New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-08
LOST WITH ALL ON BOARD.
THE FATE OF THE STEAMSHIP EUREKA.

IN COLLISION WITH THE BRITISH STEAMER BENZ
SON IN FoG-NowHERE TO BE SEEN WHEN
THE FOG LIFTED
NoRFoLKVa, May THE Morgan Line steamer
Eureka, which left New. York on May for New
orleans, was In collision about fifty miles off Cape
dcnry on Sunday, shortly after e o'clock, with
the British steamship Benson from Matanzas to
Philadelphia The Benson struck the Eureka
amldships, and from the fact that the formers
DOW was stove in, it is thought that the Eureka
must have been cut down to the waters edge
The mate Of the Benson says he saw the name
Eureka on the vessel. The Benson lay to, and
when the fog lifted the Eureka was nowhere in
sight. The natural inference was that she must
have gone down with all on board.
AT the time Of the accident, thick fog prevailed.
The Eureka was heard to blow her whistle after
the collision. The Benson crused round for
several hours, when she fell in with the steamer
Hudson of New-York and was towed into Hampton
Roads, arriving there this morning. Nothing has
been heard Of the Eureka along the coast and no
wreckage has been washed ashore.
Captain Aitlenhead, of the British steamship
Benson, says that the weather on Sunday morning
was alternately fair and foggy. At noon the fog
was so dense that he could not take observations
and took soundings to ascertain HIS position. After
taking soundings, and while the ship was going
Slow, he went below to look at the chart and found
he was about sixty miles east of northeast of Cape
Henry and about so miles south Of east by south
Of Cape Hcnlopcn. While he was below he heard
his ship give one whistle and hurried on deck
The mate told him vessel was on the port bow.
lie gave the proper signal and ordered his helm
to port when two blasts from the approaching
steamer caused him to starboard his helm, and as
his vessel was swinging around, the unknown ship
loomed up through the fog and came down on him
at full speed His bow struck her squarely just
abaft the bridge on the starboard side. Before
the unknown ship was lost to sight in the fog
the mate read her name, Eureka"
The Benson lay to, and when the fog lifted in
about half an hour, the Eureka was nowhere in
sight. 1t has been suggested that the Eureka
might have been hidden by the fog, then lying
some miles to the south OF the Benson, but this
is thought impossible as the Eureka was struck in
her most vital part The Benson would have
sunk at once but for her water-tght compart-
ments. The hole in the Benison's bow is an ugly
one and when the collision occurred the rush of
water carried away everything In the forecastle.
There are nineteen inches OF water in the Benisons
second compartment, and she is now lying on the
bottom here in q sinking condition.
At this port the Eureka is thought to have had
no Passengers on beard. She was commanded Nv
Captain X. Quick and had a crew of thirty seven
hands, all told. She was built by Cramp & Son,
In August 1884, and has registered tonnage of
of 1851 gross and 2,562 net tons. She was Of
iron, with four masts, schooner rigged and had
six water-tght bulkheads and three decks Her
measurement is reported as 35l feet long at the
water line, az feet beam, and 30 feet s inches
depth OF hold. The value of the ship is stated to be
$75, 900, and the cargo 81 GO, 900, both of which
are covered by insurance.
The Benson is an iron steamer Of about 500
ship Company, of Barrow, England
The officials Of the Morgan Steamship Line do
not believe that the Eureka is lost, but think
IL she was the vessel which was struck by the
Benson that she had steamed away before the
fog lifted. The Eureka had full general cargo
of over 1000 tons the greater part Of which con-
sisted Of provisions