The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-13
THE WRECK ABANDONED.
The City Of Savannah at the Mercy
Of the Wind and Waves.

The Merritt Wreoking Company De-
oides That 1t is Impractioable to At
tempt to Raise the Ship-The Under
writer's viii Pay the BilI-super-
stitions Attached to the Naming of a
Vessel Savannah A History and
Description of the Ship.
The wreck of the City of Savannah has
been abandoned, and in all probability
she viii now lie where she is, on the
south breakers of Hunting Island until
she goes to pieces.
The news that the wrecked steamer
had been given up as total loss was re-
ceived yesterday morning by Receiver
Conner in a telegram from Gen. G. NJ. Sor-
rel, manager of the Ocean Steamship
Company, who stated that the wreck had
been abondened by the Merritt Wrccking
Company, which sent a steamer out to in
snect it in behalf of the underwriting
companies concerned.
IAIPRACTIcABLE TO FLOAT HER.
On Sunday, Sept. 3, the Merritt
Wrecl1ing Company, of Norfolk, Va, sent
The wrecking steamer Coley to inspect
the wreck of the sunken vessel. This
was done at the request of the under
writing companies who desired to raise
the savannah if possible, and save what
ever they could Of the insurance. 1t was
thought that they might be able to raise
her and put her in as good a condition as
she was before she was wrecked, at less
cost than the amount of the insurance.
The report of the wrecking crew of the
fTol af1 to &c
plan, as it was found that it would be i'm
possible to raise her and float her again
at a reasonable cost. This led them to
abandon her and the insurance companies
viii have to pay the Ocean Steamship
Company the amount for which she was
insured, which is about $l50,000.
THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE RAISED.
Gen oorrels telegram was brief and
gave nothing of what the report of the
wrecking crew was with regard to the
condition of the Savannah's hull. 1t was
thought from the report of Capt. Savage
that it would be altogether practicable
to raise the ship and put it in good con
dtion. He said the ship was all right 50
far as could be seen above the water,
but he didn't know what might be the
matter with the hull. IL that were stove
in he thought there might be some
trouble about raising her Others who
viewed the wreck thought it would be
gotten out and hoated.
But these hopes are all dispelled now,
and those who have sailed on the Sayan-
nah viii never enjoy another trip on her
She is at the bottom perhaps for good, or
at least until the wind, waves and sea
pirates demolish what is left of her,
WILL THE NAME BE GIVEN ANOTHER SHIP
1t is a question as TO whether there will
ever be another City of Savannah. There
have been five or six steamers and mer-
chant vessels which bore that name and
without exception they Have all mot with
/ some serious mishap or have been lost
The name City of Savannah was
strongly objected to for the second Of the
Ocean Steamship Compauy's ships by Col
Edward G. Anderson, president of the
company, on the ground that there was
bad luck in the name Col Anderson had
a great many of the preiudjces Of a sailor
with regard TO ships, and when the uues-
tion of naming the ship came up he spoke
OF several others with the name Sayan-
8 nah, all Of which had been attended with
Ill fortune He said that they bore the
name only to their own misfortune. If
the Savannah had been raised and nut in
a Seaworthy condition she might have re-
tanned her name, but if any of the old
sailors had had anything to do with it it
would certainly have been changed.
THE OLDEST SHIP.
The City of Savannah was built at a
cost of about $3.50, 600 in 1877 by Reach &
Son at Chester, Pa, the same year the
City of Macon was built. She is, with
this exception. the oldest ship of the
Ocean Steamship Company's fleet. The
Gate City was built year later, in 1873
The City of Savannah ran first on the
New York and Savannah line, and then
on the Philadelphia line For awhile
she was used as an emergency ship, run
nlng wherever the. service of the com
pany demanded. She was a regular
liner between Savannah and Boston for
some time.
HER MEASUREMENTS.
She carried a crew Of forty-seven men
all told. She was POO feet long over the
2-toot water line and 272 feet over all;
81 feet inches beam moulded Her
depth from base line to top of spar deck
was 70 feet 10 inches; depth of hold, "a
feet 10 inches. Her tonnage was $3.50
tons. The capacity of her coal bunker
was bOJ tons. She had two compound
surface cOndensing engines ! $50 horse
power. Her boilers, tubular cylindrical,
We're IN number. Her propeller was the
Hrsch patent, havingfour blades, capable
OF being removed, either singly or to-
StJuef, from the huD TO which they were
fastened by bolts She had two donkey
boilers and engines used in clearing the
Duge, supplying the main boilers with
water, and in case of fire. The vessel had
Jnree decks, besides the hurricane deck
THE SHIP WELL BUILT
Her spar deck was entirely of iron and
inc main deck partially of iron. The
deck frames were all fastened in the
most secure manner known in naval
architecture She was brig rugged and
spread about Is, 900 square feet of canvas
and accommodated $50 first-class pass
engers, officers and crew, besides the
Storage. She had six iron water-tight
Compartments, and was built under the
SPECIAL supervision of the Bureau of Yer
iIaS, Her dining saloon was 40 feet long
by ~ feet wide
THE INTERIOR WELL FITTED.
The interior was handsome in its ap-
continents. The paneling was of ma
nogany, French walnut and amaranth,
trimmed with gold, handsomely moulded
ana highly polished All Of the wood
work was polished to the highest degree,
auG involved the outlay of many thous-
dnds of dollars
Inc ceiling of the saloons was frescoed
10 conform with the elegance Of the apart
iu.lehts. The mirrors, glassware, table
1llei, silver service carpets and general
appointments were rich. The first sec
ytou OF her keel was laid March Il, 1877
Oh April IA her first frame was raised,
duu on May IA her first plate was riveted