The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-14
A BIG CASH IN HER HULL.
The Iron Cepheus FInds . Hidden Peril Ia
Her Courn.

-
Her Courp~
Tho steamb boat Cepheus Of the Iron Steam
boat Company. beached In Gravesend Bay.
north Of Norton's Point by her Captain on
Friday night, probably will remain whore she
is for at least seven days.
She left Pier l. North River at 5H o'clock
Friday evening with little less than 200 pas
sengers. When she was about a quarter Of
q mile from the beach, directly in front Of the
Seaside Home. nearing her pier. she struck q
submerged object
Can't Pierce says it seemed as II she had
grated over heavy log. After she had ap-
parently cleared the first obstacle she seemed
to strike another.
Tho jar was SO slight that 1t was hardly per-
ceptibls to the passengers Capt Pierce says
that there was no confusion on board.
No one knew the nature OF the accident
The boat was heading southeast by east when
she hit the obstruction.
Capt. Pierce sent Chief Engineer Wright be-
low to find the extent OF the injury. II any. He
came back and reported that the boat was
making water very fast In the amidship COM
partment. which Is directly under the boiler
Tho boat reached her pier and landed her
passengers. Tho Captain says that he knew
that he couldn't reach New York. and that It
was his intention from the beginning to round
Norton's Point and beach the steamer.
1t was o'clock when the Cepheus left the
Coney Island pier. Twenty minutes later she
WAS on the beach. At that time 1t was reported
that there were five feet Of water In the COM
partment. and the pumps were working
steadily to keep 1t from rising All the other
compartments were reported all right.
The Captain went ashore at about 3 o'clock
and telephoned to Mr.. schermerhorn Of the
Culver road. asking him to telegraph to Capt
Ludlum. Superintendent OF the company. to
send help to keep the boat afioat. t12 o'clock
the main pumps refused to work. as all the
Then the fires were started under the
donkey boiler and the pumping was resumed
deep. was now full OF water. and the Captain
knew that 4 help did not arrive soon the boat
The crew were set to work taking up car
pets. and these and all the furnitu:e and stores
were placed on the hurricane deck.
hull settled Until the water was nearly flush
with dssrt wIees asek and the
John Fuller went down to the Cepheus at 4
o'clock. It was too early to begin work. and
had looked over the situation. thcy returned
Capt. Peirce was asked what. In his opinion.
lot Of rocks dumped by the scows employed by
the Street Cleaning Department
tain,s opinion absurd. az these scows dump
no stones larger than pebble.
tom %hns the Cepheuss srnek s y
gravel. stones. pebbles. and shells.
Within 200 yards. OF the place the Cepheus
got her wound are the remains OF part Of the
The Cephens lies heading to the south. with
teen feet Of water and her bow in eight feet.
All aft Of amidshinS except tho hurricane
deck Is submerged. The wrecking tugs MN,
Z. Chapman and Hustler began work at the
They brought with them four divers They
will close the cash In the Cepheus's hull. which
will be pumped out. Then the work Of raising
her will be begun.
The wreckers say that II they have GOOD
luck they will DO able to get hor of in Ave or
six days
The Cephsus is a single hull boat and her
plate Ia three 81 xteenths OF an inch thick. She
Is 2l3 feet = inches long. 321 feet beam. and
measures 57S tons. She was built In 1881 by
John Roach. and is sister to the ,Cygnus and
Sirius Capt, Pierce has been IN the en- ploy Of
the com tany for ten years. and has been Cap
tain OF the Cepheus for eight years aud about
four weeks ago he run down a rowboat while
making his last trip from the island.