Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-01-07
The Sinking OF the yirgInlus.

The official report of Lieutenant Woo
ow, who was in charge Of the Virginlu
at the time of her sinking, says: "Whe
| took command off Dry Tortugas | foun
about seventy tons of coal in the ship an
over twenty tons Of dirt and ashes IN he
fire rooms. The bilge was very dirty
she was leaking in her forward compart
ment and had water in all her comPart
ments A working party from the Ossl
pee cosled the ship, from the schoone
Matte A. Hand. The crew Of tie Vir
ginius were exhausted by constant werl
from the time of leaving Bahia Honda
Next morning put all hands to work pump
ing and bailing out the ship, the water
having gained two feet during the night
At 6 A, M. the water wus up to the
crate bars in both fire rooms. The for
ward compartment had a depth OF foul
feet and in the after compartment two
feet six inches Of water. During the day
we received assistance from the Ossipee
in the way of working parties to keep thu
ship clear Of water, repack stuthng- boxe'
aud overhaul the pipes about the engine
Captain Whiting was on board during the
day and examined the leak around her
toIe-foot with Chief. Engineer King and
myself. This leak was the only enc OF
any consequence that | could find in the
ship. At 4 Z. NJ. the water was so much
reduced that | was able to start fires in
forward boilers and at s:l5 in the after
boiler. Aud as soon as steam was report.
ed l began backing the engine to clear
ship of water by her pumps. At l:3O
A. NJ. Captain Whiting expressed himself
satisfied that the Virginius was in fit con-
dition to go north and shortly after We
went to sea in tow of the Ossipee. Dur
ing the day, and as long as tho sen was
comparatively smooth, we managed to
keep water down with the main engine
pumps. As We proceeded north and the
sea rose, the working of the ship grudu-
ally looseDsd the rivets of one of her bow
plates and an old patch on her how be-
came loose aud she leaked so badly that
had to plug up her timber holes in the
forward bulkheads to keep the fire rooms
clear. During the forenoon of the 22d
ult., threw overheard her bower anchor
and all heavy weights in her forehold,
consisting of old iron, rigging, chain cable
ETC., and shifted the coal from fore hold
aft in order to tighten her forward. On
the forenoon of the 23d we had from
eight to ten feet Of water in the forward
compartment aud 20 much water in her
fire room as to endauger putting out the
fires, and | signalled not to 60 any farther
north, that there was q dock at Charles.
ton, 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 Be.
sides this the men were worn out, their
hunks drenched, aud they had no place to
sleep. Her beams we're then working so
much that the hunks in forecastle came
adrift from the ships sides. AT 8 A. NJ.
Dec. 24th, the crown sheet Of the middle
furnace of the after boiler caved in, and
| hauled the fire from that boiler. Short.
ly after several blisters were reported in
the forward boiler. At daylight | signal.
cd the condition of the boilers aud Chief
Engineer King zane on board. He in.
spectcd the boilers and | understood tina,
in his opinion they were not safe, and |
gave orders not to carry more than five
pounds Of steam, in unless extreme %necessi.
ty. With this low pressure one of the furnac.
es gave out in the afternoon, having d
blister on the crown sheet three feet long
From this time until we made fast to the
Ossipee again, on the 2sth ult., we hac
about the same amount o. water in tn,
ship, but when We stopped our engine tht
water gained on us and [ asked for por
mission to back my engines. We coult
not carry enough steam to work the engine
fast enough to throw much water, and al
the sea increased so did the water, and
asked the Ossipee towards night to hau
up close and take US off. Half all heu
after, l got the donkey pump working
and as We were keeping the water at
stand, signalled that | could hold on t
daylight. Water gained on us gradual,
during tho night, until i. put the ircs out
At 5 A. NJ. on the 18th ult the donke,
pump stopped. the hand pump was broksl
and could not be repaired with any mean
at our command, SO l signalled to be tax
Gu off Immediately. The forward com
partmcut then was full Of water nip t.
within one foot and a half Of tho spa
deck. There was FIVE feet Of water il
hold; water over the CRATE bars in tn
fire rooms, and the after compartment dry
The sea was very rough and it was blow
ing a gale from the northeast and | dit
not think it prudent to remain OH board
minute longer that necessary. When tn
boat came under the Virginius bow [ pu
the landsmen in her first. 1t took fv
trips TO take US all off, the officers goinJ
in the first boat. AS it turned cut
might have been able to save the men
bags and h~ammocks. but under the cir
cumstanccs | deemed it ~inexpedient to at
tempt it. At Ali p. NJ, the Virgiuiu
sank, bows foremost in eight fathoms O
water, cross-trees above.