The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-26
THE TALLAPOOSA.
Lieut.. Commander Merry's Officia
Report of the Disaster.
Two of Her Crew Known 10 Have Rec
LOst.-An Effort TO be Made to Rails
the Steamer.

SAVANNAH, Ga, Aug. 25.-Steamer Cat
City arrived last night, and reports that sh
saw the Tallapoosa's signals at 11.15, and be 1
ing short distance off bore up to her at once :
At 1890 she had on board the entire numbet
OF survivors as far as she was able TO picbJ
them up. The night was clear, and there ws1
not sign Of fog. The next morning the supJ
vivors were landed, but were not mastereSts
owing to the loss OF the ships papers. Thna
Gate City resumed her voyage, supposing thSf
all had been sent ashore. 1t was discovered.
later that one of them, W. e. Jones, had gongr
into the Storage, and being exhausted hat
fallen asleep. In landing his companions hl'
was overlooked, and not being discovered UNI
til long after the vessel was well out he wass
brought to Savannah. i
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25.-The Navy Depart
ment has received from Lieutenant Command
or J. f. Merry, under date of Woods Holl,
Mass, Aug. 22d, his report upon the sinking
OF the Tallapoosa. Ii is as follows:
have to report the sinking of the Tallapoosa yes-
terday at 10 p. m about four miles east of East
Chop light by collision with the three masted
schooner James 5. Lowell. The Tallapoosa lies in
nine tathoms of water at high water at the time
OF the collision the TallapOosa was steaming with
one boiler, half power, against a flood tide and a
strong wind from the southwest, and going over the
ground at about 61a knots an hour. The weather
was hazy near the horizon. but clear overhead The
red and green lights of the schooner were sighted
about two points on the starboard bow, we showing
her our green light. To give her more room had
the helm put to starboard. All at once she luffed
and showed her red light. then knew that col
lslon was inevitable. The schooner struck us lust
forward of the forerigging on the starboard side
cutting us below the water line and very near mid.
ships. immediately saw that the Tallapoosa
would sink, and made every effort in my power to
clear the berth, deck, and fire rooms and ward
rooms, calling all hands to abandon the ship.
The officers and men were very quiet and went to
the boats without excitement. The ship sank bow
nrst, which believe was on the bottom before her
stern began to sink. just before her stern went
down ordered the men Into the main rigging and
the executive officers, chief engineer nine men and
ms Sel aso ao9k to the rigging To the best udg
officers and men, the ship sank in five minutes. /
ordered the boats to pick up the men in the water
ana take them to the schooner which, at my re-
quest had remained by me- and she soon after sent
y boat to our assistance. Another schooner an
cnored near and SO of our men were put on board
OF her. About the time reached the schooner the
steamer Gate City, bound to Savannah, came
along, was hailed and stopped. 1 sent Ensign
Whittlesey on board and requested the master to
lake US 70 Woods Holl which he did willingly and
he. together with his officers and crew. treated us
with the greatest kindness Every effort was made
that Passed Assistant Surgeon c. G. BACK
and George Foster, landsman, are missing and ara
believed TO be drowned. W. c. Donnell and Will
nam Jones' are also missing but several men say
they were seen on board the Gate City and it is a
general belief that on arrival at Woods Holl
they were asleep and are now on that vessel.
VINEYARD HAVEN, Aug 25.-The James S.
Lowell, the vessel which dealt the TaIlapoosa
the fatal blow, after having started steam
pumps and cleared the decks of the confused
debris which the collision occasioned, succeed
ed IN reaching this port under her own can
vass. The schooner is now lying at her an
chors IN sheltered position near the ghead of
the hsrbor. She has been patched up so as to
admit of her proceeding to her destination,
Portland The diver, Abbott L. Baker makes
the following statement:
At noon went down to examine the bows and
hull OF the schooner. Forward l found seven
line m Tho
well bruised, and the woodends for a length Of
about three feet all OPEN Her regular lumber port
where she takes in lumber, was all smashed I'D and
splintered. put on the large patch to cover the
whole port temporarily On the starboard side the
oakum was out and the seams opeu below the water
line about four feet. L caulked them up as well as
possible and patched her round also put on strong
Datten OF laths and canvas then drove down wedges
from the water line upward. Her stern is very badly
twisted, and Will have to be replaced with one
that is certain. Her bow planks were all chewed
up, and all her head-gear is clean gone, Just the
as if it had been cut away with a LARGE sbarn
knifes
To the Impractical eye the James S. Lowell
viewed from the shore, would doubtless seem
intact in hull and rigging. Several feet of the
hying-jibboom were broken off against the
foremost OF the Tallapoosa, and the tall fore
topmast of the schooner, thus bereft of its
stay, leans little from its normal upright
position. But on approaching nearer, the
damage to the hull about the bow becomes ap-
parent; the fgurehead is entirely gone, and
the planklng on either side of the bow, from
the waterine nearly to the rail, is SCARED and
defective, presenting, at distance, much the
same appearance as the sides of wooden
wedge after it has been forced into some
strongly resistant substance. The resem-
blance is, indeed. remarkable, and the rough.
ened surface probably indicates the distance to
which the schooner penetrated the Talla-
pooss's hull.
PROVIDENCE, Aug. 25.-The following was
issued today by the Secretary of the Navy:
Proposals for raising the Tallapoosa as she now
lies about five miles east of Vineyard Haven, and
for the delivery in that harbor, may be addressed
Sept. 1. 1884.
W. E CHANDLER
Secretary of the Navy.