen from this cause, espe.
| cially as there was some heavy weather
| about the lst Of April along the track she
| took.
Not Overloaded on Voyage.
In conversation with Inspector Nining
| under whose inspection the vessel was
loaded as to the possibility of the Africa
| having been overloaded, he said; The
steamer had draught OF twenty feet. She
was only loaded down to the draught of
| water given BY Inc when she cleared-nine-
| teen and seven-twelfths feet forward and
| twenty and one.twelfth feet aft. As yes-
sells run, she could carry eighty per cent Of
| her net registered tonnage, but on this yoy-
| age she had only about seventy-ive per
cent On former similar voyage in Janu-
| ary, 1851, which she made successfully, she
was loaded down hut one inch less than on
| this voyage. Steamers of her tonnage will
| tighten one inch every twenty-four hours
| from the consumption Of fuel. For the
reason that bag flour is as liable TO shift as
we'll as grain in bags, the Africa had shift
| ing boards in the between decks. She fin
ished loading on March 2G, al the Atlantic
Dock. and feel confident that the disaster
| which has doubtless over taken her was
| not due to her being overloaded or the
manner OF loading.
Description OF the Vessel.
Her dimensions were $50 lilo feet in
| length, l3 Clio feet breadth OF beam, and %
| feet depth of hold. She had four bulk
| heads. The engines were of the compound
| type. the cylinder being 81 and So inches
| by So inch stroke. Her horse power was
| l65 nominal.
The Africa is not the first vessel OF the
same line which has left this port and never
| been heard of atterward, a precisely similar
| case being that of the steamship America,
| which seiled from here in 1881, since which
| time no tidings have been received Of her
| or OF her crew.
CYCLONE.
Houses Unronfed and Trees Uprooted
In Missouri.