Delaware gazette and state journal., 1900-01-25
DRIVEN ON SHOALS IN A FOG
Steamer Sutton a Total Wreck
on Fenwick's Island.
LOST Her WAY IN THE GLOOM
Crew Rescued by Revenue CUT
ter Onondaga.
Tho ors-1aden Vessel Crashed on the
Treacherous shoals EARLY Saturday Morn
ing, and Pounded Out Her Bottom-Ifer
Crew Was Safely Landed at Lewesl

Lewes, Jan. El..-Lost In the dense
fog that for the last three days has
hung like a pail over the entire North
Atlantic coast, the British steamer
Sutton struck on Fenwick's Island
Shoals early yesterday morning and be-
came total wreck. That her crew was
saved is due to the fact that the United
States revenue cutter Onondaga CHANGED
to be in the locality patrolling the coast
for wrecks.
The Sutton, which was bound to
Philadelphia with a cargo Of iron ore
from Porman. Spain, lost her reckoning
in the fog late Friday night, and was
sent ahead very slowly. Her master,
Capt. Pike, did not realize that he was
SO close to land, and the first warning
of actual danger was the crash that
told those aboard that the ship was
aground. The engines were quickly re-
versed, but the steamer was fast on the
shoals and soon began to pound heavily
on the hard bottom, about eight miles
off shore. &6
Capt. Pike promptly ordered his men
to prepare to save themselves by making
ready the lifeboats. He decided, how
ever, not to abandon the ship until it
became absolutely necessary. Rockets
were fired in the gray dawn, but the
fog was too thick to permit them to
be seen at any distance.
Colored lights were burned while
efforts were made to work the vessel
back into deep water. This was soon
found to be hopeless task. Held
fast at the bow, the heavily laden ship
began to pound relehtlessly on the
shoals, and soon holes had been knocked
in her bottom Water poured through
the openings, and soon the ship began
to fill and settle. :
As the fog lifted the signals of dis
tress were seen by the life savers, who
telegraphed to the Delaware BREAK.
water, and soon several tugs were steam
| ing rapidly toward the scene of the
wreck. 1t was late in the day when
the Onondaga, which had left the
Breakwater early in the day, sighted
the wreck, and it was dark when she
got close enough to begin the work Of
rescue with the aid OF her powerful
senrchligbt.
| A gale from the southwest was div
| ing In heavy sea, but the small boats
Of the revenue cutter we're launched,
and in them the "a men aboard the
Sutton were transferred to the United
States revenue craft. 1t was midnight
when the last man had been safely
transferred, and not until early this
morning were they landed at the Break
water. A..
The weather having moderated, tho
captain and crew of rhet stranded
steamer went aboard the wrecking
| steamer North America this morning,
and at II o'clock proceeded to the
scene Of the wreck for the purpose of
examipRtioD with n view to "a wing tho
steamer and the cargo, il possible.
They returned this evening, and Capt.
Pike and CAPT. Hamlett of the Onon-
daga, report the vessel to be full Of
| water, and are of the opinion that there
are no chances that she can be sayed.
| The shipwrecked crew was cared for
here tonight and will probably leave
| for Philadelphia tomorrow.
Fenwick's Island Shoal is off the
coast of Delaware, 1871 miles south of
| Cape Henlopen Light and short dis
| tance from the Maryland State line.
| The shoals run long distance nearly
| due north and south. 1t was on these
shoals that the American Liner Rhyp-
land struck some time ago, but passed
over them and struck the coast. The
British steamship BTinkburn and the
| Norwegian bark Siam were totally lost
on the shoals about two years ago.
The Sutton is loaded with 8, 500 tons
of iron ore consigned to L. Westei gard
& Go. of No. 1888 South Second street,
Philadelphia. She is owned by J, Sun
| ley & Co., of London. She was built in
1867 at Port Glasgow and is spar
| deck, modern steel vessel She is 314
| feet long, A feet beam, 201a feet depth
of hold and registers l, $50 net tons. ~