The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-15
AN ALARMING RUM0R.
EXCITEMENT OYER A FALSE REPORT
OF THE Loss OF THE CITY OF ROME


N. f., Gives nm Unidentified ssilsr As
Authority for the Report that = Steamer
OF That Name Had Been Lost and Ne
Alone Had survived-The Anchor Line
Steamship City or Rome, However. 10
Reported to Have Passed Cape Race,
Bound East, On Tuesday Afternoon.
Not since the Oregon was wrecked OF Fire
Island i've years ago has any report OF disaster
at sea stirred the city like the rumor flashed
over the cable from St Johns, Newfoundland.
yesterday afternoon that the Anchor lines
leviathan. the City OF Rome. had been lost OF
1T. Shots, cighty-five miles southwest Of
st. Johns. Before tho rumor could be
investigated every afternoon paper had
hustlers out collecting material for the
obituary OF the big ship. her commander. Capt
Hugh Young. and her passengers. Business
men and work people thronging the down
town streets were startled by the shrill proc
lamation OF the newsboys that tho City Of Rome
had foundered. Before the afternoon papers
were out the rumor. with the electrical swift
ness Of evil news. was in possession Of every
body down town interested in ships and their
cargoes. The representatives OF other steam
ship lines, friends OF the passengers and re-
porters began pouring into the ONCE OF Hem
derson Brothers. the agents Of the Anchor
line. ut z Bowling Green.
Mr.. William Coverly. the passenger agent.
received the rumor with mingled feelings OF
doubt and dismay. Tho despatch from st.
Johns was shown to him. He read it. and said
he could not believe 1t until he received con-
f1rmatory dispatches. Tho despatch ran thus:
ST. JOHNS n. F. Oct. lit is reported here that the
Anchor line steamer City Of Rome Capt Young. which
sailed from New York Oct. 10 for Liverpool. has been
lost OF st. Shotts.
Mr.. Coverly said he would keep the Office
open until the report was either verified or
proved to DO untrue Meanwhile. nautical ex-
ports began overhauling the ship news col
umns Of newspapers. the pages OF the Maritime
Register and tho American Lloyds to see II there
might not be another steamship called the
City Of Rome. They found that the Citta di
Roma. an Italian steamship Of 1908 tons. had
left New Orleans on Sept. %. She put into
Norfolk and sailed thence for Queenstown and
Bordeaux on Sept. 80. It was Just possible.
Mr.. Coverly thought. that the Gtta di Roma
and not the City Of Rome was the unlucky
craft lost off st. Shots.
This was q poor sort Of peg on which to
hang the hope that the wrecked vessel was not
the City Of Rome. 1t was unsatisfactory to the
experts. and it did not altogether calm the
pdlses Of the Anchor line agents.
Mr.. Coverly sent for the head Of the firm,
David g. Henderson. who arrived at the office
about o'clock. There was q throng Of ex-
pectant people waiting for him In the hope of
hearing something more inspirting than the
conjecture about the Citta di Roma being the
wrecked boat Mr.. Henderson sent dispatches
to Newfoundland asking for more news about
the rumored loss OF the big liner. Presently
Mr.. Coverly came out OF his room and an
nounced to the crowd in the ONCE that the City
OF Rome was safe. He based his announce
ment on this despatch. sent to him by the As
ISOLATED Press:
81. JOINS. N. r., Oct. lA-A By the name Of John
Brennan. belonging to Sligo. Ireland arrived at IRE.
passy this morning from Peters River
He says he Is the only survivor Of the OF forty
three of the steamer City of Rome which became
a total wreck on Monday night at Marine Cove. st.
Mary's Bay.
He says that the Captain and crew and Officers were
all drunk and unable to themselves He
thrown upon the cliff and rescued by man named
Lundrgan on Tuesday morning.
The City of Rome had board 675 head Of cattle. a
quantity Of flour in sacks and Indian corn.
The man tells most ptiful tale about the struggle
the had among the bulocks trying to them.
selves.
The steamer was commanded by Capt. John Thomas
Nelly. and left Montreal on Oct. bound for Dundee.
This despatch was received from Dundee
later in the day:
DUNDEE Oct. 14-In reply to many kilograms concern
ing the steamship City OF Rome. said to have been
wrecked of the coast OF Newfoundland while a voy
to this port it is proper to state that there Is
record here OF any such vessel
Mr.. Coverly said he felt rather fearful. when
he first heard the rumor. for the Rome's safety.
but that he was now perfectly confident that
she was on her way to Glasgow. His conf
dence was increased by the receipt Of this des-
patch from the telegraph operator at Cape
Race. which Is east Of st. Shots:
Your City of Rome passed last Tuesday afternoon.
All well.
Tho unverifed rumor went on its way. how
ever. livelier than ever. The two cities were
thrilled by it. and. long after the office of the
Anchor line vas closed at o'clock relatives
s%pSs % s. sSe haa BY telling
tRss Coast dnss Now any shRsas'k hsd
ss(or@sp John Brennan oi s iiHSoS' was was
either liar or myth seemed to be sustained
This was tho only message received from st
sT. JoHs's. n. F.. Oct 14.--There is consider
able excitement here over the story Of the man
the cattIeship City Of Rome. Thsre are numer-
GUS persons here who, refuse to believe his
Thc Gty q e q "S W SoSr e. the City of
Paris. the Teutonic. and their sister ships
0h Rs DSxs IN tshh ao@ s
Steamship Company. Mt Barrow, for the Imam
line. which refused to accept her She has
been since chartered regularly every year by
the Anchor line from the Barrow Steamship
Company, She is one OF the handsomest ships
ahoat She measures S415 gross tons. is
Ego feet in length; 52t feet beam. and
arkentine.r eyed. She was constructed at q
cost OF more than million d9lars.
emit voyage on Saturday morning. with "a first |
cabin. 70 second cabin. and POI steerage pas
firemen. consists Of $3.50 PersSns; Among her
States Consul at Glasgow, and Mrs. Brown;
Pref Gha q BarE ols q this city Mr. p
and Miss Naomi y. Mackenzie Of BROOK Ign. the |
Rev. Alexander Mcmillan Of Auburn. Ontario: |
Mr. and Mrs. q. 8. Allsebrook Of Denver. and |
Mrs. Jessie Gwynne OF Orange, Nd. |
passing Sandy Hook, The Umbria exchanged |
signals with her on sunday morning IN o gale |
opia. also OF Me Anchor line, which arrived on |
tude AZ ~. longitude go ". or about $40 |
miles out from New York. on Monday morning. |
After the marine sharps had somewhat re- |
covered from the shock caused by the rumor |