Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-01-02
The sinking of The llrsinlas.


The official report Of Lieutenant Wood
row, who was in charge OF the Virginius 1t
the time Of her sinking, says When | took
command off Dry Tortugas ! found about
seventy tons of coal in = ship and over
twenty tons Of dit ar ashes in her fire
rooms, The hilge was very dirty She
was leaking in her forward compartment
and had water in all her compartments. y
working party from the O--ipee coaled the
ship, from the schooner Matte \. Hand.
The crew of the Virrinius were exhausted by
constant work from the time Of leaving
Bahia Honda Next morning put all hands
to work pumping and bailins out the ship,
the water having gained Two feet during
the night At a. IN. the water was up to
the crate bars in both fire rooms. The for
ward compartment had depth Of four feet
and in the after compartment two feet six
inches of water. During the day we re-
ceived assistance from the Ossipee in the
way of working parties to keep the ship
clear of wafer. repack stuthng-b0yes and
overhaul the pipes about the engine.
Captain Whiting was on board during
the day aud examined the leak around
her ioreiOot with Chef Engineer hing
and myself This leak was the only
one of any consequence that | could find in
the ship. At p. IN. the water was 50
mach reduced that was able to start fires
in forward boilers and ut Is in the after
boiler. A. soon n steam was reported
began backing the engine TO clear the ship
of water by her pumps. At 100 4. m.
Captain Whiting expressed himself satisfied
that the NirginIus was IN mt condition 10
20 north and shortly after we went to sea
in tow of the OsSipee. During the day,
and A. long a. the sea was comparatively
smooth. We managed t. keep water down
with the main engine pumps. Is We
proceeded north and the sea rose. the
working Of the ship gradually loo,ened the
riyetS OF one of her bow plates and an old
patch on her bow becage loose and she
leaked $, badly that had to plug up her
timber holes in the forward hulkhead to
keep the fire rooms clear. During the
forenoon Of the 32nd inst | threw over
board her bower anchor ana all heavy
weights in her toreh0ld. consisting OF old
iron, rigging. chain cable, etc. and shifted
the coal from fore hold aft in order to
Tighten her forward. On the afternoon of
the 23rd We had from eight to ten feet Of
water in the forward compartment and -
much water in her fire room - to
endangcr putting ont the fires, and
| signallei not to % any farther north,
that there was 4 dock at Charleston.
knowing that it would be dangerous to risk
carrying away Of her forward bulkhead and
having no reliance on any of her pumps.
which had been constantly breaking down
ever since starting. Besides this the men
were worn ont, their hunks drerched, and
they had no place to sleep. Her beams were
then working 50 much that the hunks in
ioreca>tle came adriit from the ships sides.
At , a. m. December 2ith, the crown sheet
of the middle furnace of the after boiler
caved in and | hauled the fire from that
boiler. Shortly after several bli-terS were
reported in the forward boiler At daylight
| signalled the condition of the boilers and
Chief Engineer King came on board. lie
inspected the boilers and | understood that
in his opinion they Were hot safe, and |
gave orders not to carry more than five
pounds of steam, unless in extreme neces-
sity. With this low pressure one of the
furnaces gave out in the afternoon. having
a blister or the crown sheet three feet long.
From this time until we maze fast 10 the
Ossipee again, on the 2sth inst, we had
about the same amount of water in the ship
DuN W Ith We >Aulltu huA tH-AIt iut water
gained ON H. and | asked Tor permission
to back my engines. We could not carry
enough steam ~ work engines fast enough
to throw much water, and r. the sea III
creased 50 did the wafer. and ! asked the
O>sipee 10 yards night 90 haul up close and
take us of, Half an hocr alter, got the
donkey pump working. and rs we We're
keeping the water " stand, | srnaled
that could hold on 10 daylight Water
gained ON u gradually during the night,
until il put the fires out. Vt J a. m. on the
26th inst, the donkey pump stopped. the
hand pump was broken and could not he re-
paired with any means at our command, 50
| signalled to be taken oil Immediately.
The forward compartment then was full Of
water up to within one foot and half Of
the spar deck. There was FIVE feet Of water
in the hold water over the CRATE bars in the
fire rooms, and the after compartment dry.
The sea was very rough and it was blowing
a gale from the northeast and | did not
think it prudent to remain on board a
minute longer than necessary. When the
boat came under the Nirginius how | put
the landsmen in her first. 1t took five trips
to take Ms all of, the officers going in the
first boat. A. it turned out | might have
been able to save the men ; bags and ham
mocks, but under the circumstances
deemed it iuexpedient To attempt it. At
III p. IN. the Nirg sank bawS foremost
in eight iathom, Of water, cross-treeS above.