Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-31
SINKING OF THE VIRGINIUS,
The WOrld.RenOWned Filllbustering
Steamer Sunk in Deep Water Gil
Cape Fear-SpaIn Bilked.
Full Particulars Of an Event That Re-
lieVes President Grants Admins.
tratiOn of a Very Grave
Difficulty.

DAuNAANys
NEW YORK, December 30.-When
the United States steamer Ossipee was
boarded, soon after her arrival here, the
absence of the steamer Virginius, which
vessel the former was commissioned to
bring into port, was explained, and the
startling intelligence communicated
that the Virginius, which being all along
in leaking condition. had, when off
Cape Fear, aud in sight of land, and in
spite Of all the efforts of the crew aboard
her, settled, and has gone 10 the bottom.
The Tines further adds that the officer
OF the deck on the Ossipee said that he
had strict orders not to communicate
with any body on the circumstances at
tending the laundering of the
Nirginius, and re would net
even give the date of the occurrence or
the place where it happened. He, how
ever, made no attempt TO deny the ac-
curacy Of the report as to the laundering
of the ship. The captain of the reve-
nue-cutter, Grant, who boarded the o.
sipee, is reported as saying that the cap
tain of the latter vessel informed him
that the Nirginius had been lost of
Cape Fear. Although no official an
nOuncements have been made of the
loss Of the Virginius no one doubts the
truth Of the statement. A dispatch
from Wilmington, North Carolins, re-
ports a sunken vessel, supposed to be
the Nirgiuius, nine miles south Of the
main bar.
The Herald has a special dispatch
from Wilmington, North Carolina, say
ing Captain Wilt Banks, of the steam.
ship TOnawanda, which arrived Sun
day, reports passing q sunken vessel
nine miles south Of the main bar, with
only her tOp-masts or top-gaIlant-masts
out of water A steam brig subsequently,
visited the spot, her officers concurring
in the opinion that the sunken vessel
was undoubtedly a square rugged steam
ship. A pork barrel was floating above
the wreck attached to it by twelve-inch
hawser, The hawser having been evil
IDENTIFY used as tow rope. The pilots at
Bsldhead, at the mouth of the river, state
that on Friday last they observed,
near the spot where the vessel
lies, q large steamship in tow Of
q full-rigged ship. The above facts,
taken in connection with a tele-
gram that the steamship Georgia,
from Charleston, had spoken the Vir-
ginius in tow off Cape Roman, on the
twenty-fOurth instant, at two O'Clock in
the afternoon, render it tOlerably certain
that the sunken ship is the world-re-
nOwned Cuban fillibuStering vessel, the
NiTginius. The pilot-boat from Smith
vile visited the spot Sunday evening,
and the men who were on her fully
agree In the opinion that she is a steam
ship. Only four feet of her mainmast is
visible above the water. 1t is thought
that when she was abandoned pork
barrel was placed rs buoy to mark the
spot where she went down.
Lieutenant-C Commander Hoswall, of
the Ossipee, made the following state
ment concerning the loss of the Virgin
ms: ''The 0sipee left Tortugas, with the
Nnginius 10 tow, OH the morning Of the
nineteenth instant They had fair
weather until the afternoon Of the Sat
urday following, when gale sprung up.
They continued to have bad weather,
and the Nirginius signalled that she was
leaking badly. Captain Walters, there
fore, determined to shape his course Tor
Charleston, South Carolina; but as they
got into smoother water, the Virginius
behaved better, and the water was kept
out of her fire-roOm. On the
morning of Christmas-day, however.
the severe weather having continued the
Nirginius was again leaking badly as
ever and the vessels put into Frying-psn
shoals, about ten miles south of Cape
Fear, and left where smoother water
could be obtained, here the vessels came.
to anchor. Captain Walters hoping that
the Nirginius would ride out Of the gale
before daylight next morning. Com
mander WOodson signalled with lights,
that the Nirginius was leaking rapidly,
with fires Ou. and pumps stopped, and
that the crew wished TO be taken off
Boats were lowered from the 0ssieee at
daylight, and by seven o'clock that
morning all ON board the Virginius
where transferred to the form
er vessel, as a heavy sea was
running, and the work of removing the
crew was one Of much danger and diff
Guilty, and therefore no lives were risked
in endeavOnng to save their personal
effects or any other property on TIE ViT-
ginius. The hawser of the Virginius
vas cut and a buoy attached to mark
her position in case she sank out of
sight. The Qssipee remained st anchor
during the day, aud at a quarter past
four O'clock in the evening the Nir-
ginius, which had been gradually set
tling, went 10 the bottom. She sank in
eight fathoms OF water, and her
top-masts remained above the
surface. The Ossipee then re-
sumed her voyage to this port.
Naval officers SeEe very retlcent
to-day, and the above statement YVES
not Obtsioed until the United States die |
tTict-attorney was communicated with,
AID removed the seal of secresy.
The released captiyes Of the Virginius
remain al a Cuban festa9TRnts, en- Pine
street, and the scene there this nfofnr I
ing was one Of great enthusiasm. Reso-
iEtiSEs We're adopted giving thanks to
Captain 5raiHs, of the JuRiata, for his
kindness, and expressing symp&thy with
him in the loss OF his son. The ex-esb-
tiyes also resolved to attend the funeral
of the child.
II ID ruplored that the insurgents O.
CaTtagenia are preparing 10 fly from the
city, and are getting a feet Of vessels
ready for that purpose. Reports have
been telegraphed from B2yonne that the
troops in Biscay, under the command Of
(fanargl IOOrDe had Drou0unaod In