The New York herald., 1876-01-15
THE HARVEST QUEEN DISASTER.
Was She Really Run Down
by the Adriatic?
STATEMENTS or THE STEAMERS OFFICERS.
What the Captain and Chief OFF,
Ger Have to Say.
"A COPY OF THE LOG ENTRY.

The loss OF the ated Harvest Queen and the asser-
hon that the steamship Adriatc had run her down
afforded topic or general conversation in the city
yesterday Thai fine vessel should so suddenly
dlsappear was considered surprising while the collision
.. the steamship and unknown snip was com.
Sneutod ON in a way that showed how deeply public
feeling was strrd by tho occurrence Yesterday fur.
$her inv estigaton had in the matter and the va
Pious uements obtained from officers seamen OF
She Adrkatc, with those OF others who compe-
sent to speak in the premises herewith given 1t
teems TO he quite certain that the Adratc did collide
with sailing vessel during the night OF December 80
but whether She unknown vessel was tho Harvest
Queen not time'alone can determine
on BOARD ApEAuc
At two O'Clock yesterday afternoon a HERALD re-
-porter steppedSonboard the Adratic and inquired
Captain jennings He was promptly informed shat tho
Captain had gone ashore fifteen twenty
minutes prcviO1s and would return for couple OF
hours or more An interview with the chief officer
was then sought While waiting for that officer the
writer sroed-about and examined tho vessel Passing
along the deck the direction of the gang
way the reporter met apetty officer who had frank,
open countenance. and said TO him
you are the onlcer who went out in charge of one
pf the boats the time OF the collision believe ?"
began tlM reporter
.,No. si, did not go'out in the boat, but was on
deck and sa the strange vessel Immediately after we
Struck her Sho seemed TO be badly crippled, and
distinctly hea rd cries for help, both from her deck
from the watcl She must have sunk very sooh, for
her lights disap ocared in about twenty minutes and
we saw nothing OF her. 1t bright starlight
night and If the ranger had stayed a1oatwe certainly
should have seen her for several hours Some of the
officers pretend to say that did strike her hard
but tell you sir, that We did We hit her hard enough
10 have sunk half n do zen ships OF her size
chi Ia vofu0 1af
mo she did not; and that is the tstrangest thing
about the whoIe~aair We burned a blue light right
away alter the collision, but we got response from
the stranger WeNhave ot-of her gcar board here
now but it has cen carefully slowed away and but
few Of tho oficene and crew have seen it, The
strangurs jibshect ennants two jbshect blocks and
her outer lib were fou deck ae tho collision
and these things arc n, " in the storeroom"
IsspEc. ING
AT this point the off was called.away. The
porter went forward I'D began lis inspection.
The iron rail on the Adrat Ss port bow, just forward
OF the foreInst badl bent and the port anchor
stock was broken on Bey ond this there was no evl
ranrway The reporter mot chief Oficer Renee who
had Just emerged from tho saloon, and, introducing
tons of the wrecked ships rigging lound on tho
Adratic tho collision. Mr. Renee seemed greatly
annoyed Aner hesitatlng MOI ncnt NJ asked the re-
The reporter there to &C qure. not to give,
Information; he did not answer Mr. hcnce.s qucs
ton but said he would like TO ei I'm all the facts in
connection with the collision OF th,, Adiatc with the
ship supposed to be the Harvest Que,'n.
s'We had collision with the Harvest queen or any
"weh, Sir, can / see the jibshect blocks and the
pther portions of vessels forward gear found on your
deck on the morning OF the 3ist of Deceu lber r''
s'No, sir, not without an order from 1he'company's
.sThcu YOU have these things board.;"
ssYes; they are in the storerooGn"
.You say you did collide with'any- ship on your
OCCaSiOncd
for the repairs so recently made on your bow,
mo repairs have been made see tho HERALD
states that repairs were begun as Soon us VIC reachcd
port but this is entirely false
'lcrhaps so, Mr. Renee but have you any'objection
TO accompanying me TO the bowr"
'swcl suppose not-go ahead"
Ascending 10 the hurricane deck the importer and
MT Renee went forward and when op posiec the main
mast the former pointed to the twisted ran she port
side and asked II a sea had done the mi,Nfbef
'.No; she raked her bowsprit over there and bent IL
pretty badly but the carpenter has nxcd-at up as well
as he could /" , ,,,,.s s,.r, ,rv o,.,h. ,o,,. -,
'No; she struck very-weI, you see, wc~iid not run
into vessel at all "
Then sir, If you did not collide withrthe Harvest
spirit over there and bent the rail pretty b. dlyg"
.oh, we did have little trouble in the Irish Chan
mel but IL didn't amount TO anything"
''wcre you on deck at the timer"
eyes, SIR"
WAS tho shock quito perccptibeY ?"
'weI ycs-no-that Is il did not amountsto great
: "Dd you hear any cry for help9"
eyes | did; but | could not tell whether ii came
from the ships side from the watern
was any damage done to the Adratic other than
the bending OF her rail and the breaking or OF the
anchor stock here on the port side. I"
''Not much. She was badly scratched, but you
thc painter has covered that up.
'sfhc ship with which you coliided did not reply to
your signal / believe. How do you account for
II can't say unless all hands were asleep"
''How about that man you heard crying for help' DO
you suppose he was asleep toofp
IL don't know anything about IL. and don't care 70
say any moro upon the subject"
WHAT MR.. SAMPSON SAYS
From the deck OF the Adriatic the HERALD went
20 the Office OF the Black Ball line at No 81 Burling
alp and inquired of Mr. Sampson, the agent If he had
any further information in regard to the loss Of tho
Harvest Queen That gentleman said he had de-
spatch from Captain Cunningham, the agent on the
pther side which stated that the vessel left Queens
aown for Liverpool nine olcock T. NJ the 3Oth OF
December, and, she had good fair wind, she would
be exactly in the track OF the Adriatc the the
collision with that occurrcd-vz, at about half
past two o'clock on the morning of the 3lsL
: 'Ono Of the passengers by the Adratic told me
,odsv - continued Mr. samnson sthat on rntting mn
pn the morning of the 3ls the cabin steward told him
bhey had run down sailing vessel during the night
and sunk her with all on board.
Have you seen the Jibsheet blocks and other por
Mons OF rigging left on the deck OF the Adratic at the
tine of tho collision gn asked the reporter.
mo, have not wecould not identify them, as all
blocks used about the iorerggns Of ships OF tho class
sf the Harvest Qocen are about alike Captain Jen-
sinEs told he had them board, but aid care
20 them have doubt al all that the ship the
Harvest Qucenl snnk by the Adratic The captain
OF the steamer endeavors 10 tell q smooth story and to
pooh pooh the whole matter but perfectly satisfied
that he ran the Harvest Qnccn down.
THE SAiLoEs SAT.
HERALD reporter converscd with number OF the
Adratics sailors. Ono seaman amer another gave the
reporter account Of collision, and It must he
Ihat their stories were consistent even IN tho minucst
details Before long however, It became manifest that
tho man Who above al others coud throw most light
on the disaster Philip Hamilton, the sailor the
lookout the moment OF the collision The reporter
hunted alter him for while and found that he
probably board the Adratic, and perhaps under
survcilance as hc had been uder examination before
the officers last week, and known 10 have the most
correct version OF the disaster The reporter. there
fore proceeded with caution ~ seek out the and
secure his statement II dark when he strollcd
along the white line per. The reporter mounted
the ganxpank of the Adratc where he stopped by
Abe deck hand IN charge.
sT'm going below to see Phil." said the reporter
,sWhaf Philyn asked the man