The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-17
BACK FROM THE GATE CITY.
VICE PRESIDENT EGAN DESCRIBES
THE SHIPS SITUATION.

Mr.. Egan and wreciSing Experts BE-
Iieve the ship May BE FIOated
when Her Cargo Has Been Re-
rnoved-WorlS on I'1nt Is Now Pro-
ceeding-Frefsht Is Being Lighter
ed to New Yorl-MerEitt-Cha
WrecIxing Company Has the Job.
Fog was Very Dense at the Time
of the Accident and the Lead a
short Time Before Ha0 Failed to
Find bottom nj II FathOms.
Vice President John NJ. Egan of the
Central Railroad and Ocean steamship
Company returned yesterday from the
North, his trip having been made on ac-
count of the Gate City being aground on
the Long Island shore near the East
Moriches life sta ton. He spent two or
three days at the scene Of the ships dis
aster, and left Wednesday, with the belief
that there wnl be no insurmountable OBJ
stacle in the way OF the ship being float
ed after she. has been relieved of her
cargo. se8 tHs
Night before last. while on his way to
Savannah, Mr.. Egan received telegram
from a station near the place where the
Gate City lies stating that the unloading
had been commenced. and ihat it was
thought it would be well under way by
last night Three tugs are at the scene
with lighters, and the freight, as il is un-
loaded, is taken to New York.
The principal cargo of the ship was cot
0 az lN,Nar a
Miscellaneous classes make up the rest of
her freight If any of 1t is lost or dam
aged the company viii not suffer, as the
cotton and other freight, If Insured, is
covered by policies held by the owners
While at the scene of thee wreck MIR.
Tgan was told the story of the ships run
ming aground. She struck on the night
OF Feb s. at $50 O'Clock. Capt, Googins
had the lead in play a short while be-
fore the second mate having heaved il.
At s o'clock IT was reported that twenty
seven fathoms of line had run out without
bottom being reached. That was taken
as an indication that there was plenty of
depth.
The ship was twenty-five miles off her
course, however, and the fog was so
dense that nothing beyond her bowsprit
could be seen. 1t was totally without
momentum carrying her upon bar that
runs parallel to the beach just at that
point The bar is only a few hundred feet
distant from the shore,
At the time The ship struck the sea was
running high, and during the night the
waves forced the ship further and further
shoreward By the next night she had
been forced across the bar, her nose still
pointing to the shore, and for a time she
was adoat. The weather continued severe,
however, with the wind from an unfavor-
able direction, and 1t was moi .,long, de-
spite the anchors that were thrown out
to hold her, before the ship was aground
again, this time about 200 feet from the
shore at low water. Her nose had been
turned, too, so that she was almost broad
side ON to the waves.
In The meantime the two lady passen-
gers and the stewardess had been taken
off in the breeches buoy, which was rig
ged up after the arrival of the life savers
from the station, about. a mile and quar-
ter distant from where the vessel was
aground. A line was fired from the shore
across the ships and the buoy apparatus
was rugged up.
The breeches buoy also came in we'll
when it was regarded as necessary or adj
visabe to ship some of the crew ashore.
About half were taken off one night and
on a later occasion Capt. Googins, his Of
crew went ashore by the same means.
Only some thirty wreckers were left
aboard then, their duties being to look
after the ship and to carry on her un-
loading as SOON as that became practical
BILE
The Merritt-Chapman Wrecking Com
pany has the contract to float the ship.
The company is probably the largest of
its kind in existence. Mr., Egan saw a
member of the company in New York and
talked over the situation with him. The
opinion of the experts seemed to be that
the vessel could be foeted, but chat some
time would be required,
For a time the Gate City seemed to be
pounding on the beach. the waves lift
ing her and detting her fall back into the
berth she had made for herself. To avoid
injury to her bottom, water was pumped
into the ship to settle her better, and the
pounding was then prevented. When she
has been lightened by the removal of her
cargo, Mr.. Egan believes, with the wreck
ing experts, that she can be fioated.
The coast upon which the Gate City lies
is described by Mr.. Egan as being much
like that of Tybee Island, the difference
being that the sand dunes are much high
cr. A strip of land runs along, between
The ocean and bay that extends for sew
eral miles parallel to the ocean, The sta
ton on The Long Island Railroad nearest
the wreck is some eight miles distant.
Just opposite where the vessel struck
there is a group of fishernens huts, and,
within sight, Mr.. Egan says, there may
be counted ten or a dozen Old hulks, show
ing that the Gate City was by no means
the first to go ashore there. i9t ff
REINFORCED THE CHANGING.
Judge Norwood Sent Out a Number