Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-01-01
THE VIRGINIUS.
Official Report Of Lieutenant WOOdsOn-
Unayailing Efforts Of the Crew
TO Keep the Vessel AfiOat.
Danger Incurred ia Transferring the
Crew TO the 0ssipee-The Vessel
Abandoned - Dispensing OF
Prise 1ers.

New YORK, December 30.-Lieuten-
ant David G. WOOdsOn, who was in
command of the Virginius at the time
of her sinking, says, in his official re-
port, that when be took command, on
the sc renteenth, at the Dry Tortugas,
the vessel had water in all her COM
partments. Stores were received on
board, and a working party from the
Ossipee coaled the ship all might. Next
morning she stopped coaling, and put
all hands to work pumping and ball
ing, the water having gained two feet
during the night. At eight o'clock in
the morning the water was up to the
crate bars in both fire-rOoms. The
forward compartment had a depth of
four feet, and the after compartment
two feet six inches. The water
at noon was so much reduced that
fires were started in the boil
ers. Captain Whiting expressed himself
satisfied that the Nirginius was in fit
condition to start north, and about two
o'clock she went to sea in tow of the
Ossipee. As long as the sea was smooth
everything progressed favorably, but a
storm arising, the vessel leaked so badly
that we had to plug up the timber holes
in the forward bulkheads to keep the
fire rooms clear. On the twenty-second
we threw overheard part of the lower
anchor and all heavy weights in the
hold, and shifted the coal to tighten her
forward. On the afternoon of the twen-
ty-third there was from eight TO ten feet
of water in the forward compart-
ments. The men were worn out.
The hunks were drenched, and there
was no place to sleep. Under these cir
cunstances, Lieutenant WOodson adj
vised the commander Of the Ossipee not
to 90 any further north, but to take the
Virginius into Charleston, where there
was a dock. On the twenty-fOuTth the
boilers were in such a wretehed cOEdi-
ton that ii was impossible to carry more
than five pounds of steam. AT five
O'Clock on the morning of the twenty
sixth the water gained so fast that the
fires were put out, and Lieutenant
Woodson signalled the Ossipee to take
the crew of the Virginius off imme-
diately. At this time her forward COM
partment was full of water up to within
foot and a half of the spar-deck, five
feet of water in the hold, water over the
grate-bars in the fire-roOms, and the
after Compartment dry. The sea was
very rough, and it was blowing a per-
'ect gale when the boat from the Ossipee
came under the Virginius's bow. The
hndsmen were put in first. 1t took
five trips to take all the officers and men
of the sinking vessel. At seventeen
minutes past four O'Clock in the after
neon the Virginius sank in eight faith
ons Cf water, bows first, leaving the
crlss-trees above the water. For four
G,.-g +I,o ,N,-y, II, fla r 20 rooY,, vvorty ad
in water up to their knees, and at the
ii ne they left the ship were nearly
exhausted.
THE VESSEL AND THE PRISONERS.
Tie United States district attorney
says that no further proceedings will be
| takel in the case of the Virginius. 1t
is no likely that the vessel will ever be
raised, and it IS deemed requisite that
the vessel should be produced before she
could be libelled. Government officers
| say that whatever may have been the
relation of Mr.. Patterson to the Vir-
giuius It the time of her register, there
| is abundance of proof that he was not
| the owner at the time of her capture.
The greater number of the rescued
! passengsrs and crew of the Nirginius
still remain at the Cuban restaurant, in
Pine street, nearly all of whom, how
ever, haze made arrangements to join
either tfHir friends or relatives, and in a
few day they will probably all have
been dispersed. Many presents OF
clothes AID money were received to-day
/ for the excaptiyes, chiefly from active
sympathhers with the Cuban cause.
This afternoon the one hundred pas
sengers sld crew of the Nirginius
marched il a body to the church of the
Ascension to attend the funeral of the
child of Lieltenant- Commander Braine,
| of the Junilta.
! HAVANA December 3I.-The VOce
and DidrO ire bitter in their comments
on the sinking of the Virginius and the
/ release Of tie prisoners. They charge
| that the govrnment sunk the Nirginlus
! in order not 20 be compelled to deliver
| her to Spain, and is guilty of perfidy in
releasing the survivors. The former pa
per says: "FDr the great wrongs of the
/ Spanish nation terrible atonements are
reserved, aud heir hour will come"
In an interview with Captain General
Jouvellar, the latter stated that the
! newspapers give their own opinions,
and the government neither inspires MOI
is responsible fer the articles they print.
The government acts independently and
according 10 circumstances. 1t does not
follow that because the articles pass the
censor of the pnss that they reflect the
opinions of JOulellar, who denies hav-
! ing seen them.