The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-04-17 00:00:00

THE " ATALANTA."

The Times of Tuesday, 13th, said :—" Seventy-two
days having elapsed sinoe the Atalanta, the sailing
training-ship, was known to have left Bermuda on
her return voyage to Portsmouth without intelligence
having been received of her, it is feared that she may
have been disabled by the lately prevailing high
winds and driven out of her course. Although the
Admiralty had previously ordered the Wye, store
ship, to call in at the Azores on the way home from the
Mediterranean in search of the missing ship, their
Lordships have since deemed it advisable to order Ur
whole of tke Channel Squadron, consisting of the
Minotaur, Agincourt, Achilles, Northumberland, and
the Salamis, to proceed to sea at once from Gibraltar,
under the command of Rear-Admiral Hood, and cruise
first to the AEores, and thence to Bantry Bay, with
the object of picking up intelligence of the missing;
ship. The ships will open out within signalling dis-
tance of each other, by which means a large area o'
sea will be explored."

The Atalanta had on board eleven officers and
about 300 hupdred young seamen, exclusive of petty
officers, seleMed from vessels at different parts for the
purpose of being trained in practical seamanship.
She is only capable of carrying a stowage of water
sufficient for sixty slays, and it is calculated that, even
if she is safe, her water must all have been consumed.
She is a corvette exclusively dependent upon her sail-
ing capabilities. Strange to state, her absence began
to create uneasiness on the anniversary of the day on
which the Eurydice foundered—March 24.
When last reported the Atalanta had several cases
of yellow fever on board, and her sailing orders were
extended to Aptil 4. Almost the only ground of hope
is that Captain Stirling may have put into some port
from which there is no telegraphic communication.
The Atalanta was an old wooden frigate, of 958
tons register. She was commissioned as a training
ship for ordinary seamen in September, 187,8, and is
classed in the Navy List as fourth-rate.

The following statement has been sent to the papers
by the Admiralty for publication :

"Admiralty, April 12, 1880.
"On 7th November, 1879, the Atalanta, a sailing frigate,
training ship for young seamen, proceeded on her third cruise
of instruction, and sailed from Portsmouth for the West
Indies, with orders to return home about 4th April.
"In consequence of two cases of yellow.fever occurring on
board, Captain Stirling determined to proceed at once to
Bermuda,,where he arrived 29th January, and left on 31st
January ior England, the crew being then in good health,
since which date no intelligence of the Atalanta has been
received.

"Until last week it was hoped that the non-arrival of the
ship was caused by Capt. Stirling, after leaving. Bermuda,
deciding to; prolong his cruise, in accordance•with the
original orders. That time having now possed.without any
news of the ship, orders have been given for her Majesty's
despatch vessel Salamis, to proceed at once from Gibraltar to
the Azores, and make inquiries at each of the islands for any
traces of the Atalanta; the ships of the Channel squadron also
received orders on the 10th hist: to proceed from Gibraltar
to thQ Azores, and cruise home on the track from Bermuda.
"The Bacchante...is now on passage home from Bermuda;
it is therefore hoped that if the Atalanta has been dismasted
she may be fallen in with.

_
"When the Atalanta left Bermuda there were.lo9 tons oi
water on board and an ample supply of provisions. .

- - - - -
"The ship was in allirespects sound, possessed of unusual
stability,' and commanded by an officer of good judgment
and high professional qualifications, but the unexpected
delay in her arrival affords cause for anxiety for her safety,
bearing in mind the many disasters which have occurred
during the past two Months consequent on the very severe
weather which has been experienced in the Atlantic.
"There is, however, still ground for hope that she may be
only dismasted, and may yet arrive in safety."

rp to a late hour on Tuesday night no tidings had been re-
ceived by the officials at the Admiralty relative to the miss-
ing vessel. Throughout the day the inquiries of the numerous
friends and relatives of the crew and officers on board were
frequent, and the anxiety exhibited is shared by the heads of
the Royal Naval establishment. In the event of any infor-
mation being received respecting the ship, arrangements
have been made by the authorities for immediately publish-
ing it through the Press.

The following is a list of the officers on board the Atalanta
when she left Portsmouth in last November I—Captain
Frantis Stirling; Lieutenants, Frederick A. Blackett, Arthur
Dove, and Philip E. Fisher; Navigating Lieutenant, William
Henry Stephens; Chaplain, the Rev. Robert Nimmo, ;
Staff Surgeon, Edward L. Moss, M.D. ; Paymaster John
Ashton; Sub-Lieutenant Edward P. Charrington ; Surgeon,
Laurence W. Corcoran, 8.A., M.D. ; Gunner, David Silk ;
Boatswains, Frederick Standish and Richard Clancy.

The Times of Wednesday published the following, from
their Portsmouth Ceirrespondent :--It is useless to disguise
the fact that grave apprehensions respecting the safety of
the Atala»ta are entertained at the Admiralty ; but
these apprehensions are in a great measure owing
to a consciousness of the sad fate which befell her
sister training Ship two years ago. There are still grounds
for hope, and the Admiralty, in despatching the Channel
Squadron to search for tidings of her, have taken the
best course to solve the mystery. Captain Stirling, who
commanded the missing ship, has the reputation of
being a sound and cautious navigator, and it is just
possible that, having had the misfortune to have his topmasts
carried away by the easterly gales, which Continued for
nearly a month, the ship may have been driven far out of
her course, and he at the moment labouring, in the North
Atlantic., An attempt has been made to connect the copper
-
bottomed ship which is said to have been discovered bottom
-
up by the Tamar, West India mail steamer, with the
.
Atalanta ; but this utterly fallacious. In the first place,
the reported wreck is considerably smaller than the corvette,
and in the next place it would be impossible far the Ata-
lanta, with her weight of water-tanks and 43 tons of bal-
last on board, to float in the circumstances stated. If she
were once to turn turtle, she would sink with, alas !
the alacrity of the Captain. The Atalanta is a much stiffer
ship under.canyas than the Eurydice was, and is of greater
stability, several changes having been introduced into her
trim while fitting out at Pembroke after the loss of the sister
i
ship had produced widespread alarm n the service. It has
been taken for granted that the Atalanta, even if afloat, must
have been for some time short of provisions and Water. Her
water stowage, however, was equal to 100 tons, the duration
of which would, of course, depend upon the emergen9Y to be
met and the economy practised ; while as regards her stock
of provisions, no conclusion can be drawn in the absence of
nformation as to what she took on board at Bermuda."