The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-13
SAILED INTO NO PORT.
Ships tho Fates Of Which Arc
Mysteries Of the Atlantic.
Many Have Doubtless Foundcred In Fields
of Ice While Others Have ..Limped
In After All Hope Had
Been Abandoned.

Many Have Doubtless Foundcred In Fields
of Ice While Others Have ..Limped
IN" After All Hope Had
Been Abandoned.
Crossing the broad Atlantic, now
buried under binding uists, now
tossed by driving tenpests. where
float vessels derelict more dangerous
than the mountainous iceberg, where
fire is more pitiless than on fand-who
shall say what tragedies are not there
enacted? And when mystery shrouds
the fate of those who have trusted
themselves upon the treacherous
waters never to return. how much
more terrible the tragedy.
A stately ship steGns from the har-
Dor for voyage across the sea. No
alarm is felt when il does not reach its
destination on the day it is expected.
Two DAYS or three days pass, and 1t
has been detained by head winds and
storms, tie agents say. A week goes
by and still no news. Then the story
is that the machinery has broken
down. Other vessels arrive over the
same path, bat bring no word OF the
missing ship, and anxious friends and
relatives are comforted 10y the assur-
ance that the vessel has drlfted out OF
the usual course of travel while max
ing repairs.
They are told the ship could not sink.
It's strong steel sides could defy the
waves. Its water-tight compartments
would keep it afoat after any collision,
and it could not have burned, else its
iron hull would have been sighted by
o:her vessels attracted by the glow OF
the flames Another week and month
and hearts grow sick with hope de-
ferred.
Perhaps then a bit of wreckage is
found bearing the name of the doomed
ship. More delay without news and
finally even the agents and owners
give up hope. Then the insurance COM
panies pay, the vessel is officially lost,
| and another is added to the mysteries
of the deep.
There follows invariably the cruel
hoax of some idiot or worse. A sealed
bottle is picked up giving alleged news
of the ship. Usually pancies in
the letters themselves pronounce them
bogus, but before this is discovered the
feelings of those who have waited so
long in vain are narrowed by tale of
storm and FIRE and despairing fare
we'll
Fortunately, however, the mystery
does not always end in a tragedy.
Sometimes even after hope is aban-
I@-ol ba ol,, liu,y,inC will
machinery disa bled or perhaps under
sail alone, with all on board safe.
I Sometimes after having drifted far out
of the course it is lowed in by another
ship. Or, even il it is lost, the passen-
gers are frequently rescued by some
passing vessel.
From the stout steamer President,
which was lost more than half CEN
fury ago, to the Naronic. the list is in
deed long. The names of some of these
unfortunate vessels have become his
toric.
The President left New York just
thirty-two years ago for Liverpool,
with thirty-one passengers aboard. 1t
steamed out of sight forever. Hope,
however, was not abandoned until the
Britannia arrived at Boston without
bringing any news of the missing YES
sci. There were no transatlantic ca bles
in those days. and the news could only
1 be brought by water.
Shortly before the Britannia sailed
there was great excitement at Liver
pool over the arrival of the Oriental,
which rescmbled the Presid eHt, from
Egypt. The Oriental was at first sup
posed to be the long missing President.
( In the New York Herald of Friday,
/ May Z, 1641, appeared the following
account of the fate Of the President:
! Its probable fate was met in the i'm
mense fields and islands of ice which
we recently described as intercepting
its course to the east. She could not
swamp in mere storm. 1t has run
against an iceberg at night and gone
down head foremost
''God have mercy upon the soul of
poor Capt. Roberts and all his passen-
gers. Roberts was the first man to
cross the Atlantic in steamer, and the
| first to fall victim to his honorable
enterprise"
Then followed the name. of the
thirtyone persons comprising the pas
senger list
No marine disaster before or since
proba bly,, has been the cause of so
much excitement and speculation as
the mysterious fate which befell the
City Of Boston of the Inman line.
The City Of Boston was in its day re-
garded as remarkably fine specimen
OF naval architecture. carrying freight,
mail and passengers. The vessel had
been built under special survey and
had received the highest classification
at Lloyds' and the Liverpool Associa-
ton of Underwriters Its length of keel
was sos feet and length over all 322
feet. 1t was 80 feet wide and % feet
inches deep. Under the old measure
ments its tonnage was 2,27s II had
two engines OF 600 horsepower each.
The City of Boston was Of iron. and
its ribs and beams. and, indeed, its
whole framing, were securely bouEd
together by heavy springing plates and
ties. 1t was divided into eight com
partments by seven strong and we'll
secured water bE.kheadS. reaching
from keelson to upper deck. Besides
steam power the City OF Boston could
spread ! great deal OF canvas, being
ship rugged.
The City OF Boston left New York
January -. $50. and cleared from Hal
flax three days later for Southampton
and Liverpool Il had aboard. besides
the crew, IIo cabin ard steer2ge pas
serge-S !, carried :. cargo o. cotton.
-four. beef. y eat and copper ore, weigh
~ S01 -1-r ,rg 90 tons 90 c-aT Thu