The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-15
DOESN'T BELIEVE HER LOST.
VICE PRESIDENT EGAs THINKS
GATE CITY WILL BE FLOATED.


Telegram Received Yesterday From
Him Says sit VIII Be Some Time
Before the Vessel Is FIOated," and
Betrays No Doubt That She VIII
Ultimately BE Drawn OG-No Prog
ress Made With the Unloading ON
Account of the Bad Weather-If
the Gate City Is Not Saved She VIII
BE But the Second Ship the Ocean
Steamship Company Has Lost.
A telegram received yesterday from
Vice President Egan of the Ocean Steam
ship Company indicates that the Gate City
will be saved. Mr. Egan seems to feel no
doubt that she will be drawn off the
beach. The vessel is well constructed, and
there are many in Savannah who are in
clined to believe that the sand berth she
has found at East Moriches, win not
prove her grave.
The reports of the Associated Press for
the last few days have indicated that the
ship has been driven hard and fast
ashore, with little chance left of her he
ing safely pulled off. Savannahians have
noted the accounts of the vessels posi-
ton with no little uneasiness, as they
would be sorry to have her go to pieces.
Mr.. IEgan wired that he expected to re-
turn to New York last night, but that
he would go back to the ship this morn
ing. He reported that she is $50 feet from
the shore at low water. No progress has
been made with her unloading because the
weather has been too bad The place
where she is aground is eight miles from
the life-saving station. The message was
sent from the station to New York by
Superintendent p. z. LeFevre of the
Ocean Steamship Company.
1T will be some time before the vessel
is Coated" MIR. Egan wired. That is
taken to mean that he has not the slight
est doubt that it will be ultimately ac-
complished. Wrecking apparatus of the
best sort is at hand, and no effort will
be spared to save the ship.
A gentleman thoroughly familiar with
the Gate City said yesterday that she will
be able to stand a great deal of buffeUng
by the waves, and he believes she will pull
through all right until she can be dis
lodged from the beach. The history of
such accidents, he says, abounds with in
stances of where ships have been aground
for two or three months and finally float
ed. The case of the American Line steam
ship ST. Paul. which went ashore two or
three years ago on the New Jersey coast,
was cited and also that of a French
steamship, which was beached near Long
Branch.
If the Gate Chy is not saved she will
be only the second ship the Ocean Steam
ship Company has lost. The other was
the City of Savannah, which was beached
on the South Carolina coast during a
storm in 1888, The City of Columbus was
not owned or operated by the Ocean
Steamship Company, when she was lost.
with more than 100 souls, in Martha's
Vineyard.
yards at Chester, Pa, in 1878. the City of
Columbus being her sister ship, The two
vessels were ordered by the Ocean Steam
ship Company to accommodate it's in
creasing business. Two or three years la
ter 1t was found that mere vessels still
were needed, and the larger ships were
ordered
A Boston steamship company, operating
line OF steamships between Boston and
Savannah, was in need of new vessels at
about the time the Ocean Steamship
Company received its three new ships
frcm the builders, SO the Gate City and the
City of Columbus were sod. Beth vessels
pany, the Ocean Steamship Company hav-
ing nothing at all to do with the vessels
and being absolutely irresponsible in any
way for the disaster to the City of Column
bus off Gay Head. The New England and
Savannah Steamship Company succeeded
the Boston company, and is now the cor
poration which owns part of the Savannah
Line fleet.
About 1887 the Gate City was boughS
back from the Boston Company together
with the City of Macon, which had been
sold by the Ocean Steamship Company to
replace the City of Columbus. hver since
the vessel has been in the possession OF
the Ocean Steamship Company She has
been in it's service constantly, except for
the short periods when taken off for re-
pairs and when in the government ser
vice during the Spanish-American war.
She was used as a transport, ppd her Of
ficers were highly eomplimented by army
officers for their service.
The Gate City is understood to have
been fully insured against loss by collision
at sea, but whether the insurance would
cover her loss in the present instance is
not known.