AH-WR-0771

Gate City

Steamer · United States · Lost 1900 · Long Island & the New York Approaches

A 19th-century iron steamer that ran aground in fog near Moriches, Long Island, and broke apart beyond salvage in 1900.

Captain of Record

Christopher M. Summers

AHR-1877

See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built in 1878 at Chester, Pennsylvania, the steamer Gate City ran aground in dense fog near Moriches, Long Island, on February 8, 1900. Her back subsequently broke and she was judged beyond salvage; there were no casualties. Her wreckage lies close to shore in shallow water, mostly buried in shifting sand.

Vessel

Built: 1878
Builder: Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works
Yard: Chester, Pennsylvania
Material: Iron
Length: 254 ft
Beam: 39 ft
Tonnage: 1997
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: February 8, 1900
Cause: Grounding
Location: Near Moriches, Long Island, New York
Water: Atlantic Ocean, off Long Island
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 20-25
Condition: Mostly buried in sand, changing with shifting sand; hull broken
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 40.81° N 72.82° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Moriches, Long Island, New York
Region: Long Island & the New York Approaches

General area only: coordinate of Moriches from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, marking the named place of loss recorded for this vessel, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (65/100)

Her ownership, route, and cargo at the time of loss are not established in the sources reviewed.

Mystic Seaport Museum photograph archive
Confirmation of grounding date and location (Moriches, Long Island, February 1900).
njscuba.net dive site directory
Build data, dimensions, tonnage, depth, wreck condition.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (via MyTopo) — Moriches
coordinate of the named place of loss (near Moriches)