The New York herald., 1873-12-31
AT THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD.


AT THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD.
The chief topic Of conversation upon all sides in
the Brooklyn Navy Yard yesterday was. OF course,
the information published In the HERALD concern
ing the loss OF the far-lamed but Inflated vrginius.
The general opinion expressed was that her
descent to 'Davy jones' locker'' was purely acci-
dental, though there were q few sceptlcs who
boldly asserted that 1t was "a put up job"
that she should 90 down just where and
when she did. No substantial reason was
adduced by the "sea lawyers" however, Tor
this process Of reasoning, other than the very
slender idea that the questions under negotiation
would be sunk from the surface OF popular senti-
ment. and all possibility OF future unpleasant
ness" between the Republic of Spain and the
United States would be obviated Between ten
and eleven O'Clock In the forenoon the executive
oricer Of the United States steam sloop-
Of-war 0ssipee, Lieutenant Commander
G. x. Haswen Captain John Waters, the
commandant OF the ship, being sick),
visited the Naval Lyceum at the yard, and
there made q report to Vice Admiral Rowan con.
cernng the loss Of the Virginius under the lee OF
Frying Pan shoals, near Cape Fear, N. c. The
fact was telegraphed from the Lyceum to the
Secretary OF the Navy, and Secretary Robson at
I,
ticulars. The request was compiled with Lieu
tenant Commander Hasewen, having concluded
his conference with the Admiral proceeded to the
ofice Of United States District Attorney Bliss,
No. Al Chambers street, New York, there to I'LL the
necessary sworn statement relative to the lost
ship. All communication between the Osspee and
the outside world was forbidden and she is In q
measure under the control OF the District Attorney
until the latter of1cia has satisfied himself upon
the manner OF the sinking OF that notorious ship,
and shall have CLEANED information not even Sec
ond to that OF the immortal authority upon all
marine subjects, 'Jack Bunsby.n On Monday
night the tugboat Catalpa, under command OF Lieu
tenant West, and the Grant, in charge Of Meuten-
ant Blake, were on the lookout, with sealed
orders for the Captain OF the Ossipee, below Quar-
antine. Their business to intercept and board
her had she had the virginlus In tow. About eleven
tugs whose commanaanss Yelled until sney grew e'e
hoarse in che vain effort to attract the attention
way or Governors Island, however, the COM
mandant OF the Catalpa managed to get on board
and Delivered his orders. but as the virginins was
not there all instructions relative to her were
mere matter OF useless form.
INTERVIEW WITH ADMIRAL ROWAN.
representative OF the HERALD visited Vice
Admiral Rowan in the Lyceum yesterday afternoon
and had an interesting interview with that dstin-
Admiral, as a reporter OF the HERALD / have
called ior the purpose Of obtaining such informa-
ton concerning the fate Of sne virginius as you
sWeli, sir, the only information have to give is
| that she was unseaworthy. she leaked from the
first encountered severe weather, the leaks In
creased, and she went down."
"Where ana when did she sink, Admiral ~
"She sunk on Frying Pan Shoals, near Cape Fear,
about iour O'Clock on the afternoon Of the 26th
inst.-the day after Christmas-tnat was Friday
last She lett Tortugas, in tow Of the Ossipee, on
the 10Th inst and therefore had been seven days
out at sea. An officer OF the Ossipee was over
here to see me to-day about the vessel The virgin
In uag IN a m frnu xaaI,a
was surrendered to us, and had been leaking"
"Do you suppose that the Spaniards impaired
not have bored few holes in her before giving her
up Y' ..
she sustained very severe straining during the
chase given her by the Spanish gunboat Tornado
Her engines were almost useless, and two OF the
boilers were OF no service whatever. The other
one was kept going, and managed to keep steerage
way on her and work the pumps. The weather
continued bad all through You know the stormy
weather we have been having here. The
leaks grew larger as the strain daily and hourly
Osspee Al all events, she was little better than
an old rat trap. Her doors, lockers and other
movable tmoers had been wrenched on by the
crew during the chase, when everything was sac
ple-to out-distance her neet footed pursuer. She
chinists obtainabe. the men worked with the
she sunk, 70 keep her anoat. The
Ser
and Captain Waters very judiciously made his
way out OF the Gull Stream. where the sea was
very heavy, in round Cape Roman to a point near
Cape Fear. The water increased In depth in
the hold OF the vessel and, getting up to q
res. % The pumps could them a' no OUT onser er
be kept at wo1k, and safety required that
% % Sons Ou a. pe a nes on
the danger was considerable, owing to her unsea-
worthiness. Great difficulty was experienced by
tho 0rcin in rpS rU fhngo hpor na
ius Friday. RoMboas and lines had to be brought
into requisitlon and other expedients, which
success nad she been in the Gulf Stream instead or
the position she then occupied. IL is more than
probable that several lives would have been lost
mad the rescue been attempted outside before
rounding in under the shelter or the Cape. AS it
was the poor men lost ali their efrects-nothing
"Admiral, win you peri4,s me to ask whether
the sinking OF the 'vrginlus may not be miscon-
strued Las as o., being iar nom accidental by the
.sThat may be; suppose they win say tnat il
was other than as represented. / am perfectly
satisfied, however, that everything was done that
was possible on the part oI the officers on both
instructions in good iath She has gone down
and we could not help IL, while IL is regretted that
she did not reach her destination in safety Every
arrangement had been perfected as 1t was. to
carry out instructions upon her arrival here.r
.When will the Osspee come up TO the Navy
Yard communication with her is now forbidden,
is 1t not 7"
"No communication is permitted with her to-
day. she VIII not be ready to take out her powder
before tomorrow, and, as Thursday will not be a
working day, the Osspee will not come up before
Friday.r
Tnanking the Admiral for his courtesy the writer
withdrew.
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD
Work on the Florida is being pushed forward
night and day, About 600 men will, II is expected
be discharged from the several departments at the
Navy Yard to-day. There remains a vast amount
OF work to be done meanwhi e. Three large ves-
sels the Colossus, Java and New York, lie rotting,
unfinished on the stocks while the Susquehanna
Delaware and Nipsic are also decaying In ordinary
The labor Of raising the Upland, in front OF