The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-16
The Loss of Lie ON the Fleetwlng.

The Loss OF Life ON the FleetUlnE.
The manner in which the sailors of
the FLeetlOi,lg were lost on her trip to
Cowes is not distinctly stated, or rather
the accounts vary. The telegram ON
the Goth ult. said that the six men were
''washed off the bowsprit while furling
the jib."
The log of the Fyeetiring as printed in
the World, says:
December 10, P. NJ, a sea broke on
board, washing six of the crew over
board; no other damage; hove to for
four hours after losing the watch; could
render no assistance.
As printed in the Herald, it reads:
Nine P. NJ, shipped sea, which
washed six of the crew out OF the cock
pit; hove to for five hours under two
reefed foresail.
The Cowes correspondence of the
London NelCS, says:
Eight men were, it appears, washed
| overheard; two were got on board
again, and the other six were drowned.
The crew of the FteettCiHg were not the
regular hands who sailed in her before
the race, but strangers, who were not
used to the size and rig of the yacht.
She had scarcely any bulwarks, and
| she was unfortunately preached to
when n heavy sea struck her, and 1t
was a wonder that all on deck were not
drowned. If the yachts had had ordi-
nary bulwarks they could never have
crossed the Atlantic, on account OF the
vast quantities OF water that was con-
tinually coming on deck.
The Southampton correspondence OF
the same paper says:
The six men lost from the FIeetlGinS
We're standing on the quarter deck
smoking, and laughing and talking
when they were washed overheard.
The letter of "our special correspon-
dent at Cowes," appears in to-day's
Tribune. Hs says:
1 was anxious to understand the cir
cumstances of the terrible casualty
which, on the 18th, in mid-ocean, de-
prived her of two sub-otticers and foul
seamen. 4 more experienced and in
telligent officer than Captain Thomas
it would have been difficult to find, anC
to his great experience and intelligence
the owners are indebted that the Fleet
ring was not strewed about in spars or
the 10th of December, considering hel
frailty and the terrible nature of thu
, storm.
Still must say something about thi:
cockpit. l believe that several eXpe
rienced mariners in New York looked
upon the open box in the stern of thu
vessel as her ark of safety. Such, how
ever, was not Captain Thomas's opin
ioni he had again and again urged thu
: owners to have it filled up before III
had consented to take charge of tn,
: vessel. After he had done SO there wa!
: no time for the alteration.
| The Henrietta and the VeStG owe
: their good fortune to the fact that they
: could butten down everything, an(
that the heavy seas might roll Off a!
| quickly as they rolled on, but this ba
t sin in the stern of the FEeetCtng helC
tons of water. The men on watch
} who had got into it for safety, wen
out with the waves into the ocean wheI
I she rode the next sea, and were
, probably half mile from the zach
} before the loss was known. Ten min
) utes before the Captain himself was in
the cockpit. His loss would have beer
the certain loss of vessel and al, so tina
there is great cause for thank fulnes:
+ that it was no worse. The cockpit il
: so small a vessel is II terrible blunder
I and it certainly was not proved in this
, instance to be ii harbor of refuge.