New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-10
THE MISSING FRIGATE.
THE FRANKLIN FORTY-TIREE DAYS OUT
FROM VIGO


FROM woo.
,Xvrrry occAsrONTD BY HER DELAY-REPORT OF
A WAR VESSEL IN DISTRESS OFF SABLE ISLAND
FIVE DAYS AGO-REAsONs FOR BELIEVING IT TO
BE The FRANKLIN
The United States steam frigate Franklin
sailed from VgO Spain, for New-Iork on sept - ana
Is now 40 DAYS out She had board 40 tons of coal
and sailed under the usual instructions 90 naval Vessc
returning from foreign station when no special occ-
sion fordispach exists to proceed undersal except "e
steam is necessary to keep up steeraseway In CAM
or 10 prevent from being driven out OF her co ~
contrary winds. Under these circumstances 'lo UNI, "
her arrival could not be predicted WIN ceI'"''' "
tbeuaval authorities, who are likely to be wen acqu'
with the speed OF the Franklin and to nave kept 'N
solves well informed of the weather ON thc route ON
bcb she was 70 come looked for her arrival two weeks
ago and made their preparations at That time LOT ic IT,
c.rtion of william NJ Tweed ana his transfer 10 tnO
Sheriff OF Ncw-York. Since then the steamtug Nina
and the revenue cutter Grant have been aAchore"
e. tho Horseshoe or cruising outside Of Sandy Hook, IN
hourly expectation Of the arrival of the Franklin The
interest at first felt this vessel ON account OF the noted
,assenger whom she carried intensified by
fears which begin be ascertaned for the safety OF the
shin and her officers and From the day the flank
lin sailed from Nigo II is not known That she mas Deen
shaken nv any vessel though the Southern passage 10y
which she vas TO come is constantly tidVerscd ny
steamers and sailing vessels Of all classes and LOT SOY
eral weeks past anxious inquiries havcbecn made OF the
captains of all incoming vessels In regard to any slea
ers resembling the franklin which they had seen Oh
their voyage.
The first news OF a steamship which resembles the
missing fIisatc was received yesterday and was OF
nature TO increase the anxiety concerning her The
German bark Norma Capt. BerDicker, fortynine days
from Glasgow arrived at Quarantine about noon yeser
day and anchored in the upper bay OH inc staten lSu
shore The captain reports that about IL o'clock oil inc
night OF Nov A. in latitude 400 ., longitude 62 - SOUTH
west Of Sable Island. he passed large iuiI-rlgSeu
steamship. No canvas set, aud she was slowly
steaming right in the wind. When he hist
sighted her she vas going easerly, and he
could see her red light; she turned round
toward the west, and brought her green light INTO view
Daring the Of the time she was III sight her course
was due west. The Norma passed within biee slhis
length OF the steamship, and Capt Bcrnickr noticed
that she rolled heavily, as watcrosgcd lie was pos
tive that her guns alone would not have caused her to
roll so heavily There was at that time strong breeze
but the SEA was moderate ana vessel in good cond
ton would have been seriously affected 10y II. Inc
steamer rolled from side To side so that inc GuWa's
were almost quite under water. II was bright
moonlight night and his observations of tn VeSsc's
movements were as accurate as they could
have been by daylight. IL very long
tlroe-masted steamer, apparently Of from 1000
10 5000 tons burden. ant nc Thought when he passed
by It's rig that il man-Ofwar though be di not
think Of the Franklin until he learned on lis ARRIVAL "'
very slow lGugrc.s->o SLOW that Capt BernicAer t.
marked 10 his first officer that if the wind was fair hc
could easily sail around her The Norma WAS however
compelled beat up against head WINDS and the Scan
ship was soon lost sight Of. Capt. Bcrnchcr dld not
oder any assistance hail The steamer, as he was 80
near her that, assistance had been wanted 1t would
have been asked for.
Te ca,tain stated vest rday that at the rate OF pro
grcss the steamer was making she ought Ia have arrived
ri New-York in three days from tine time ne saw
her. If New-Y0ik her port of destination 1bi'
would have been Monday on Tuesday; but no iu2aI
has arrived "a. any American pOu recently, ana 40
American war vessel except the Franklin is known To be
homeward bound. The Norma had head winds to con-
tend against much Of the time after leaving sable island
and Can't Berncicr said that seemed impossible That
thc steamer could be long Oh her passage I.",u
that point a. his vessel was, unless She lad be-
come more muauagcahle than when he saw hcr'
The Norma experienced rough weather from jhc middle
t. the last of October with strong northwest ana ll
northwest winds. which drove her OIL MGR course a.
grts3 to the southwark aud did some damage To- hcr
masts. ThCsn winds, hc Thought, would nave d'INtd
tr Franklin but would not account Tor htl I">t"h 10
the noItlward The LOGS oi vessels which have arrived
during the plst week show that there have been uo Si
o- storms sine The hurricane OF te l9h ana -'E ul
October. aud the IssI-"s, pa ucu,at 10y tn'
the Franklin were 'avS!t "a I'l, '. i','. f ~ KIN.
have been driven 50 lar "t 81 ei t.u-' '' ~" i'' ,
near sable Island Nov.4, but The Wudt since r a. t
as reported. have been such as would el'hlIS nave
1mpeded her progress from tic southeast IL ',u''','
lion with3 numb f recently arrived sup cpalh~, '
learned winch w.ud cNul1n tac position oI the rams
lin near sable Island. but the description eV by CAPT
Baruicker answers accurately Ia that OF inc MISSING
frisafe Tie Franklin is 26J tcti inches !u Ub-Ji,
wifi 81 feet iuchc, breadth Of beam, and 3l'3 ton
mage Although 10 American war vessels are somewhat
Ion GER than Franklin, sic Is the largest 30 ' navy
Slc carries 80 guus-l ll-uch, - 3-iuci, ana IuV-
uuIudcrs The French naval Ntssti "hith cils' III t
Xiriuitv Of the Banks to look cut Tor uc H~i-
iug utrrcsts are mucu smaller and are generally gun
h,tts The CORRECTNESS OF Cap, BcH"kcrs cJn'rciurcS
viii probably be- settled ma few dIS,J, II i i"c uul
ver.al opinion among nautical men th"t TIE snip "hich
he SAW must maze her port very soon II Is on 'io size
al tine Ata1ticuultss, indeed, her condition was even
Uors. than II seemed, and she mas gone down.
4 reporter OF TIE IEIBUNE called upon number OF
pilots and shipping learn their opinions az To- thc
probabilities Oi disaster having oy'Ij"hcu i.e .tihi
Inc news brought 10y the NOtuit was TCc' N.i
VITA surprise and doubt. IL vas thpu-,l
very probable that tie tornado "h'h iat y
swtpt over tnc south had caught Tie manor
war hut nautical IN. unwilling to believe tLdt te
Fr,uklu had sunk. A pilot "ip came IN IRON sandy
Hook Yesterday said that nothing had been heard Oi Inc
Fuu,lu thtrc. "Iuc Frduklg j. an oil Ncs-c!, sdld
shuoWner "hut IN had been tuOIcu-hlL !ci1'tr"
lately aud ought be- strong and scrvlccaic N"jhHS
urincr REGARDING tine Franklin mad been received al me
EAyy-Yari up to a late hour lass evening. The m,tl-
pcpcc brought by bark Norma had caused no H'lr
anxiety owing to tie TACT that no Other naval Ncsae.'
we're hnown To be houcwdrd bound aud also On account
OF the frankiu's long delay.