The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-01-26
DISASTER AT SEA.
Tho steamer City of Columbus Strikes
th, Ledge mt DEVILS Bridge-Over One
Hundred Lives Probably Lost.

BOsToN, January 49, +. w. Ncker-
son Son, agents of the Savannah steam
ship line, received the following dispatch:
NEW BEDFORD, Mass, January lS.-To
| K. w. Nj Nickerson & Son:-Tbe steamer City
Of Columbus is ashore on DEVILS Bridge,
Gay II cad, and is fast breakil up. About
hundred lives are lost. Will leave on the
early train in the morning. was saved by
the cutter Dexter.
(SIgned) S. E. WRIGHT, Master.
The City Of Columbus left Boston at 8 p.
M. on the 18th (Thursday). carrying eighty
passengers and crew of $50. At 3:45 a. m.
on Friday, at Gay Head light, she was bear
ing south, half east. The vessel struck on
the outside of tie DEVILS Bridge buoy.
The wind was blowing gale west by north.
The vessel Immediately filled and keeled
over, the water breaking in and flooding the
port side saloon. All the passengers, ex-
cepting few women and children, came on
deck, nearly all wearing life preseryers. All
the boats were cleared away, but were i'm
mediately swamped. A majority OF the
passengers were washed overheard. Seven
passengers left the vessel on the life raft,
and about 40 more took to the rigging. AT
1920 a. IN. the Gay Head life boat put off
and took seven persons. Another life boat.
put off between II and O'Clock, and the
revenue cutter, Dexter, came along
about 2:30 and sent off two boats. The
ledges on which the City of Columbus struck
are considered by mariners one of the most
dangerous points on the coast. The ledges
consist of 4 formation of submerged rocks,
constituting double ledge or outer strata,
which is called the ''Devi's Back" both
ledges being called the "Deyil's Bridge
These ledges are abreast Of Gay Head light
on the mainland and extend little south
ward of it. The outer ledge of DEVILS
Back is about eight miles from the mainland
on either side at the outer ledge is very deep
water. The upper part of the ledge is
formed like the gable of a house, so that a
vessel striking it diagonally would naturally
keel over onto her beam ends. The course
of vessels going around Gay Head is to pass
by the outer ledge on the south.
The total number ofpersons saved is two
hundred and thirty, and five dead bodies
were recovered, and one hundred and nine
teen souls were unaccounted for.
John IL. Cook, one of the passengers
saved, relates heart-rending scene: John
Roach, coal passer, dangled from the
main mast for two hours with his hands and
legs about the main stay. At length his
struggles grew feebler, until he dropped
into the sea. A passenger was astride the
stay and chung there from until nearly 10
a. m, when he too relinquished his fight
for life and fell into the ocean,. All those
rescued gave the highest praise to the ofli-
GERS OF the revenue cutter for the bravery
they manifested in saving them from the
wreck. All the survivors now aboard the
cutter are being cared for by the otfi-
GERS.
The City of Columbus was one of the
finest vessels on the coast. She was built IN
1898 by John Roach & Son, of Chester, Pa,
for the Ocean Steamship company, of New
Y ork, to run between that port and Hayana.
She was purchased by the Boston and Sa-
yannah Steamship company in september,
1880, and has since been plying between this
CITY and Savannah, making fortnightly trips
in alte ernation with her sister ship, the Gate
CITY. The Columbus was built of iron and
equipped. She was rated "A
for hundred years and was of 1897 tons
burden. She WIS go feet long and 80 feet
beam and had passenger accommodation Tor
a first-class and 40 second-cass passengers.
The steamship was insured at a lower rate
han any vessel on the coast and was valued
1t $500, 900, and insured for $3.50, 600; SlIo,-
BOO in English and $4,000 in American