| Loss of the steamer "Viscaya" off New Jersey coast |
Short story about the shipwreck of the Spanish steamer Viscaya
By Pascal Kainic
Intelligence has reached the public of the collision between the Spanish steamer Viscaya, Captain Francisco Cunill, 1.900 tons, from the Spanish Transatlantic Company and the schooner Cornelius Hardgraves off the coast of New Jersey, on 30th of October, 1890.
Both went down in seven minutes, six miles off Barnegat. The Viscaya was valued at $ 500.000, beautifully fitted with marble ornamentation, was en route from New York to Havanah and other port of Central America with a cargo of general merchandise, 16 passengers and 77 officers and crew.
Only 19 persons were saved from drowning. Amongst the lost passengers was Juan Pedro, a Cuban millionaire with his family and partner of the Spanish Transatlantic Line.
Divers will be sent to try to recover the bodies and some of the cargo. They will also try to salvage the gold lost in her.
Her wreck is believed to be approximately 40 meters deep. Altough modern local divers have most probably found the wreck already, such a big steamer should still keep a lot of golden secrets inside her... |
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