The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-08
NAVAL DISASTER.


Pnr,lcuIaEs Of t.e Loss Of The the TnIIed states
The Miantonomah left the Brooklyn Navy
Yard a week since, conveyed by the tug Maria.
To enable her to get safely 20 sea, the Catalpa
and Clinton assisted her rs far as He'll Gate
when they left, and the Maria took up her posi-
ton astern as tender. gale of wind coming
on the vessels lay at anchor off Fort Schuyler.
Early Monday morning they got under way
and proceeded up the Sound. On reaching
Moptauk about 8 o'clock Monday night the
heavy swell from the ocean set ill., and the
Maria commenced to roll fearfully. The Mian-
tonomah made good weather, but leaked some
through the turret packing, making it decidedly
unpleasant below decks. She rolled considerably
for monitor. She steered very wildly, and the
Maria kept well on her quarter, occasionally
running up to a safe distance to see if all was
| right
About o'clock on the morning of Tuesday,
Gay Head light being in sight, the feed-ppe OF
the Maria burst, owing, probably, to the violent
working of the vessel. This casualty did not
cause any alarm or excitement on board, and
while consulting as to what should be done, the
Miantonomah was hailed and informed of the
Maria's accident. The officers informed them
that the vessel would be slowed until il could be
ascertained whether the damage could be re-
paired on board 0f the Maria The Miantonomah
steamed slowly ahead, but the Mariaseems to have
passed her, and was so far in advance
TO lead those on board to believe that the Man.
tonomah had stopped. Thinking that she might
have broken down, they turned the Maria
around to ascertain the cause of her delay.
The Vineyard Light ship was now in sight, and
it became necessary to change the course of the
Miantonomah, bringing the bow of the monitor
in line with the starboard side of the Maria At
| this time it was discovered on board of the
| Maria that the hiantonomah was rapidly ap-
| preaching her. and orders were given to go ahead
at full speed but the engineer reported that his
steam was nearly exhausted, go that she
could not make three knots. The Mianto-
| nomah was going about eight knots; aud
| nlthOuVl collision
| by putting her helm hard a-starboard, it was too
late. Besides, the monitor answers her helm
very slowly. The blow given by the Man
tonOmah is represented as being terrific the
! ram penetrating the Marias iron hull, and in-
stantly killing Coles, the oier, who was oiling
! the engine. The vessel was keeed over so that
| the port rail was under water; the lamps stoves,
| chairs, and everything movable were thrown
| into n confused mass. and the vessel was set on
fire. The engines of the Maria were knocked
| endways and made complete wreck. In an
| Incredibly short space of time the waves dashed
the Maria against the PROV of the monitor, en-
| larged the hole and made its destruction more
perfect. Lieutenant Commander Niles had
charge of the deck. hnsign Beecker was in
! his berth, it being his watch below. Mr.. Brown,
the engineer, was in the engine-room. The
/ cook, Jones, was in the galley asleep,
and is believed to have been killed
there. as he was not seen again after he
the bunkers with Burns, and when the collision
| took place, he called his chum, and then started
! for the deck, which he reached, but poor Burns
| never gained the deck. Griffths, however,
| jumped from the deck and swan to the Mianto-
| nomah, when he was picked up by Brown, the
| engineer Of the Maria, who was instrumental in
| saving several of the others. Cummings was
| unable to jump from the Maria to the monitor
and he was drawn down by the suction. Ensign
Bleecker who was partially undressed, jumped
from his berth at the instant of the collision, and
attempted to get out of the port cabin door, but
finding the water was rushing in, he closed il and
| w he dad
in opening and reaching the deck, and with the
others climbed upon the bow of the Miantono-
nah.
All the saved arc loud in their praises of
Brown, the engineer, whose GOODNESS, courage,
and ability in this trying time were marked, and
he assisted several of the crew over the bow,
and at last grasped Grifilths and hauled him on
| board. From the time of the collision until the
Maria was out of sight beneath the waves did
not exceed minute. The Miantonomah made
an attempt to lower boat, but desisted from
the fact that the boat would have been instantly
swamped against her side, as the waves were
dashipg over her decks. 1t seems amiracle that
so many were saved. Fortunately the Mianto-
nomah kept her headway after the collision, for
had she backed of entirely, the Maria would
| have keeled to gtarboard, and left no hone of
salvation for those on board; as il was, she hung
on the iron PROV Of the monitor, and thus gave
tEem time to get on board.
| The following is list of the saved:-Leute-
nant Commander Marston Miles; Ensign, John
Bleecker pilots, William Cutler Hugh Jones,
Charles Duyal engineers, Abraham Brown,
Samuel SmitheTs; iiremen, Grifiths, Hnghs,
Telnny; crew, Collins, Flanagan.
The following were lost Flremen, John
Coles, James Cummings; oiler, John Burns
| cook William Jones.
The Maria was n screw tug built during the
war by Messrs. Perine for the Navy Department
and she has been employed around the Navy
Yard ever since. She was the vessel sent by
! | Admiral Godon to watch the Spanish gunboat,
during the time they laid at the foot of Thir
teenth street. She was detailed on this her las
voyage TO convoy the Miantonomah to Boston
and was to have returned to New York. Th'
cook, who has been lost, leaves three orphan
children, and Cumming leaves family but a
, neither of these men are on the books of AM
vessel those left are deprived of any support
and are not entitled TO pension. IL has beef
suggested by some of the officers OF the nav,
that Congress will provide for these and simila
cases. Everybody on board at the time los
every article of clothing and all personal effects
The loss to the Government Is about &60, ,000
| although the Maria has cost nearer $l00, 0OO
i She was very seryiceable boat, and was OK
: tremely well built
4 The MiantOnomah arrived at Boston on Wed