Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-01-19
A HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
An uurAN STEAMER Uur I'D pir,.s
The CITY OF Columbus Submerged ON Rocks
"A IertipIe Chronicle OF Death-LIte
Hosts swsmpcd in the surf

/ n,
at three o'clock on Thursday afternoon,
struck a reef OF Gay Head, at the south.
western extremity of the island Of
| Msrtha's Vineyard, at 3.lj a. M, and be.
came at once total wreck. The steamer
| which was in command of Captain l.. T..
| Wright, of Boston, had successfully
| threaded the dangerous passage between
| Monomy Point, at a southern end of Cape
| Cod, avoiding numerous shoals and reefs,
aud had arrived of Gay Head light house
when she struck on the last obStruc ion in
her course, and, immediately careoning
| became a cOtliu for lO2 of the i26 persons
| who were on board.
The passengers, numbering 81, were all
asleep iu their state rooms aud bcrlhs
when the shock rudcly awakened them
and, they rushed 70 the deck IN their night
clothes, most OF them providing them
selves with life pIcSCTycTs rs they emerged
| from the cabins. The steamer carCened
as soon as she struck and her port side
was akOuCe dashed IN, the sea breaking
| into the cabin.
| Captain Wright, whose cOOlucss seems
not to have deserted him, i'm mediately had
| the boats cleared away, but they were
| swamucd as soon as launched, for "a gale
was blowing stiH from the westward and
! the sea was very high on the reef. The
lite raft Jared better and seven passengers
who entrusted themselves to It drifted
away iu safety.
WaShod Overheard by roEens.
Meanwhile passengers were being washed
| overheard by dozens. some forty of them
took tO the rigging, but even they were
not all safe, for the waves now aud then
snatched one aud bore him or her of in
their icy embrace. II was ten o'clock
before succpr came in the form of the Gay
| Head life boat, which took Oft seven per
sons. An hour later another life boat,
! came had then the revenue cutter Dexter
! came up aud took on board the remainder
| twenty one, aud started with them for
| New Bedford. Ca the way four Of these
rescued persons died, aud thus the uum
b,r saved dwiudl d to twenty four.
The Devils Bridge, on which the
steamer suuk. ia a dangerous reef, which
| iuts out tive eIGhths OF mile from the
| Gay Head prUmontory. At low water it
IS mostly bare. \ black run buoy marks
| its northwestern extremity, and as there
| Is plenty OF sea room to the north the reef
| Is not considered very dangerous, except
| III thick weather. \ few turns of the
screw more and the City OF Columbus
would have been free 10 shape her course
! for the Carolina coast.
The Lost.
The 10 loving Is a list Of thuss lost
| William Wright and wife, of GG1 East
! Fourth street. Boston Z. ;. Rand aud
wife, lawyer, 80 Fort avenue, RoNbury
| /. VI. Hale, produce dealer, Boston Lew
Lawrence, residence unknown George
A Kellogg, residence unknown DR.. II.
G. Bartlett and wife, residence unknown
Mr. >. hGane, residence uuknOwu Mrs
d. K. Small, southampton, Mass Miss
ID a. ,l-r,. IL
residence unknown; Oscar lasigi, Turk
ish consul general, l29 Marlboro street,
Boston \. J. Morton, Boston Globe
Helen Brooks, Northboro, Mass Mr and
Mrs. {. \. Rand and son, Boston Mrs
Henry Slade, Chelsea, Mass x. Is. Bel
yea, wife aud two children, residence uu-
known Mrs j. Atkinson, residence un-
known Mr.. l.. Davis, residence un-
known; Mrs. II. J. Kellogg, residence
unknown G.. Richardson aud wife,
residence unknown >. Vance, residence
unknown; Henry l.. Bachelder aud WIFE.
10 Everett avenue, Dorchester c. r.
James, residence unknown James \. |
Merrill, Boston Henry +. Daniels aud |
wife, residence unknown. Following are |
those on the raft wOse fate is unknown
a. Morrison, chief engineer Edwin Ful
Ter, hrst mate Augustus Hardin, second |
neer William Fitzpatrick, pantry man.
The Lost vessel
Ilo city Of Columbus was a tine iron
vessel If 1000 tons, built by John Roach
in lSis, aud has always run between
Savannah and New York and Boston. She
was purchased by the Boston anC Savan-
nah steamship company in lSs2, and has
since run 90 their limo with her companion
ship the Gate City. She was fully
equipped aud spleuddly appointed and
iurnIshed-a delightful vehicle for winter
pleasure travel. She had accommodations
for Il persons in the first cabin aud ll5 iu
the seCOud cabin and was worth $500 900.
She was insured for sl7O,O iu English
offices aud $50, 900 in American offices.
The New York underwriters hold a
policy Of 100000. The company has
carried more than 10000 passengers
during the career Of fifteen years aud has
not until uO6 lost life. The agents
here are 7. ". Nickerson u Co. Captain
Wright has Oeou in the cOmpany's service
ID years and never met with but one
accident before this, in September last, |
when be sunk the bark Arthur G. Wade |
Of Nantucket Shoals.
Captain wrights Telegram
The City Of Columbus, Captain Wright.
master, loft Boston for Savannah Friday |
afternoon at o'clock. +. w. Nickersun |
y Son, Of Boston, are agents OF the line. |
Captain Wright, as soon as he could reach |
a telegraph office, sent them tho following |
dispatch
New BEDFORD, Mass, jan. Is.
+. ", NickerSOR 4 Son:
Steamer City Of Columbu, ashore in |
Devils Bridge, Gay Head fast breaking |
up. About 100 lives lost. Win leave on |
early train IN the morning. Saved by the |
cutter, Dexter.
j. L. WRIGHT, Master"
Another account OF tue Dlss,t.r.
Captain Wright has made the following
statement regarding the loss Of tn, YES,
sci
"The City of Columbus left Boston at 3
p. M, on Thursday, carrying eighty pas
sengeGs and crew of forty five. At 3.45
a. IN. to day, Gay Head light rearing
south half east, the vessel struck on the
outside of Devils Bridge buoy. The
wind was blowing a gale west by north.
The vessel Immediately filled and keeled
over, the water breaking In and flooding
tho OF side Of the saloon.
All Of the passengers excepting few
women and children, came on deck, nearly
all wearing life preseTvers. All of the
boats were cleared away, but were imme.
diately swamped. A majority of the
passengers wore washed oyerbOrd. Seven
passengers left the vessel on q life raft, and
hon