Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-20
A ROCK STRUCK IN A FOG.
THE STEAMSHIP GATE CITY
MEETS WITH A MIsHAP.


Her Passengers Put Ashore in Safety
without the slightest Panic-Heroic
Goodness OF the Captain and His on
cers-The Vessel Badly Damaged but
May be Raised.
NEW BEDFORD, MASS, July 19.-The
steamer Gate City, Capt. Hedge, of the
Boston and Savannah Steamship Line,
while on her passage from Savannah to
Boston, went ashore on the south side Of
the Island of Naushon, in Vineyard Sound,
at 7:15 O'Clock last evening,ln thick fog,
and now lies in about fifteen feet ofwater.
The steamer had been IN fog all day and
| for four hours had had ner engines
stopped. When she struck she was going
under one bell and had man heaving the
lead. She struck just as the man called
out: "We have no water"
TAKING OFF THE PASSENGERS.
A boat put off from the steamer and
went in search of help. Near Tarpauiin
Cove the boat encountered the steamer
William o. Brown, whi3h went to the
Gate City and took of thirty OF her fifty
| two passengers, and brought them to this
city, where they took the 5:25 O'Clock train
passengers and crew remained on the
Gate City, but it is thought that the Brown
will take them off on her next trip 10 the
! steamer.
STRUCK TWICE.
The Gate City struck twice, once on her
port bow and again about amidships, and
as she soon settled down her fires were
eXtinguished, and no efforts could be
made to get her off. She had large num-
ber of watermelons as freight. The pas
sengers VINO were landed saved all their
baggage.
GOODNESS OF THE OFFICERS.
They speak in high terms OF the cool
ness and courage of Capt. Hedge and his
officers, and say that owing to their
promptness there was 30 panic. All was
done for the comfort of the passengers
that was possible, and no blame for the
| accident attaches to those in charge of
the steamer. The fog had been thick all
! day, and when the steamer struck it was
| impossible to see more than few feet
ahead, although after she struck the fog
lifted and the land could be seen less than
the steamers length ahead.
DIVER SENT DOWN.
The Fish Commission steamer Albatross,
| Capt. Tanner, returned from the steamer
! Gate City at . o'clock this afternoon,
after having towed the Capt. Davis, a
wrecking scOw, to the wrecked vessel. A
! diver examined the ships bottom and re-
| ported the keel forward split aud broken.
! One piece six feet in length was sent up.
! The cardboard is started, and there are
two holes in the ships bottom. A big
| boulder, which the diver says is higher
/ than bls head, is directly under the ship,
near amidships, and has separated the
sn1p's bottom. The after compartment is
! filled with water, but it is believed to be
! tight and that the water ran in from the
! deck.
PROMPT ACTION NECESSARY.
There is twenty-four feet of water under
! the ships stern, and the ship can be
saved only by the promptest action, as
| her position Is dangerous one. II the
sea remains smooth until steam pumps
arrive she can be saved. Capt. l.. F..
Baker, with an experienced diver, has
| left here for the wreck. Four steam
! pumps and ample wrecking appliances
are now on their way from Boston and
! Will be on hand tomorrow morning. The
wind was southwest and blowing a mod
crate breeze this afternoon, with occa-
siOnal thunder squalls. 1t is expected
! that the $4,000 melons on board the Gate
City will have to be thrown overheard.
THE DAMAGE TO THE CARGO.
1t is impossible yet to say what is the
extent or the damage sustained by the
| cargo fthe vessel. With the exception of
| the melons it is likely to prove a total
! loss. The salt water will not spoil the
melons for some time, and, being buoy
ant, they will easily float as soon as the
! matches are removed and thus can be
| easily saved. The other merchandise,
! consisting of cotton and general mixed
/ stutfs, is believed. as usual, to be fully
insured, especially as at this season ma
| rine insurance rates are very low. The
signal service officers say that no rough
! weather may be expected on the coast
before Wednesday, by which time the
vessel, it is hoped, will be secured from
any further damage, There is a storm on
| the Gulf coast which is travelling north
/ east, and viii likely cause heavy seas
along the entire Atlantic coast. Even if
/ it travels at the accustomed rate its effec I
will not be felt in this section before forty
| eight hours.
RETURN OF TUG.
At 10 O'Clock last night the tug G. W.
! Hunt, which left yesterday morning with
party of newspaper correspondents for
Naushon Island, where the steamer Gate
City is stranded, returned. The steamer
| still lies in her former position with three
| OF her five compartments filed with water.
| NO attempt has yet been made to
/ get her off, as little can be done
| without the aid OF steam pumps and
| divers. They say the cargo will proba-
/ bly, prove total loss, and most of it is
already greatly injured by the sea water.
| Tue agents, Messrs. Allen & Whitney,
! state that the cargo is incurred for about
! $lOG.0o0, placed mostly in New York.
| Opinions differ as to whether the vessel
can be saved. The Captain and engineer
of the G.. w. Hunt, who are experienced
! in such matters, claim that she cannot be
drawn off the rocks, as she lies stranded
high and dry.
STICKING TO THE SHIP.
BosToN, July 19.-Al the officers and
crew OF the steamer renamed on board
when the passengers were taken off by
the tug, with the exception OF the baggage
master, who accompanied the passengers.
AT the office Of the company in Boston he
made the following statement: There is
not very much that | can tell you
about the affair. We simply ran aground
during dense fog, and that is all there
was OF it. This happened, l should
say, about 7:15 O'Clock Sunday
night. The shock TO the boat was
not great and the passengers were very
cool throughout the five hours they had to
wait before the towboat Brown picked US