The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-27
A BIG STEAMER LOST.
City of New York, for China,
Strikes Bonita Point.
IMPOSSIBLE TO SAVE HER.


SAN FRAycIsco. 0c. R-Ths Pacific
Mail Company's steamer City OF New York
went ashore this evening in dense fog
| and will be . total loss. She is hard and
| fast on the rocks at Point Bonita, with
eight feet Of water in the hold. She sailed
for China and Japan az ) 30 this afternoon
and went down the bay under full head
OF steam. The fog was very thick and in
few minutes the big steamer was lost
sight of. About O'Clock the booming of
cannon could be heard and signal rockets
seen IS they burst above the fog. At first
il wfs not known what vessel was in DIS
tress. and il was thought il might be the
Monowai, due today from Australia. The
steamer was IN command of Capt. r. III.
Johnson and in charge OF Pilot Svenson.
She carried \ large cargo Of -four and a
large passenger list. including 30 Chinese.
When the ship struck the rock at full
speed the Chinese in the s.eerage set up q
howl, and intense confusion reigned. All
the passengers have been taken of and
will be brought back to this city. There
were only two cabin passengers, one a boy
and the other the Chinese consul at
Havana. who was returning home.
The steamer is lying with her head to
westward, broadside upon the rock. She
is lying over on the port side and has
three or four big holes stove in the bot
tom. When the tide receded she was left
high upon the rocks and the surf pounded
in upon her. There is not much wind.
however. and very little swell. The tugs
now lowering about the wreck could pos
sibly pull the steamer from the rocks. but
IL would be useless, as it is certain she
would go TO the bottom. Though the
steamer is doomed il is believed she viii
hold together until the cargo can be jetti-
soned. unless heavy sea comes on. Her
cargo of canned stuff and general mer-
chandise is valued Mt $3.50, 900. She also
carried s190, coo of treasure
The City Of New York was built at
Chester, Pa, in 1875, but was practically
rebuilt: a few years ago. She was of S.ol9.56
gross tonnage. $50 feet long. 40 feet
inches beam and 20 feet inches in depth.
She was valued at $780, 900.
Point Bonita is rocky promontory on
the Marin county side of the bay entrance
To the Golden Gate, and is regarded as
most dangerous by navigators. Half a
dozen vessels have come to grief on 1t dur
ing the past twelve months. The bark
Luriine went ashore there and the bark
J. ID. Spreckels was barely saved by
steamer. The ship Shinney broke away
from tugs there and went up the coast.
where she was wrecked.
At 1880 tonight there was no hope of
saving the wrecked steamer. She is spiked
fast upon the rocks and can not be moved
In attempting to float the vessel much o.
the cargo was thrown overheard into the
sea, no effort being made to save it. Thou
sands of sacks of flour were wasted. but
the bullion and mails were saved.
At o'clock this (Friday) morning when
the tide was at the highest point. six tugs
tried vainly to pull the City OF New
York of the rocks. They pulled and
strained, but the big ship did not move.
The attempt was then given up until day
light. when the New York will be pumped
out by powerful wrecking pumps. After
200 tons Of her cargo, mostly flour. had
been thrown overheard tonight, orders
were received TO leave the remainder in
the vessel.