The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-11-30
B E l. AIR, M d.
FRIDAY, NOV. 80, 1877.
The Wreck OF the Huron.

TIC loss oil the united States steamer
Huron, on the coast Of North Carolina, last
Saturday, was one of Tie most appalling ac-
cidents that have ever happened on our coast.
OF the one hundred and thirly-six ncn, com
prlsing the officers and crew, only thirty four
escaped watery grave. Among the lost
were Commander Ryan and Lieut.. S. A.
Simons of New York. The latter married
daughter of the late d. j. c. Polk, of this
county, and was well known in the neighbour
hood Of Abingdon He was instructor at
the Naval Academy for several years, until
1876, when he was assigned to active duty
Mrs. Slmons was on q visit 10 her sister in
New York when the muurnfnl news was re-
ceivcd. Lieut.. Palmer, who was also lost,
was Maryandcr-a nephew of Mr.. Lam
bert Cuttings, of Baltimore
The Huron was ordered to duty in the
Cuban waters, and left Hampton Roads ON
Friday. The storm danger signals were then
flying all along the coast, and it was known
that terrible storm was coming. 1t is said
that Commander Ryan and Lieut. Simons,
the executive officer, both protested against
putting to sea in the face of the STORM
Their orders were peremptory, however, and
the vessel left. When off of the coast of
North Carolina, near Oregon Inlet, at an
early hour Saturday morning, the ship
struck, about two hundred yards from shore,
the engines being at work in good order at
the time. Capt. Ryan at once ordered the
fAp IA, l,n 4
ders were being obeyed he and Lieut.. Pal
mer, and number ofmen, were washed from
the deck and were never seen again by their
comrades. The greatest excitement prevailed,
and some ofthc men became demoralized and
endeayored TO save themselves as best they
could. Some lashed themselves to the masts
and to the rigging alof, while others stripped
and plunged into the raging sea to swim, and
choking prayers and wild cXclamations were
uttered by those in the very jaws Of death.
such Il scene may le better imagined than
described.
Alter Capt. Ryan and Lieut.. Palmer were
lost the command devolved upon Lieut.. ST.
mons. He persisted nobly at his post In
attempting with Ensign Young to carry a
line to the shore he was twice washed over
board The second time he was pulled
aboard by the sailors in an almost exhausted
condition.
All the officers who knew the real cause
of the disaster persisted on duty, those saved
being OIL duty when the ship struck; con-
sequcntly nothing definite can be KNOWN
Some OF the seamcn rescued attribute the
disaster to local attraction of the compass
which made the vessel go further to the
southwark than her compass course indica-
ted.
Inc officers lost were commander George
p. Ryan, Lieuts. S. A. Simons and L. G.
Palmer Ensign F. w. Danner, Paymaster
Cary N. Sanders, Masters Wight and French
and Chief Engineer Olson.
The only officers saved were Master w
=. Conway, Assistant Engineer Dcnig, En-
sign Lucien Young and Cadet Engineer E.
/. Warburton. OF the crew thirty reached
shore alive
AS soon as the ship struck she thumped so
violently upon the rocks, that in Il few hours
she was completely broken to pieces.
To add to the horror of the story life
boat on Sunday morning attempted to reach
the Huron, but was swamped ana five of its
crew were drowned
The body Of Lieut.. Simons washed ashore
on Tuesday night, His remains will probab-
" be inferred at st, Mary S Episcopal Church.
near Emmort0n, in this county
Some one must be responsible for this ter
rible calamity The commander and officers
had seen service and bore the reputation of
able and julicious officers. An accident of
this kind to n United States vessel is almost
incXcusablc. no expense is spared in the
construction Of government vessels and they
are supple with all the officers and men they
Can possibly need. If the vessel was untitled
by reason of any defect in her construction or
machinery, some one must he responsible for
such defect. and should he held to IA rigid nc
counahjiry. But ALA no punishment OF
dishonest contractors or gruspiug officials
however ins'-can make the sea give M her
dcaG, or restore to The living The hnrcs 50
rudcly buried beneath the waves