The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-06
THE SUNKEN STEAMER.
LAST OF THE YIRGINIUs.

4 CENCE OF THE Off1CEkS OF THE OSSlPEE 10
| IMPART INFoRMATION-THE VIRGINIUs
GOES DOWN IN A GALE NEAR CAPE FEAR
| LIGHT HOUSE.
NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-After the landing at
the yard last evening. of the surviving
members of the passengers and crew of the
steamer Yirginius, they marched in an IT.
regular line to the Fulton Ferry, taking the
boat there to New York, and thence pro-
ceeding to the Cuban restaurant, in Pine
street, where they were Hospitality enter
tanned. They were clad in navy uniform of
the United States, and marched through the
Streets showing no signs of the recent suf-
/ fering. When transferred to the tug boat
| from the Juniata, which carried them TO this
port from Santiago, they gave rousing cheers
| for their several benefactors. leading off
with three for the commander ofthe British
steamer Niobe, to whom they feel indebted
for the preservation of their lives,
| When the United States steamer
Ossippee was boarded after her
| arrival here, the absence of the steamer Vir-
ginius, which vessel the former was COM
missiOned 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, and in sight of land, in spite of all the
efforts of the crew aboard her, settled and
gone to the bottom. The Times further adds
that the officer of the deck of the Ossipee
said he had strict orders not to commune
cate with anybody in relation to the circum-
stances attending the laundering of the Vir-
ginius. He would not give the date of the
occurrence, or the place where it happened.
However, he made no attempt to deny the
accuracy of the report as 70 the
FoUNDERING OF THE SHIP.
The Captain of the Revenue Cutter Grant,
who boarded the Ossipee, is reported saying
that the captain of the latter vessel informed
him the Virginius had been lost off Cape
Fear. Although no official announcement has
been made of the loss of the Virginius, no
one doubts the truth of the statement.
A dispatch from Wilmington, North Caro-
lima, reports sunken vessel. supposed to be
the Virginius, nine miles south OF the main
| bar.
The Herald has a special dispatch from
Wilmington, North Carolina, saying that
Captain Wiltbanks, of the steamer Tonawan-
da, which arrived Sunday, reports passing a
sunken vessel nine miles south of the main
bar, with only the top masts or the top
gallant masts out of the water. A
steam tug subsequently visited the spot,
her officers concurring in the opinion that
the sunken vessel was undoubtedly aSquare
rugged steamship. A pork barrel was float
ing about the wreck, attached to it by twelve
inch hawser, the hawser having evidently
Head, at the mouth of the river, state that
Friday last they observed near the spot
where the vessel lies large steamship in
tow of full rugged ship. The above facts
taken in connection with the telegram that
the steamer Georgia, from Charleston, had
spoken the Virginius in tow of Cape Roman
on the 24th inst, at two O'Clock p. NJ, rem
ders it tOlerably certain that the sunken
ship is the world renowned Cuban filibuster
vessel "Virginius.' The pilot boat from
and the men who were on her fully agreed
in the opinion that she is the steamship.
Only a few feet of the main mast is
VISIBLE ABOVE THE WATER.
1t is thought that when she was abandon
ed the pork barrel was placed as buoy to
mark the spot where she went down.
Lieutenant Commander Haswell, of the
Ossipee, made the following statement to-
day concerning the loss of the Virginus:
The Ossipee left Tortugas with the Virginius
in tow on the morning of the 18th inst. They
had fair weather until the afternoon of the
gale sprang up, and they continued to have
bad weather, and the Virginius signaled
that she was leaking badly. Captain Wal
| ter therefore determined to shape his
course for Charleston, 5. c., 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 Christ
mas day, however, the severe weather hav-
ing continued, the Virginius was again leak
ing badly as ever, and the vessels put into
Frying Pan Shoals, about ten miles south OF
Cape Fear light house, where smoother
water could be obtained. Here the vessel
came to anchor, Capt. Walter hoping the
Virginius would ride out the gale. Before
daylight the next morning friday, Com
| mander Woodrow signalled with lights that
he rir,irn mid mil
fires out and the pumps stopped, and that
the crew wished to be taken of. The boats
were lowered from the Ossipee at daylight,
and by seven A. NJ. all on board the Nir-
ginius
WERE TR ANsFERRED To THE 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 endeavoring to save their personal
effects or any other property on the Vir-
giniuS. The hawser of the Nirginius was
cut and a buoy attached to it to mark her
position in case she sank out of sight. The
Ossipee remained at anchor during the day.
and at a quarter past four p NJ. the Virginius.
which had been gradually settling, went to
4 the bottom. She sank in eight fathoms
of water, and her top masts re-
manned above the surface. The Ossipee then
resumed her voyage to this port. The naval
officers were very reticent to-day, and the
above statement was not obtained until the
United States District Attorney was COM
municated with and removed the seal of
secrecy.
The released captives of the virginius
remain az the Cuban restaurant on
Pine street, and the scene there this morn
ing was one of the greatest enthusiasm.
Resolutions were adopted giving thanks to
Captain Braine, of the Juniatd, for his kind
ness, and expressing sympathy with him in
the loss of his son. The ex -captives also re-
solved to attend the funeral of the child.
The released Virginius prisoners to-day
passed votes Of thanks to Commander
:. Braine and the other officers of the JuniaUa
Engineer. Knight of the Virgnius, said the
original sentence at Satiago was that the en-.
tire crew should be hung at the yard arm,
J but the Captain of the Isabella Catholica did
not wish a gallows made of his vessel, and