The morning call., 1892-09-09
THE C. ". WETMORE.

Atlantic, arriving at Liverpool on July 20,
1891, with cargo OF %, 900 bushels OF wheat
and crew of twenty men. Her average
speed was nine knots. She proved less sus-
ceptible to the action of winds and waves
than a vessel OF the ordinary type.
While crossing the Atlantic she expert
enced strong winds, which sent the waves
over her port quarter, yet she neither
pitched nor rolled heavily-an experience
strongly and strangely contrasting with her
record on this side. Here all sorts OF ex-
periments were tried to make comfortable
Ship out of her. Before crossing the At
lantic she carried cargo of 20, 900 bushels
of wheat to Kingston, Ont, which cargo
was discharged into lighters preparatory TO
her running the rapids at Montreal. On
reaching LIVERPOOL she took a cargo Of
machinery for New York. and was then
plant for the shpyard at Everett, Wash. it
was In the course Of tKis trip that she
reached here in November of last year.
On December IL she was towed into As
toria, Or, with rudder lost. by the British
steamer Zambesi, which subsequently put
In salvage claim Of S250,000 The whale
back was tied up for several months and
the courts awarded 1880 salvage. After
this the Wetmore commenced making trips
to this port with coal. The peculiar folma-
ton of her bow caused her TO be very IN
comfortable in q head sea, and several
alterations were made in her. She was also
found 10 be a regular hlgh-roller, and a
large water-tank was fitted into her amid
ships to steady her. When she came here
about two months ago she was found to
have been further altered by the insertion
OF six maSts. a step which was taken at the
instance of the insurance people
The Wetmore was 265 feet long, SO feet
beam. "a feet depth of hold. Her capacity
was 5000 tons, gross tonnage 1899; net regis
tered tonnage, 1915, draught when fully
loaded, 16 feet 6 inches. She was driven
by a compound condensing engine, the
cylinders being &c inches and so inches in
diameter respectively and the stroke AZ
inches. She had two boilers, the steam
pressure being l25 pounds to the square
inch. 10 appearance ste much resembled
a huge canoe decked lover, having tower
at the bow and cabin and smokestack at
the stern.
1t is understood that the vessel was partly
insured. and another is now being built at
Everett, Wash. Whalebacks have been
in use for several years on the upper lakes,
but for ocean navigation. especially on
rocky coasts. their availability has yet to
be demonstrated.
1t was rumored that the Wetmore had no
business so close insh0re on the trip down
unless she had contraband Chinese ON
board transhipped at the sound. A story
to this effect was extensively circulated
yesterday, but it has not been confirmed
A dispatch received late last night from
Portland says:
The Wetmore's cargo was listed heavily
to port. Captain j. A. OBrien and Second
Mate John G. North were on watch at the
time the vessel struck. and the snip was
headed south by standard compass and
south half west by steering compass. She
Is now lying parallel with the beach, and
the breakers which roll over the vessel
are slowly pounding her to pieces. There
is scarcely hope that she will ever be
foated again. When the crew were taken
off she was leaking badly.