Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-05-10
LOST STEAMSHIPS.
THERE ARE MANY OF THEM WHOSE
FATE WILL NEVER BE KNOWN.

City of Boston, Which Was Never Ac-
counted For Satisfactorily.
Missing ships, like dead men, tell no
tales, and not until "the sea gives up its
dead" will be known the fate of those who
sailed away in the steamships President,
City of Glasgow, Pacific, Ocean Monarch
and City of Boston, the ironclad Captain
and the Ella, Liberia and Barton. None
of these has ever been seen or heard of since
they sailed.
The mystery that surrounds the disap-
pearance of a great ocean steamship Of the
modern type, with her throbbing macbin-
cry, her electric lights and all the modern
appliances to make life worth the living rs
well at sea rs on land, is appalling when
one stops to think of hundreds, perhaps a
thousand, persons being absolutely wiped
out, drowned like rats, without a soul to
see them perish or a hand to save them
from an awful death.
There are many causes of disaster at sea
besides the fury of the hurricane and the
pounding Of the waves, and many a sailing
ship has outlived the gale in which a steam
ship foundered. There is first Of all that
most horrible Of accidents at sea-frel
What chance has the average passenger in
a fire that has gained control on shipboardp
About one in a thousand if the boats have
caught fire before they can be lowered.
Icebergs in y fog, Another terrible ener-
gency to contemplate. A steamer filled
with sleeping passengers approaches n berg
at high rate Of speed and in the darkness
Of the night strikes it. Some have done it
and escaped, but many believe that the
City Of Boston struck one so hard that she
nh in FsFa- Ill
Then there is the danger Of break in the
shaft, the piston rod or some other part of
the ponderous engines that drive the modern
steamships through the water at a 2O-knot
gait. Both the Spree and the Umbria had
narrow escapes from most serious disasters
from broken shafts.
The latest pilot chart shows that another
source Of great danger to ocean travel is
the fleet Of derelicts that dot the transit
lantic pathway. A total Of $50 derelicts are
reported during Ave years
The steamship City of Boston cleared at
the New York custom house on Tuesday.
Jan. %, 1870 She sailed on the same day !
for Liverpool by way Of Halifax. She had !
IL cabin and IS steerage passengers. Cap |
tain j. ]. Halcrow was her commander J
John q. Dale was the New York agent |
The wind was northeast, and it was rain !
ing when she sailed. She arrived safely at
Halifax and sailed from there on Jan. %, |
having taken on board at the latter place |
~ cabin and 10 steerage passengers, making !
total of 107 passengers.
The City Of Boston was an iron shin |
rugged screw steamer Of 2,21s tons. She (
was 1872 feet over all and 305 feet on the |
keel. Her beam was 80 feet and her deptb |
Of hold q feet inches. She was propelled |
by compound engines OF 300 horsepower. I
She was transyersely divided into eight |
compartments by seven watertight bulk /
heads, reaching from the keel to the upper
deck Her main saloon was Is feet long by I
Is feet wide and feet inches high, IL |
was very handsomely furnished.
len days at that time was considered /
quite good passage in the winter months.
There was, therefore, no anxiety for the /
steamer until 10 days had pissed. Then
friends began 10 inquire about the shin. Nv
Feb. Is, 1870, grave fears were expressed /
After leaving Halifax nothing definite was
ever heard Of the steamer either at an
American or British port Captain Hack
EFT Of the schooner Charles Tupper stated
upon his arrival at Halifax on Feb. that
he saw a vessel Off Sable island showing
signals Of distress, but that owing to the
heavy seas and the disabled condition of his
own vessel be was unable to 20 TO her as
sstance
Captain Brooks Of the City of BROOKLYN.
which arrived at New York from Liverpool
on Sunday, Feb. 20, 1870, reported that his
Vessel had encountered easterly gales and
heavy iceAelds on the course the CITY Of
Boston must have taken. The ship was
provisional for - days independent Of her
cargo, which consisted largely of beef. -four
and other articles of food.
On Feb 26 the agents Of the City of Bos-
ton sent the steamship City Of Durham TO
cruise of the Madeira islands in the hope
of finding the missing steamer Old sailors
said at that time that they believed the
City Of Boston had encountered head winds
off the coast of Ireland. She returned with
no news. The agent hoped that their ship
would turn up at the Azores, and when a
vessel arrived at London and reported that
the missing steamer was not at Fayal when
she left there on Feb. % the confidence Of
the public was shaken more than ever.
The City Of Boston had then been out %
days.
On March the steamer Druid that had
been sent out on Feb. % to Sable island to
cruise in search of the missing steamer re-
turned to Halifax. She had no informa-
ton. On March I, 1870, when the City of
Boston had been six weeks at sea, story
was printed in the evening papers announc-
ing the safety of the steamer. 1t turned
out to be cruel hoax, however.
SO great was the anxiety in this city for
the safety OF the steamer during the early
days Of March that it was agreed on the
arrival Of the first dispatch announcing her
safety to fire feu de ioie of cannon in City
Hall park
Judge Barbour in the superior court, an
nounced the ships arrival TO the crowd as
sembled from dispatch which at the time
was supposed to be genuine. 1t was denied
soon after by second dispatch.
On March II, 1870, the City Of Boston had
been rs days out from Halifax and 81 from
New York. On that day the London Globe
printed dispatch, dated at Dublin. an
bouncing the arrival Of the steamer at
Queenstown. The Inman line agent at the
latter place however, coon talaor-o,h.a