New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-07
PLNORED LOSS OF THE u. s. STEAR
GUN-BOAT SEMINOLE.

The naval community was on Tuesday morning
thrown into the greatest excitmsnt by the announ 81
men, that the u s. steam gun boat Seminole had not
arrived at Rio Janeiro up TO the 18th of Sep
TENDER, and that burning steam propeller had
been fallen in with of Pernambuco. The
great probability that the rumor is cruel
hoax has been altogether overlooked. 10 viev OF
the fact that the Seminole was recently pronounced, IN
letters written by persons on board, to be pe'e
failure. We sutjoin extract from communicative
received from the vessel few days since. The wrier,
daing from Marsnhsm, Sept. Is thus speaks Of her:
We arrived at this place the 9Th September ass
and here have been remaining since. IL was our
intention when leaving the States TO put into brea-
doee for COAL but owing TO the decrept condilon Of
this miserable craft did not touch at that place out
put into CayF me, being, in the latitude IN ~hca we
were az the time Of changing our course, inc most
convenient. . a.,
This essel has been cknowledged by all h2nds on
board 70 be a failure. The condensers, when were
tried ar an experiment in the dsatlon OF SAT- wer
into fresh were always getting out OF order, ano we're
fourd not to meet the quirements of the ship, sn In
consequence we were some days compelled 70 saoset
ON n small allowance of water, barely sufficient 70
keep soul and body together. She leaks 30 badly aad
rolls 80 heavily that all the bread on board nae oeeo
spoiled cor demned, and thrown overheard.
The SEMI ole was one of the new gun.ooa1 bull IN
accordance with la,e act Of Congress. She was con-
structed under the superntepdsncs Of Mr.. Porter,
whose deaire to get her up cheapy as possible may
have been a chief cau.e of her failure. She ranks
with the Pswpee, Nsrrsgansstt, Mohican, Wyoming,
Dscotab and Ircquois the first gun boats ever regis
tered in the Navy of the United States. Tae Semin 10
was launched at Pensacola the 23d Of June, 1879,
Miss Martha Porter christening her. She was saose-
ouery cent to Norfolk TO receive her machinery, ana
ssed from that port for Rio Jsneiro on the l4tn Of
lagt July, or Whereabouts. Her passage down The
harbor resulted satisfactorily no less than nine hno:s
having been got out of her with ordinary force Of
steam. The steering Of the old corvette Aus;iu,
the last remnant of the II kan Navy which was broken
up some years ago in Florida. was transferred to the
Seminole The dimensions Of the latter were as fol-
lows. Length on the keel, 1s7 feet length deck,
Dol feet length over ALL 2l9 feet; depth Of hold, II
fest extreme breadth of beam 81 feet; tunnass, sol
TINS, She was very strongly bait, and coud carry
into ten feet of water gun weighing GOO ponds.
Der machinery was Instructed at the Morgan Iron
Work, in this city ana consisted of two horizontal
acting engines with cylinders 80 inches in dam
alter ana 30 inches stroke. She hsd brass propeller,
two bladed true screw f. 10. in diameter and IL
fest pitch. The total weight Of the machinery wss 3Ol
turs and the consumption of coal about - tun' per
day.
Az several rumors relative 70 the oss Of men-os
have turned out TO he mere fabrications II 10 quite
probable that this may be Of the same class. 1t
should be borne in mind that the passage from Nsran
ham to Rio is seldom accomplished in less than ten
days by national chips and that the Seminole wa coal
ing a; the former place on the 18Th The Corg'ess,
SasaDDsh, Niagara and Pawnes were all reported lost
when they perfectly safe at anchor; and We be-
heve that the Seminole is by this time secure IN Ro,
Notwithstanding the painful coincidence that the un'or-
una:s rumor brings TO the surfacs. Annexed s list
OF the officers attached to the Seminole;
co@n.ndsrG Pren.i..i hr.t hsasns,t-, g H1ssh
Campbell; paymastsr-Mes H. Mouiss assistant srrson
George Peci chief eagnser-N Patterson INST
Kubsl; second assistznt-N =. Liue; third
. Hsris w C. starr j r. Ksnsheri masterwC: Noson}
pld.hipmsn-A d. Wharton. A. A. MeNair, w; bsson -
A II Wshsrt commanders clerk-Wm. ~ foensi PssSs
oisrI-John Dennscn; earpsntsr-Lothss hassss ss'7
Thos Robinson - 81.