The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-19
The Loss of the NIonongahcin.
LETTER FROM COMMODORE BIssELL-oFFIcIAL RE-
PORT OF THE DIsAsTER--THE VESSEL BEAcHED BY
TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKES OFF ST. cRoIX.
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP MoNoNGAnELA,


ST. GROIN, November 81, 1867 /
SIR: have to state, with deep regret, tnat the
United States steamship Monongahela, under my
command, is now lying on the beach III front OF the
town of Frederickstedt, St. Cr0lX, where she was
thrown by the most fatal earthquake ever known
here. The shock occurred ut 3 o'clock L. NJ OF the
18th inst. Up to that moment the weather was
serene, and no indication of q change showed by
the barometer, which stood at thirty degrees 1f-
teen minutes. :he first indication we had OF the
earthquake was violent trembling OF the snip,
| resembling the blowing of Of steam. Ihls
lasted some thirty seconds, and lmmediately
afterwards the water was observed to be recedlnS
rapidly from the beach. In a moment the current
was changed, AMI bore the ship towards the beach,
carving out the entire cable and drawing tho
bolts from the kcson, without tho slightest effect
| in checking her terrific speed towards the beach,
Another anchor was ordered to be let go, but III q
few seconds she was in too shoal water for this to
| avail. When within few yards OF the beach the
| refux Of the water checked her speed for mo-
ment, and light breeze from the land gave me q
momentary hope that the jib and foretopmast
staysail might pay her head off shore, SO that in
the refuX of the wave she Nigh reach waters sui
ficlenly deep to float her, and then be brought up
by the other anchor. These sails were Immediate
| lv set and she paved off so to bring her broad
side to the beach, When the sea returned in The
| form of wall Of water twenty-five or thirty feet
| high it carried us over the warehouses into the
first street OF the town. This wave, in re edlng,
| took her back towards the beach, and left her
where she has now keeled over to an angle OF
fifteen degrees.
All this was the work of u few moments only,
and soon after the waters of the bay subsidod into
their naturally tranquil state leaving us nigh and
| dry upon the beach. During her progress towards
| the beach she struck heavily two or three times;
the first lurch carried the rifle gun the torecas
tie overheard. Had the ship been carried ten or
fifteen feet further out she lmust inevitably have
| been forced over on her beam ends, resulting, |
| g., har+ +ofa nj 1actrnnfiOn
many lives. Proyldentially only four mon were
lost thesc Yero in the boats at the time the shock
commenced. The boats that were down were all
| swamped except my gig, which was crushed under
| tho keel. killing my coxswaln, most valuable
man. During this terrific scene the officers and
| men behaved with coolness and suDordinatlon. 1t
| affords NE great pleasure to state that after Il
careful examination oi the position and condition
of the ship am enabled TO report that she has
sustained no irreparable damage to her hull. The
sternpost is bent, and some twenty feet OF her
Keel partially gone propeller and shaft uninjured.
The lower pintle Of the rudder is gone, but no
other damage IS sustained by 1t. No damage is
done to her hull more serlous than the loss OF
several sheets Of copper, torn from her starboard
biige and from her keel.
| She now lies on the edge OF = coral reef, which
forms a solid foundation, on which ways may be
laid She can thus be launched i'll ten feet OF water
at one hundred feet from the beach. Gentlemen
looking at the ship from shore declare that the
bottom of the bay was visible where there was be-
fore, and is now, forty fathoms Of water.
TO extricate the ship from her present position
respectfully suggest that Mr.. j. Hanscom be SEM
down with suitable material for ways ready fol
LAYING down, aud India ruober camcls to buoy hcl
ND think there Is no insuperable obstacle tt
her being put aAoat, providing Il gang OF ten OF
twelve good ship carpenters be sent down with th'
Naval Constructor as her boilers and engines ap
pear to have sustained no injury. a valuable shil
may thus Le saved to the navy, with ali her Sore
and equipments.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
S. i. BlSSELL Commodore Commanding.
Rear Admiral j. $. PALMER, Commanding II. A
Squadron, ST. Thomas.