The morning call., 1893-11-02
To Float Off the City of
New York.
A HEAVY SEA PREVENTS.
Tugs Pull Intellectually on the
Wreck.
POUNDING HARD ON THE ROCKS.
The Chinese Crew Sent Ashore and
Very Little Hope of Saving
the Vessel Left.

uo UCo6u WAS luClIucu W U6 E6StlSSS
yesterday. and in few brief hours de-
stroyed all the plans of the wreckers, tug
boat-men and crews engaged in trying to
save the City of New York.
Simply as a foretaste of what is to be ex-
pected when Old Boreas really settles
down to business, great land-swells swept
over the wrecked vessel from stem to
stern and lifted her and dropped her upon
the rocks.
Not since the evening when the steamer
first slid up on the reef has the sea in the
vicinity of Point Bonita presented such an
animated appearance. 1t was a typical
marine picture
Imagine great ocean liner lying upon
her side. dismantled and helpless. but not
forsaken; a dozen towboats. small but
DOW erful. bObbing about on the swell that
at times almost washed the quarterback
of the New York, and launches and white
hall boats which appeared balancing for a
moment upon great green wall Of water.
only to disappear from view in the next
instant in the trough of the sea.
Morning broke with foggy sky and the
wide expanse of ocean stirred only by the
lightest of northwest winds. Everything
nation of week of planning and laboring.
Fires were lighted in the boilers which
supply the big pumps with steam, and
divers clad in their armor stood ready to
make their last descent from over the
ships side. The pumps were all in mo-
tion and had perceptible effect on the
water in the hold, but Lieutenant Schwern
thought it best to wait ntil the afternoon,
and again the attempt to pull the steamer
off was postponed.
In the meanwhile the swell was increas-
ing. 1t rose and fell slowly at first, break
ing gently on the point and having no
more effect on the New York's iron hull
than the swish of brook current. AS
though angry at the resistance by which
they were met, the waves crept higher and
higher. At first they simply washed.aIong
the steamers side and soon lost their force
astern then they washed over the main
deck. and by 2 o'clock in the afternoon
they thundered against the vessels bow,
filling her decks with water to the depth
of several feet.
The pumps were going at full blast and
the water in the hold had been lowered
several feet. This lightened the steamer
and every wave moved her about from side
to side, lifted her at the stern and dropped
06T Will q lOTCS tDdI alL0OSL Threw t0OSe
persons standing on the planking off their
feet. Pumps were lowering the water in
the vessel at the rate of five inches every fif-
teen minutes. The tugs Fearless and Relief
had twenty-inch hawsers fastened astern
and awaited a signal from Lieutenant
SchweTin TO commence pulling.
At 1915 this signal was given. The big
hawsers stretched almost taut under the
tension placed upon them By the two most
powerful tugs 10 the bay. The Fearless
and the Relief pulled side by side, the
Fearless with the line on her port quarter
and The Relief with hawser over her
starb0ard quarter.
While the tugs were pulling the swell
would lift the vessel and crash her down
again upon the rocks. She trembled and
twisted and groaned and commenced to
leak.
At 315 the tugs were signaled to cease
pulling, as the jumping Of the vessel be-
came so violent that those on board could
scarcely retain their feet. The tugs drew
in their hawsers and word was passed
around that the vessel would be aban-
doned. Every inroling wave seemed
larger than the preceding one, aud the tug
Rescue. which was moored alongside of
the New York's port quarter. thumped 80
heavily against the steamers side that
there were grave fears of her doing dam
age thereto.
When the Rescue dropped into the
trough OF the sea her rail was On level
with the New York's main deck. while
when the swell rolled in the towboat's
decks would be almost on level with the
rail of the stranded steamer. Glancing
astern the New York could be seen to give
way noticeably to the power of the waters,
and with each crash the shock was trans
mitted to the Rescue, so that 1t seemed as
if the smaller vessel had also grounded
The main deck of the wreck had been
abandoned entirely, and every stateroom
was awash with seething breakers. The
roar of the inrushing waves rendered
voices almost unintelligibie, and it was
only Dy exercising considerable lung
power that Captain Gray and others en-
gagged by the Pacific Mail Company could
make themselves understood at any dis
tance.
Sails stuffed with mattresses lay upon
the quarterback of the New York. These
were to have been used to lower over the
side when the vessel was pulled shore
ward, aad, secured by ropes. passed under
her keel. The steamers port bow anchor,
with six fathoms of chain, was dropped to
help hold her head-on to the breakers.
Captain Gray Of the red stacks gave a
discOura ging shake of his head.
1.-THE weather did not favor US and there
fore the chances of saving her arc not
good" said the captain. raising his
voice above the tumult of noises. Il am
TalQ we cannot move ner.
Lieutenant Schwerin and Captain john
ston forward engaged in earnest CONVEX
sation. and from the disappointed express
sion on the latter's face it could be seen
that there was little hope.
Had better cast off and stand clear?"
shouted Captain George Harvey of the
Rescue to Captain Gray. Before Gray
could answer the tug was lifted on an i'm
mense bilow and sent banging again st the
New York's side. This same wave raised
the steamers bow several feet and broke
Just astern of her. She seemed to keel over
TO port and strike with blow that shook
her like an explosion and Jared the Rescue
to such an extent that those on board of
her involuntarily grasped at the nearest
stationary object for support.
Orders were given by Lieutenant
Scnm erin to put the Chinese crew on
board the tug MilleD Griffith. Then the
fun of the day commenced. and in spite of
the tumbiing of angry seas everybody was
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