Evening journal., 1896-07-08
THE FEHWIeE ISLAND SHOALV.

The Wrecked BrInckburn Is No Longer an
Obstruction to Navigation, But the
shoal Itself IL.
PHILADELPHIA, July The Maritime
Exchange yesterday received letter
from F. A. Cook, acting Chief of the
Bufeau of Navigation, stating that the
Wreck OF the British steamer BrIuckburn
on Fenwick Island shoals had been de
stroyed Enclosed in the letter were
extracts from the report of Lieutenant
Commander H. B Mansfield, u. s N,
the commanding officer OF the United
states steamer Fern, which destroyed
the wreck
Willis the Bhnckburn is no longer an
obstruction to Navigation, the eomwand
Ing officer Of the Fern finds that the shoal
itself Is an obstruction, there being over
the place where the BrInckburn lay only
fifteen feet OF water at mean low water,
and there will probably bs only thirteen
1t the low spring tides The bottom Is
OF bard gray and white sand
When the Norwegian bark Siam, from
Java, with cargo Of sugar, was wrecked
last March by striking the BrInekburD,
the Maritime Exchange and othefs inter
ested In the welfare Of the port requested
the Government to send 3 steamer to
blow up the wreck, which had been there
for ten years, and which had caused
damage to n number OF vessels.
According to the officers report the
wreck Of the Siam Is about 6fty yards TO
the westward Of the place whore the
Brlnckburn lay, with her bow, nine feet
Of which Is under water and Inclined to
port, pointing to the north. The jib
b)om Is intact. showing above water but
her other spars are broken oil and foat
ing In the water, attached TO the vessel.
The Slam Is pretty well broken up. and
the after part Is embedded In the sand
With sixteen to eighteen feet Of water
over 1t, with sixteen to twenty one feet
alongside.
The wreck Is working into the sand
and the Ferns commanding officer state,
that the first fall tides It will be Ia the
same condition as WAS the BrInckDuru
before she was blown up. There is n,
ress0n to doubt, says commander Mans
field. that the Slam would have become I
total wreck by even striking the shoRl
which Is dangerous and should be care
iully avoided The Bhoal Is we'll mark q
and buoyed on chart.
! Captain Edward Gibbons, OF the tuI
Norta America, was asked by the Mari
time Exchange for a list OF vessels thAf
suffered by the wreck Of the Briuokburn
he thinks the schooner Bales Wood wal
the hrst vessel to strike her Soon after
striking the schooner 6llsd and turned
over, and became a total loss. Ia 1889
tho schoonsr VIM. o. Snow Htrucl
the wreck A wooden steamer. th,
name Of which Jls captain does no
remember, struck the wreck, and after
wards went aground at Cape Henlopel
Point and when she WAS docked at NeV
York piece Of the iron ore, which com
posed the cargo of the Brinckburn, va
found sticking Ia her bottom. Then b
mentions the wreck Of the Slam, and add
that other vessels have struck from tim
to time.
The Biuckburn WAS an iron sorev
ateamer, CT l .2G5 tons register, hailin
from New Castle, England. At TIE tim
she wss wrecked, In April, 1885 she wa
bound from Porman, Spain, for Philadel
phiS. The location Of the place whsr
she struck is about twenty miles soutl
OF Cape Henlopen. The vessel, after sh,
was wrecked, was sold for $1.05l, an,
her cargo for $210. Efforts we're mad
to save something from the wreck, bu
they all proved futile.