The New York herald., 1876-11-10
TW WEED.

SECRETARY RoBRsoN DISPATCHES CAPTAIN
RUSSELL WITH THE UNITED STATES STEAMER
PowHATAS TO FIND THE FRASKIIN AND
TOW HER IN PORT.
wAsHSGToS, Nov ., 1876
The Navy Department late this afternoon received
information that large man -of-war, apparently in
distress and dsmas.ed, was seen last Saturday some
two hundred miles south southeast Of Cape Sable, by
merchant brig. The description. tallics with
that of the long expected frigate Franklin
having Tweed board and Secretary Robson, after
consulting several naval officers night sent orders
10 Captain John II. RUSSELL commanding the United
States steamer Powhatan at Norfolk. 10 proceed with
out q moments delay search OF the Franklin
and to tow her to port
Captain Russell has already reported that he has
dropped down to Hampton Roads, and that he will sail
by one A. NJ.
private letter received here from on board the
Franklin, and written shortly before she set sail from
vigo. says that Tweed took the matter quite CON-
posedy The main deck cabin being vacant he was kept
there. The Franklin in going to vigo, had used $50
tons OF coal and owing to exortionate demand IN
price the Captain had filed up again, which would
nccesstae economical OF coal in general, and
make The passage under sail necessary aud long
WAS 1T THE FRANKIIN?-A MYSTERIOUS WAR
VESSEL SEEN AT SEA MAR HALIFAX.
About noon yesterday considerably excitement was
created by the tcegraphic that the Ger
man bark Norma Bsrnecker, master, ffty days from
Glasgow had just arrived and that It's Captain reported
having passed large man-ofwar, evidently Amer
lcan, on the banks OF Newfoundland, on November
T. and, judging by its actions. the man-of-war was in
distress and, very probably. disabled A HxRALD re-
porter met Captain Barnecker and gathered from him
the following facts relating to the mysterious ship
srRAMIsG
1--WE left Glasgow on September 20 for this port
Nothing unusual occurred during the voyage until
about O'Clock the night of November T. when
deck and large vessel approaching us
from the westward. At that time my vessel. the
Norma, headed to the northward, tho wind blow
ing fresh breeze from the west There heavy
sea running, and the Norma was not making moro
than three knots an hour 1t . clear, moonligh
night and the approaching vessel was distinctly
She was steering eastward course that would CROSS
hc track Of the Norma When first seen the man Of
war showed her red light She carried
but had no sails set She under steam and going
very slowly. About a third Of mile astern OF tho
Norma another bark. / thought the ship
going speak the vessel atcrn OF but she crossed
our track between tho Norma and the bark astern.
close under the stern OF the Norma not more than
three ships lengths from US, and then showing
heading for Nova Scotia She gong against
head sea- and rolling SO heavily that thought she
distress, and although passing close TO
made no attempt TO speak. She could have
could see her deck, but there excitement
her. l made the remark then to my first officer III
the wind comes lair will beat that steamer into
port Next morning tho wind came out from the
northward. Alter the ship crossed our wake the Sec
ond time. that IS. when she was steering westward
against the sea, watched her for about three hours
until she vent out Of sight do not know positively
that IL was man-ofwar, but II was rigged like
There no fags up When saw the ship she was
n AZ deg min north latitude and 62 deg. 2min west
II Greenwich. Halifax, where suppose the steamer
going for COAL is In Al deg. 80 min. AZ north
latitude, and 90 deg 35 80 west OF Greenwich
could not tell whether II the American steamer
Franklin not, neither did / make any note OF the
occurrence on my log