The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-01-21
The Sinking of the Virginiua.

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Fittings.
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A"0 "inAinS 49,
Fail "Details "f ~" Ac"'H""''
IjCut. David @. Woodrow, who was IN
command Of the Nlrginiua at th" tim"
EafsARr sinking, says in bis Official report
EhaR9 when he took command ON Ia" ldh
tg agrudgas tho vessel had water IN
Mt iter compartments. 6tor'H wore 70
celVed ON board u n WORKING pnrty
from the OsSlPeo coaIed the snip al
night. Next morning they stopped coal
ing n put tn" hands to work pumping
atld oh'I'hg' the wafer having gained d
icet during the night AZ A. NJ TIC
wafer was UP 10 the B'ate bars IN hoth
,'~re-roon'S' Inc orW"r" o'mpor''o"ht
'i"o " "'P'" Vi 'oor iee'' III" the utter
'on'p"''lleA Two 'eet' Blk ll'ne7' i"'
water Mt D o'clock, =. NJ. WAS so
much reduced that fires were
started in tho boilers. Capt, Whit
ing expressed himHelf aatiRiied
that the Nirginiug was in fit condition
to start north, and about 3 O'Clock she
went TO sea in tow of tho ORaipcc. Az
long M the sen waR smooth everything
progressed fnvorahIy. but Il storm
ariRing the vessel leaked SO badly that
they had to plug uptimbor holds in for
ward bulkhcadg to keep the fire rooma
clear. On the 22d, they throw over
board part of tho lower anchor and all
heavy weights in the hole, md shifted
the coal to tighten her forward. On
tho afternoon Of the 23d there was
from eight to ten feet water in the for
ward compartments. The men were
worn out, hunks dronched and no place
" oUhRfBw hjFvlRFu tina ,aiirGurnetarnes
the Ossirco not to I'd fr4ther north
but to take the V1rginius into Charles
on' where there was n dock, On the
24th the boilers were in such wrctchod
condition that it was impossible to carry
moro than live pounds of steam. At r
A, NJ. on the Doth. tho water gained so
foat as to put out tho fires. and Wood
now Fignalled the ORaipoo to take the
crew off the Virginius Immediately. At
this time the forward compartment was
full of water, up to within n foot and n
half Of the spar deck, five feet Of waite
IN the hold. water over the CRATE barR,
IN the fire rooms mud after compartment.
The sea was very rough, and it was
blowing a gale.
When the boat from the Ossipeo came
the Virgiuius' bow, IandBmon
we're put in first. IT took five trips to
all Of the officers and mel off the
sinking vessel. At At P, NJ. the vir.
sank, bows first, in eight fatboms
the cross-trees above water. For
days the men in the tiro-room
WORKED IN water up to their knees, and
ID the time they left the ship wero
nearly exhausted.
Lieut. Commander Hoswell of The
.SslPee makes the following statement
'~'ncerhlhg the NrgInlns The Ossi-
'oe leu 1ortugas with tho Virginius
10" on tue morning of the 9th inst.
hey h"u Ialr weather until the after
Oh Saturday, the following day,
Vhen q gale sprang mp. They oontin-
led to have bad weather, and tho Vir-
'ihlus slgnalled that she was leak
ag badly. Capt. Walters therefore de-
ermined to shape his course for
jharleston, s. O., but as they got into
moother water bhe Virginius behaved
'etter and the water was kept out of
.er fire room. On the morning of
christmas day, however. the severe
'eather continued, the Virgining wsz
gain leaking az badly as yer md
he vessels put into FRYING Pan ebooIs
bout ten miles south If bo
'ape Fear light, where SIN other watcr
ould be obtained. Here the vessoIs
anne TO anchor, Capt. Walters boprng
bot the Virginius would ride ont the
ale. Before daylight next morning
Commander Woodrow aigna1Ied
~ rapidly, With her fires ont. md the