Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-08-23

Woods Hnll. She lays with the main mast
and top of the smoke stack out of water.
The coliding vessel was large three masted
schooner.
BosTON. Aug. -.
The United States steamer Tallapoosa,
bound for Newport, was struck last night at
IL o'clOck, during a fog by schooner John
5. Lowell OF Bath, Capt. Reed, from Balti-
more TO Philadelphia with coal. The schooner
struck the bow of the rallapVosa and the side
of the latter was crushed so bad that she
sunk in ten minutes. The disaster occurred
three miles northeast of Ball Bluff and the
Tallapoosa now lies on what is known the
Squash Meadow fiat, with only her smoke
stack and topmast out of water. As she went
down her whistle was blown and twas heard
by steamer Gate City of the Boston and Sa-
vannah line, bound TO Savannah. She al
once came TO the rescue and with the aid of
the Lowell and the schooner Mary A. Hood
took l+0 officers and men on board Steamer
Fish Hawk lying at Woods Holl wharf sent
out launch and the Gate City lay TO until
three o'clock A. NJ, transferring the crew
who were mostly landed at Woods Holl.
Some are on board the Lowell so that the
surgeon and one man reported missing may
be there.
COTTAGE CITY, Aug. -.
Capt. Reed of the schooner James II
Lowell states in relation to the collision that
he was passing through the sound last night
with a strong southwest wind, having all sails
set. The vessel was going at least nine knots
an hour The night was clear but dark.
When two miles away the lookout reported a
light ahead Shortly it was seen 10 be red
light and | said, Red. keep her straight.
speaking TO the wheelsmen. stood near the
wheel during all the time and the course was
not changed until word came that green
light could be seen To avoid collision,
seeing that the steamer was doing nothing TO
avoid us, | ordered the helm hard down, but
before it could be done and before my vessel
had altered her cOuese at all, the two vessels
Jck each other their stems seemingly
com ing together exactly, Our vessels stem
glanced bv the Tallapoosa and penetrated
into her hull. After the vessels had stopped
the steamer swung around alongside the
Lowell and all the crew might have jumped
on board, but it was not then known what
was the condition of either vessel.
After getting my family, who
were on board as passengers, into the
boat, | examined my vessel and found that
she was leaking badly, though not in imme-
diate danger of sinking. The TallapoOsa
dritted away from us and sank within ten
minutes. before many of the officers and
crew had left her As she went down those
who could took to the rigging and were taken
of later. The schooner Mary A. Wood came
along and assisted in saving the crew, and
later the steamer Gate City of the Savannah
Line was signalled and she came to our as.
sistance. After all the saved were transferred
to ter she steamed awav for Woods Hol.
Our vessel is badly damaged, her stern
being started and the wood ends damaged.
She made 2l inches of water in short time.
We were under way, proceeding to Vineyard
Haven.
Touching the collision, Capt. Reed says
at is
The Most Careless Piece Of Work
ever saw. The night was clear. the lights
of the Lowell burning all night and perfectly
visible a long distance"
There is difficulty in obtaining the story of
the disaster here, the executive officer, to
whom the'reporters are referred. declining to
make any statement. One of the men on the
lookout on the steamer says he saw the
schooner's light fifteen minutes before the
collision and reported the fact. Several of
e crew of the steamer acknowledge the
steamer to be at fault. Briefly, the facts are
that the schooner was steering ). +. by ).
f. l, and the steamer was in exactly the
opposite directions, with the sailing vessel
leaving the right of way by law. Many of
the men were a considerable length of time
in the water, ten being fshed up from the
water nearly half an hour after the disaster,
number of wrecking schooners and the
steamship Hawk Nerbena are cruising about
the soond in the vicinity, seeking to secure
.bo 60 4 nd h
A Passengers Account of the Collision,
BOsroN. Aug. %.
Paymaster John n. Tarbell, who was a
passenger on the Tallapoosa, gives an inter
esting account of the collision and subse-
quent sinking of the Tsllapoosa. He said
1--WE left Boston for Newport Thursday
morning Everything went well until We
reached Martha's Vineyard at about lilo.
As near as could Judge we were about six
miles to the eastward of West Chap Light
running about eight knots an hour. | turned
in at 10. 80. At that hour the weather wa:
clear and we were steaming at a fair rate o.
speed The first knew of the collision wa;
when the steamer struck US, | was SOUND
asleep and at first supposed we were aground
We tumbled out of bed and just then some
one called down the companion way:
"AII Hands Abandon the ship"
The men rushed on deck but there was nc
excitement. The officers and men were yer,
cool A few who were near the bow Jumped
overheard, but most of us took to the boats
As soon as we were clear from the ship ",
could see the result of the collision. We
were in the channel and the schooner hat
struck square on the starboard side by the
foremast
The schooner's bow had cut half way
through the ship, tearing a terrible hole il
the side, through which the water was rush
ing. The foremast was cut away by tn,
force of the collision and the schooner's bow
was shattered. The Tallapoosa sank in about
ten minutes. All that can be seen Of her nov
is about half her smoke stack. She sank bow
first.
There was, of course, no time TO save any
thing. We had TO leave just as we tdrneC
out of bed. The schooner sent out boat Il
help those who were in the water and to rem
der any assistance necessary. Anothe
schooner also came up and took part Of thl
men while the remainder went on board tn,
schooner that run US down. She was leakin!
badly and the captain thought he could no
keep her above water.
The water was gaining on him so ever,
man took a turn at the pumps, until he coulC
get the steam pumps working. After that h
was all right.
The steamer treated US with the creates
| kindness. Our men were destitute of clothes