The New York herald., 1871-02-15
The Tennessee--IRepert or Hsr Having
ReCn Sees.

Without Wishing to discredit the report thai
the Tennessee was seen OF the coast Of Hayti
on the 2Sth uit. by vesael that arrived Al
Boston yesterday, we cannot but ask the
question. By what means would the Tennes.
sea- which left this harbW on the 18th
uldud. bound to Samaua Bay, OF arouud
the east end Of the island Of 6t Domingo, bc
IN latitude twenty degrees north and longitude
seyenty-three degroes twenty minutes west
on the 2Sth day Of January, and be steering
Wcst.nocthwest, II boupd 10 any part Of st..
Doniagos From the way the steamer seen
was aaering she was. beyond doubt, bound
through the channel between the north coast Of
Ouha and the Bahama Banks, and we cannot
but think from the following circumstances
Hat II was the United States steamor Severn,
ana not Che Tennessee The former sailed
from Kingston, Jamaica. on the 27th of Janu.
airy, bound to Havana. and this the Navy
Department would have seen IN the HERALD
OF the Goth Ltmo. She wsald on the 2Stb have
been about In the position mentioned, and
you'd have hsen steering che 90 ,rse given
Hor model and rig exe. the same as the
Tennessee; hense we are more than
ever satisfied with our statement, that
u was no other than the flagship Severn.
which arrived ip Havana on the 9Th instant.
An examination of chart will clearly demon.
strate what we say. and We cannot understand
how any nautical man and navigator should
think chat vessel seen in that position. steam-
ing to the westward. could be ship known to
be bound to port situated In a diIeotion
almost directly opposite.
The Tennessee would have shaped courss
direct for samana Bay II bound there, and
through the Mona Passage, between ST.
Domingo and Porto Rico, If destined frst for
ST. Domingo City. 1t is not possible that
tho intricate channels or passages over
the Bahama Banks or through the Bahama
Islands in order to pass around the west
side OF Hayti, and II is very certain
that II he did attempt it aud reached the
point mentioned he would not be steering
west-northwest in order to reach his port Of
destination. We notice tha: the opinion wo
have here expressed is also entertained at
Washington but the Navy Department ap-
pears to be In lamentable ignorance Of the
Whereabouts Of our vessels in the West
Indies when it notifies the public that the
Severn was at Kingston and the Congress
al Key West when last heard from, and
we think 1t advisable for it not to express
opinions or try to give information that tend
SO much to confuse those who depend upon 1t
to know the whereabouts of their friends
Our opinion of the whereabouts Of the Ten
nessee has not changed in the least. We be-
iieve her safe and all attached to her well, and
we shall hold to 1t for some time
yet before feeling the slightest apprehension
that an accident has occurred. But we
must, as is our duty, correct errors
that occur, and rectify as far as is in our power
false reports; consequently we do not hesitate
to say, that from close examination of the
locality given and course being steered,
we are satisfied that the vessel reported was
not the Tennessee, and we are confident that
when the latter is heard from our opinion will
be found correct in this, as it is on almost
every other question which we are called upon
to decide.