The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-17
AN0rnER sHrp AGR0UND,
The Freishter otranto Fast on Fire Island


 Patchougue, L. r., Feb, 15-The steamship oranto, after 9 temptuous voyage of twenty-three days from Shields, England, with a general car so, lies hard aground tonight on the eastern edge of Fire Island bar in Q dangerous situation. The lfe-saving crew of Fire Island beach shot out a line to her at 5 o'clock tonight. after which the brooches buoy was sent out to the steamer and all things made ready to land the crew if it became nee ess,ary. A very heavy sea is making up tonight under strong southwest wind.
 The Otranto struck under good head of steam last night, and lies with her nose headed northwest, with her stem buried in the sand several feet, Fire Island Light was, or should have been shining over her windward quarter less | than two miles away when she struck. | w AeA Sl!e SlTuck SHS plCW et SiSidi ol distress. The life-saving patrol had in | the meantime discovered her, and im- mediately the life-savers launched a boat and boarded her. Captain Rich- ard Hubby, her commander, refused to say how his ship came to go aground. The crew are equally reticent. Word was sent to the ships agents, Sander son & Son, 22 State street, New York, and tugs were immediately despatched to the wreck. The R. J. Merritt of the | Merritt Wrecking company, which was at work on the stranded steamship La mington, two miles east, heard of the wreck soon after she struck, and ar rived at the wreck at o'clock this morning. Owing to the dangerous shoals and tides that skirt Fire Island bar, the Merritt did not venture to go near the wreck. She now lies anchored about mile off shore. She will try to float a line to her and endeavor to pull | her off at the high water. The Otrando keeps full head of steam on. The steamers machinery could be heard churning in an intellectual effort to back | the ship into deep water.
 | The vessel when she struck was head ed northwest, but the tides have work | ed her around so that her head now | points northeast. She has a slight list to seaward, showing that the sea and tides have cut the sand out from under one side. There is some danger of the ship breaking up The place is known as one of the most treacherous along the Long Island coast. Last winter the s.1,j ' c+p ha oy,,a poa She broke in two as soon as the tides cut the sands from under her. All her crew of several men were drowned. Sev- Eeral vessels have struck on the same reef within the past four years and gone to pieces.
 The wind at dark tonight set in near ly south. and was raising big sea. l One of the Otranto's crew said thai soundings had been taken every hall hour. The last sounding, taken a short time before she struck, showed that there was about sixteen fathoms of wa ter. The night was hay, he said, There is pretty deep water under the stern of the ship. The thow has sharr descent toward the ocean. The shiI was fully four miles north of the regu-
 
 right under the rays of Fire Island l light which, when the ship was abreast was not over a quarter of mile away There are contradictory stories abou the state of the weather. The ships officers report hazy weather, while the lifa-saving men report 6 clear, starlight 1 night.
 i Tine situation of the Otranto is sucf that efforts to f16sA her will be. attend ed with danger, as lighters cannot lit alongside of her with any degree O safety Old salts say that the ship vii prove a total loss and that no vesse ever struck this bar yet that was float ed off before it became almost worth less
 The Otranto was scheduled to sai from New York to-day. She was sev Eeral days overdue. The Otranto's car go is very valuable and is insured. I consists of steel, iron, wood pulp, teas coffee and miscellaneous goods She car ries crew of thirty-fve men and ha. no passengers.
 I The Otranto is three-deck, brig rigged, iron screw steamship of 2,37 tons. She is owned by Thomas Wilson, Sons & Co.,, and halls from Hull Earl. Shipbuilding company of Hull launch ed her in 1877. Her length is 3o5 feet beam 36 feet, and depth of hold 27 feet.
 One theory as to how the Otrantt came to go aground is that she mistool the flashing of Fire Island light for { pilot boat torching, and hauled for thu supposed pilot boat