News from 1899: Germanic Sinks in Her Dock at New York

The New York Times, 24 February 1899

THE GERMANIC FLOATED
---
Wreckers Raise the White Star Liner, Sunk at Her Pier
---
The White Star Line steamship Germanic is afloat. The wreckers
experienced great trouble in releasing the stern from the mud's grip.
Divers were again sent down to look for openings, into which it was
feared water was entering as fast as the pumps were drawing it out, and
the big derrick Monarch was placed in position at the stern to give a
lift.

Big bubbles commenced to come up from the bottom in the afternoon. This
indicated that there was a disturbance of the mud and then the stern
began slowly to rise. As the stern came up the bow dropped a little
bringing the vessel more nearly to an even keel.

Finally the after turtleback came into view. It became necessary to cut
down the cofferdam which had been constructed around the after hatch,
and finally, as the main deck arose above water, it was removed.

The vessel was soon afloat, and then all that remained to be done was to
free her of water.

Those who went into her cabins said that there was no mud in her. The
upholstering was simply wet. Still, it was their opinion that most of
her fittings would have to be renewed. The wreckers worked all last
night on her. Her bow at a late hour was drawing 26 feet 6 inches, while
aft she was drawing about 6 feet more than her ordinary draught. There
was then 8 or 10 feet of water in hold No. 4, while hold No. 5 was still
full of water. It was expected that the vessel would be fully cleared
during the night. It is expected that she will go into dry dock to-day
or to-morrow and be put in condition for a trip to the other side of the
Atlantic, where she will undergo renovation preparatory to resuming her
place in the passenger service of the line. No estimates have as yet
been made as to the amount of the damage.

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The New York Times, 26 February 1899

The Germanic in Dry Dock
---
The White Star Line steamer Germanic, having come out of her mud bath at
the bottom of her berth, foot of Christopher Street, in the North River,
was yesterday towed to the Erie Basin to be placed in dry dock. Until a
thorough examination is made it was said that it could not be estimated
what the damage to her has been nor how long she will have to remain in
dock. It was believed, however, that only a scraping and painting would
be necessary, other repairs being of a kind that would be made after she
had come out of the dock.

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[MAB Note: This routine listing in the shipping column's listing of
departures is the only reference to Germanic's departure to appear in
NYT.]

The New York Times, 8 March 1899

SHIPPING AND FOREIGN MAILS
***
Sailed
***
S.S. Germanic, (Br.,) for Belfast
***

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[MAB Note: I was away the weekend before last, and quite forgot about
these two items. Sorry for the delay.]

The New York Times, 17 March 1899

The Germanic Arrives at Queenstown
---
QUEENSTOWN, March 16---The White Star Line steamer Germanic, Capt.
McKinstry, from New York on March 7, has arrived here and will await the
White Star Line steamer Cymric, which is expected here from Liverpool
with Mr. J. Bruce Ismay and several White Star Line officials on board.
They will proceed in the Germanic to Belfast, where she is to be
overhauled as a result of her sinking at her dock in New York Harbor.

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*************************
The New York Times, 18 March 1899

The Germanic at Belfast
---
BELFAST, March 17---The White Star Line steamer Germanic, Capt.
McKinstry, which arrived at Queenstown yesterday from New York March 7,
has arrived here to be overhauled after her experiences at New York,
where she sank at her dock and remained partly under water for a number
of days.

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The New York Times, 16 June 1899

The Germanic Again in Port
---
The White Star steamer Germanic, from Liverpool, arrived at this port
late yesterday afternoon. This is the first trip the vessel has made
since she sank alongside her pier on the North River last Winter from
the weight of snow and ice piled upon her. The vessel made an unusually
slow trip, and anchored for the night at Quarantine. Among her
passengers was J. Pierpont Morgan, who is returning from a visit to the
Continent. Mr. Morgan was taken on board his yacht at Quarantine.

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