The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-11-20
MYSTERIOUS
COLLISION.
1t Is Now Believed that the
Steamer Saltram
Went Down.

Sp6CulatlOn as TO the late Ot the
missing British steamer2 Saltram,
which was bound for Havana from
Philadelphia and sailed on October
q and has never since been heard
Of, continues to occupy shipping
men to a degree not exceeded by
any similar incident in recent years
The extinction Of the ill-fated craft
was sudden and complete.
The steamer carried crew of
twenty y-tve men under command of
Captain John Owen. Her cargo
was a miscellaneous one valued at
$l5,5OO. The Saltram although
built eighteen years ago in Eng
land, was in such good condition
that she recently obtained 4 rating
of 100 AL in Lloyds Insurance
Agency. She was known to be 4
seaworthy boat in every respect.
and her agents and others argue
that disaster other than that occa-
stoned by wind and sea must have
overtaken her.
Color is given this theory from the
fact. which seemed to have been
overlooked, that the Saltram was
in collision after leaving the Break
water. The Captain of the schoon-
er Yale, who with his crew was
taken from the wreck of their vessel
OH the night of October 81 by the
schooner Jose, Olivani and alter
wards landed in New York, said
that he had been run into by an
unknown steamship. The collision
occurred in latitude a. 80 north.
longitude Is. 20 west. According to
his story of the disaster, the shock
was tremendous and could not have
done other than badly injure the
steamship. He now thinks that
the latter was the Saltram and that
she foundered with all on board.
Whether or not this is correct, it
is a singular fact that the vessel i'll
collision with the Yale has never
been reported, nor has any vessel
reached port on the Atlantic sea-
board and reported such disaster
which might be identified with the
Yale accident. In all the reports
dealing with marine accidents the
opposing craft has been set down
as .'missing' or "unknown.'
Many authorities on shipping and
marine architecture claim that
hardly in one case out of one hun
dred can a sailing vessel run into
steamer without coming out sec
one best, but numerous instances,
abound where the reverse has been
the case. When the ship Cromarty-
shire collided with the French
liner La Burgogne off the New
foundland banks in the summer OF
1898 the former was badly damaged
but still made Halifax in safety.
The La Burgogne, however. sunk
in few minutes. The ill-fated
iaAs1- was aImest twice as large as
the Saltram.
Incoming captains who passed
through the waters where the Yale
was struck within a week after that
disaster occurred report the sea to
be covered with wreck age. Be-
tween Frying Pan lightship and
Cape Roman thirty-three portions
of the framing Of a ship Of consider
able size were seen by the schoon-
er W. H. Swan. which arrived at
Savannah from Philadelphia on
November &. On November ; fifty
miles south OF Frying Pan light
ship the keel OF a vessel and part
of the starboard bulwarks were
passed.
BY iar the most interesting re-
port. however, in the opinion of
those Interested in the Saltram was
brought by Captain Peters, of the
Merchants and Miners Line steam
er Decatur H. Miller, which arrive
ed at Baltimore on November 10
from Savannah. Captain Peters
informed the Maritime Exchange
that when fourteen miles southwest
BY south from Cape Roman he saw
a vessel bottom up. apparently 700
feet long. The coincidence in these
reports has aroused the grave>t
apprehension regarding the miss
ing steamer. She should have ar
rived in Havana on November
and is now fifteen days overdue.
As she is a steamer all hope has
been practically abandoned.
In addition to Captain Owen the
following members of her crew we're
shipped i'll Phila. Amos Bryan.
cook; {. Peterson. engineer. aud
Seamen A. Islano. Alfred Johnson
and John Haas. The homes of the
others are not known. The Saltram
is valued at nearly 100000.