Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 76, 16 December 1893 — PINNEO BY ROCKS [ARTICLE]

PINNEO BY ROCKS

— I More Damage to the City of New York ā — NOI W0RTH THE RAISING The Steamer Virtually a Total Loss. POLICY 0F PROCRASTINATION. .1 Surplus of Bossm, Too Many Snction Pamps and un (bsfurf of 4<ood Maiuumnenl. There still seeros to be eome ilo-ihl as to the truth of the ruraor th ;t Captain \VhiteIaw. hae been deposed ae wrecker of tho City of New York, and subst:tuted by Captain Rogers, \Vhatever may be tiie trul!i in the roatter. the change ean be of lillle benefit or l»'ss now, that the stea:ner whieh has kept everybody guessing and prophesying f*>r ovrr a monlh, is uudoobtediy by lhis time reduced to a bottomless eondition. The failure of tho vessel to be d:u»hed frora her i>osition on the rocks and theinability of immense waves to move her so mueh as a degree of an ang!e froni her list to port during the south and eouthwest storm of the past forty-eight houra streugthens the belief that, when she struck she was pinned firmly by numerous jutting points ofr>ck, and not simply dented as has heen often described. Although ewella of g:gantic pr> portions swept the remains of the New York from early Satnrday morning until late last tvening. her hull still iemained bow on to the rollers. The position of tho afterpart of the vessel has not been changed in the raatter of a list, bnt the after hurricane deck has sunk a!most out of sight. All of the deck-houses that witbstood the waves of Saturday morning were washed away yesterday and the ship’s spars are reported to have worked loose. It may be possible that the steamer will disappear duriug the night, or perhaps this rnorning, but it is tbe opinion of sea captains that she will remain in the same position at Point Bonita for months to eome. They do not think that the vessel ean be raised. Of course it wonld be folly to assert that the wreck oannot under any circumstanses be gotten off tbe rocks, but it canuot be done except at an expeuse far in excess of its intrinsic vulue. SnfBce it to sav under thcse j circumstances tbat the New Yort is lnst, and it is not unjost crīticism to revert to the remarkable | manner iu whieh sbe bas been ! baudled since she struck tbe : point. Very str»nge have heen I tbe proceedings of tbose in j cbarge of the wreck; their pro- | crastination and ontward signs of * niisjudgment have along stood j ont in bold relief and were unj «voidably noiieeahle. At no time has tbe New York eome near beīng saved, except on tbe first day that an aktempt was made to raise her. Captain Gray wanted to nse his tngs and his Captain '\Vbitelaw his pnmps, bat oiders from headqnarters prevented. Tho pumps bad been working and were

j lowerĪDg the wj»t«r in the houl. the time hati eome to strain ! bavrsers and t!oat tbe ship, bot a ! babv swei! set in and settlevl tho 1 f.tte of the big steamer. Since that time about #38.000 | has been eipende«l in tn ing lo raise the steamer and several th'msands of dolltrs must be added to this for the lo«s •>!' wrt»cking pumps and bt'ilers. No attempt was made to save the ve>selVvalaakle raachinerv. In fact the sbip s liuen w.ts not entiraly removed uaiii tae sky began to sbow evideuce of a hunl b!ow. From «n experiencetl j»erson who has been on board of the Now York during many of the alleged prej«arations for raising Ti e Call has learned that * bos ses ’ were as nmueroos as s«ction jiumps. but that ne;ther bosses nor pnmps were jiut to anv juao tic il tests. Sixteen chains were said to have been placed onder the steamer just before the recent storra. It is said that these bavo heeu lust. “The New Y*ork is as good as iost now,” said a tugboat eapiaiu yesterday. “She is of 110 value excej)t for old iron evcu .f she reraains on the rocks. lt mnst be that the rocks pin her ia tbree places at least’ else she wouhl huve beeu tnrned over )»v the waves. Should she be raised now it wonld cost as inueh to do the job and repair her as it w««uld to build an entirelv uew vessel.” Aud so it is in the oj»iniou of all who have walched tb« wreck that tbe City of New York is \Vitbout auy mauuer of doubt a t« ; tal huaneial Ioss. if notbiuir * n else.—.S. F. Chrunlde.