New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-03
RJJMORED LOSS OF A STEAMER
THE AMERIoUE SAID TO HAVE FoUNDERED.

THE AMERIQUE SAID TO HAVE FOUNDERED.
,us REPORT CURRENT AT PLYMoUTH-A HEAVY
GALE OFF THE ENGLISH COAST
heavy gale prevailed on the English coast
nm Saturday night and yesterday. causing many
wrecks and the loss of several lives The rum0r
was current in Plymouth, England, last.evening
that the AmerQue, of the General Transatlan-
tic Line, from Hayre for New-YOrk, had found
ored in the gale. No confirmation OF the re-
mort could he obtained in London The Ame-
rioue has already met with two serious accidents,
having been abandoned of the French coast in
Anril. 1874, and having run ashore on the
New-Jersey coast in January, 1877.
THE REPORT UNCONFIRMED IN LONDON.
,.sstxG THE LIZARD ALL RIGHT-wRECKs CAUSED
BY THE STORM.
1oxnoS Sept. 2-It is rumored at Plymouth
.hot the General Transatlantic COmpany's steamer
Aoor;oue CAPTAIN Sauteli. which sailed
from Hayre Yesterday for New-York, has foundered.
The Ameriaue passed the Lizard, OFF the southwest
extremity of Cornwall all right last
night. A heavy gale prevailed throughout
Tno,and on Saturday night and Sunday. doing
much damage to property. Many wrecks and some
loss of life are reported.
Later-Inquiry fails TO conhrm the IepoI' VI 'no
founderng of the steamer Amerlque.
THE VESSEL AND HER HISTORY
pEscR,PTION OF THE srEAMER-oNCE ABANDONED
AND ONCE RUN ASHORE,
The Amerioue. which has been considered TO Dc
one of the best steamers OF the 0ehera.
Transatlantic Line, was an IRON vessei Vi
1900 tons burden. She was built at ST. Nazare
in 1867 at a cost Of over 81 ,OOOOOO IN gold' auu
wastben named the Eugene II lmperatrce she was
originally intended for the West indian anu oou'h
American trade In 1878 the vessel was recon
stmcted and heightened at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and
..r- ond ;mnroved machinery was added. Though
not as large as other vessels OF the same
linz the Aueriaue has been considered TO be
one of the stanchest The dimensions of the vessel
were: : Length of deck, 40 feet; breadth of beam,
AZ feet 6 inches; depth of hold, 80 feet inches;
draft at load line "a feet. She was provided with
four decks and was bark-rigged, The bottom
Mating of the Amerique was seven n-eighths OF an
inch in thickness while that of her sides was three
fourths of an inch thick. Her strength was aug
mented when she reconstructed by the appiica-
tion of stringers to every deck. Her engines were
four in number and of 1000 horsepower. The vessel
had SIX water-tight bulkheads The accommoda-
tions for passengers on the Amerique included an
attractive main saloon, the width of the ship below
the spar deck, which had panels of solid marble and
ornaments worked i'll gold. She had berths for liz
frst-cass and ia second-ciass passengers, the
frst-ciass stateroOms being forward and aft OF the
saloon and the second-class ones on the deck. On
the 14th Of April, 1874, while on the way from
New-York, the officers, crew and passengers
of the Amerique abandoned her during
violent tempest near the Island OF Oshant,
tweuty-six miles northwest of Brest. The officers
believed that the ship was sinking when they took
A.. on liah
and Italian vessels that were near by. Of
the $50 persons on board all were saved except
the second captain, Garay, who had saved hls life
by swimming when the Vile de Hsvre went down
in November, 1873. The Amerique, however. was
afterward picksd up while floating in the
Atlantic by an English steamer and
was taken to Plymouth. She was re6tted and was
placed under the command of Captain Alfred
Pouzoz, an officer of the French Navy. In
the latter part of 1875 she was detained
for long time at sea py
broken shaft. She sailed from New-iorK on NoVein-
ber 13. 1875, and on the 2lst she was met by the
steamship China, which took her malls
and some of her passengers. She then
proceeded under sail for Havre, and when
news of the accident reached the company the Vile
de Brest was sent in search of her. She was found
ON December during a heavy gale, and three
days later the Vile de Brest took her in tow and
arrived at Queenstown on Dec. Is. She was placed
in the dock and repaired, aud afterward continued
her VOYAGES regularly between New-York until
January, 1877.
STRANDED FOR THREE MONTHS.
About 8 o'clock on the morning OF January z,
1877. the Amerique, while on her way from Havre
IN New-York went ashore at SeabrIght, n. j., dur
ing thick weather and while under the charge of a
Mot. There were ffty-four passengers,
and the officers and crew numbered
1872. Captain Pouzolz was her CON-
mapder at the time and soon as the vessel
struck he sent q boat ashore for assistance The
boat in its passage capszed and three
sailors were lost. The patrol of Life Saw
ing Station No. soon discovered the vessel and
with aid of Station No. 4. the passengers aud the
crew were landed safely by means OF the lie car.
The captain remained aboard until the Coast
WJeckIng Company took charge OF the vessel lhe
cargo valued at 100000 was taken
from the ship, and then the wrecking company
began to make efforts to save her. FIVE immense
hawsers were led IRON the stern OF the
heavy ship over the starboard quarter away
frem the shore, apd made fast 10 heavy
anchors These were connected with the steam
windlasses on board the Amerque and at high tide
they were pulled taut aud every swell passing under
the the vessel taken advantage of III hopes that
she might float. The top mass and yards were sent
down and all superfuous weight was sent ashore.
Gradually the AmerQue was drawn seaward, and 1t
was said that all that was wanted was a northeast
wind, which would surely increase the swell and
lift the vessel out Of the sand bed The waves that
struck the shore at either end OF the long vessel
pushed quantities OF sand before them and gradual
IL bult bar around the yessel thus increasing the