The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-06-16
SAILED INTO NO PORT.
Ships the Fates of Which Are
Mysteries Of the Atlantic.
Many Have Doubtless Foundered in Field
of Ice While Others Have "Limped
In" After All Hope Had
Been Abandoned.


float vessels derelict more dangerous
than the mountainous iceberg, where
fire is more pitiless than on land-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 steams from the har-
bor for voyage across the sea. No
alarm is felt when it does not reach its
destination on the day it is expected.
Two days or three days pass, and it
has been detained by head winds and
storms, the 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, but bring no word OF the
missing ship, and anxious friends and
relatives are comforted by the assur-
ance that the vessel has drifted 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
other vessels attracted by the glow of
the flames. Another week and a 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 discrepancies 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-
doned the ship comes limping in with
machinery disabled or perhaps under
sail alone, with all on board safe.
Sometimes after having drifted far out
of the course it is towed in by another
ship. Or, even if it is lost, the passen-
gers are frequently rescued by some
passing vessel.
From the stout steamer President
| AL. Io1
tury 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 cables
in those days, and the news could only
be brought by water.
Shortly before the Britannia sailed
there was great excitement at Liver
pool over the arrival of the Oriental,
which resembled the Presid ent, from
Egypt The Oriental was at first sup
posed to be the long missing President
In the New York Herald of Friday,
May Z, 1s41, 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 a 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 a victim to his honorable
enterprise"
Then followed the names of the
thirty-one persons comprising the pas
senger list.
No marine disaster before or since,
probably, 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
1
mail and passengers. The vessel had
been built under special survey and
had received the highest classification
at Lloyds' and the Liverpool Associa-
tion of Underwriters. Itslength of keel
was S05 feet and length over all 322
feet. 1t was SO feet wide and 81 feet
inches deep. Under the old measure
ments its tonnage was 2,27s. 1t had
two engines of 300 horsepower each.
The City of Boston was of iron, and
it's ribs and beams, and, indeed, its
whole framing. were securely bound
together by heavy springing plates and
ties. ) 1t was divided into eight COM
partments by seven strong and we'll.
secured water bulkheads, 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 rs, 1870, and cleared from Hal
flax three days later for Southampton
and Liverpool. 1t had aboard, besides
the crew, l12 cabin and steerage pas
sengers. 1t carried cargo of cotton,
flour, beef wheat and copper ore, weigh
Ing $40 tons and 9S7 tons of coal. The
machinery weighed 800 tons
Nothing was ever heard of the ship
after it left Halifax. February % an
English government steamer was dis
patched from HalifaX to search for the
missing steamer, but without result.