The Portland daily press., 1873-12-31
LOSS OF THE VIRGINIUS.
THE VESSEL SUNK OFF CAPE
FEAR.
The Official Examination

uirgnius was gwen over to the Captain of the
osslpee on the 18th inst and to the Ossipee
was assigned the duty of bringing the vessel to
TINS port. When the Ossipee was signalled last
night no Virginius appeared in sight When
the Osspee was boarded the apparent mystery
was explained, and the startling intelligence
communicated that the VIreinius, which being
al along in leak condition, had, when off
Cape Fear and in sight of land, in spite of all
the efforts of the crew aboard her. settled and
gone to the bottom.
Lieut.. Commander Haswell, executive officer
OF the Ossipre, arrived at the navy yard at 1Ob
aud was closeted with Admiral Rowan and
Lieut.. West On leaving there he went to the
United States Attorney Office. saying as he
lett that he could answer no questions
Admiral Rowan was very reticent, and said
that the Virginius sank of Frying Pan Shoals
on Friday afternoon, and that the crew barely
escaped, losing all their effects.
No orders regarding the Ossipee have been
received from Washington since her arrival.
After consultation with the District Att rney
Lieut.. Com. Haswell said he was at liberty to
talk free'y
He lef, Tortugas on the 10Th inst, and had
fair weather until thefollowing day, when bad
weather set in and continued. The Virgiuius
slSnalled, aud as she was leaking Capt. Wa
tiers determined to shape his course for Charles
ton, but getting into Sun 9th water the Virgin
JUS behaved better. On the morning of Christ
mas day, however, severe weather having con-
tinued. the Virginius was again leaking as
Fan Shoals, about ten miles south of Cape
Fear light, where smoother water could be at
tanned Here the vessels came to anchor,
capt Waters hoping the Virginius would ride
out the gale.
Before daylight the next mornidg (Friday)
the commander signalled that the Virginius
was leaking rapidly, with the fire out and the
pumps stopped and that the crew wished to be
taken Off. Boats were lowered from the Oss-
pee at daylight and by O'Clock a. M, all on
board of the Virginius were transferred to tn.
former vessel. As heavy sea was running the
work of removing the crew was one of much
danger and difficulty, and therefore no lives
were risked in endeavorng to save their per-
sonal effects or any other property on the Vir-
ginius The hawser on the Virgiuius was cut
and buoy attached toamark her posi- ton in
case she sank out of sight. The Ossipee re
manned at anchor during the lay and at quar-
had been gradually settling went to the bot
| tom.
The Nationality of the virsinius.
1t appears thai the investigation held before
| Commissioner Davenport on the Juniata was
| mainly for the purpose of determining the sta
| tus of the Virginus and ascertainng definitely
| whether or not she had been sailing under a
| false register when captured by the Tornado.
1t sailing under false register she is liable to
| condemnation under the laws of the Uuitad
| States. The evidence on this point is of con-
hicting character On the one hand there is an
| affidavit of PattersOL setting forth that he Is
the owner Of the vessel, but this is met by the
| assertion that Patterson is mere myth, aud
that the real owner of the Virginus was Senior
| Alfaro. This view Of the question derives sup
| port from the affidavits of several Of the Cap
| tives taken yesterday. All of them who could
testify on the subject were unanimous in de
| clar,ng that at the period of embarkatiOn and
| during the voyage Afaro claimed that the YES
sci was his property. Tie ties imouy of Thos
| Lindsay OF Canada, according to the amount of
| credauce that can be attached to it is very I'M
portan. as bearing on this point. He says thas
Alfaro, after leaving Kingston, frequently adj
| United to him that he was the owner of the
vessel After their capture he occupied the
same cell with Afaro at Santiago de Cuba and
Alfaro repeatedly said that the vessel was his
| property. Lindsay further said that when AL
| faro appeared before the court martial he ear
| nestly urged that the capture OF the Virginius
| was an outrage upon the American flag; and the
] Spaniards had not had shaiox OIL right to
| seize the vessel or arrest any of the passengers; ;
| that the ship was an American vessel sailing
under the United States flag and that her pa
pers were all right The Spaniards, according
| TO LlndsaV's story. We're somewhat staggered by
the arguments of Afaro, and sent for the legal
| adviser OF the Government authorities in order
| to avail themselves OF his counsel for their
guidance. Between this functionary and Alta
| 70 hot alteration took place
| You claim to be an American CITIZEN" said
the lawyer, is that well founded?''
Alfaro answered: "How could 1 own an
|
zen?" Uoor this the lawyer and Afaro joined
issue, and il Lindsay is to be believed, a most
| unseemly wrdngle, in which the members of
the court participated, ensued between the pair.
Alfaro, Lin say says, maintained from the first
| a bold, unds united front and always insisted
that the capture of the vessel was an outrage
upon tie American flag. The majority of the
| other captives who were examined by the Com-
missioner. positively swore that when they EN-
barkcd at Kingston they had not the least IDEA
! that CUBA was the destination of the Virginus.
One of the prisoners British subject. testified
that be and his comrades had gone before the
| U. 5. Consul at Kingston before embarking aud
were assured by him. in the presence of Capt.
Fryr, thai all was right, and that they were
ius
The witnesses were also unanimous in de
clarlng that there were no arms aboard and
that all the stories circulated in regard to the
pitching overheard of arms and effects when
fleeing from the Tornado We're false. The off
cial, from whom the Times reporter obtained
these particulars, said that his owl idea was
that Altaro had purchased the Virginius in
tending to run her as packet between Kings
ton and Port Lemon, with the secret determin-
alton of, whenever an opportunity offered,
throwing men and supplies into Cuba
Omcial Report.
Official report of Lieut.. ID. G. Woodrow, in
command of the Virginius:- he took
command on the 18th inst. at TortuoaS she was
ashes in her fire rooms and bilge was very dir.
ty. On the 1Sthin the morning. the water was
up to the CRATES and four feet IN the forward
and two and a half feet of water in the after
compartment Fires were again started in the
afternoon Early next morning on the 18th
went to sea in tow of the Ossipee. As the sea
rose she leaked very badly, and all the heavy
weights, sncluding the lower port anchor Were
thrown overheard, and the coal was shifted aft
to tighten the vessel forward. On the 23d there
were eight feet of water in her. the pumps hav-
ing been constantly breaking down and and
the men worn out
On the oath, early in the morning one of the
boilers gave out and the others not safe, and at
the low pressure of five pounds; another gave
out in the afternoon. On the 25th, being in
tow and engines not working, water gaining
during the night to such an extent as to put the
fires out at a. m. on the 18th, when Lieut..
Wood signalled the Ossipee to take them off.
the forward compartment being then full of
water and the water over the CRATE bars in the
fire rooms, SEA very rough, gale blowing and
| 40 nd trar, Of, ii ~