St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-23

COLLEGE City, Mass. Aug 22.-The Uni
ted States steamship Tallapoosa sank off this
coast last night The survivors landed at
Woodstock. She collided with three masted
schooner, and lies with the mainrnast and
the top of the smokestack out Of water. 1t
is reported eight lives were lost by the disas
ter.
THE PARTICULARS.
BosToN, Aug. 22.-The facts of the sink
ing of the Talapoosa are rs follows. The
Tallapoosa, with 100 men and officers, was
bound to Newport to take on board Secretary
Chandler. At II O'Clock last night, during
thick fog, three miles east of Oak Bluffs,
Maftha's Vineyard, she was struck in the
bow by the schooner James S. Lowell, of
Bath, Capt. Reed, from Baltimore for Port
land, with cargo of coal. Her side was
crushed in and she sank in five minutes in
ten fathoms of water.
As she went down herwhistle was blown as
signal of distress and heard by the steamer
Gate City, which came to her assistance and
rescued the crew with the exception OF the
surgeon and one man who are said to be
missing. The Gate City blew whistle and
the steamer Fish-hawk, lying at the wharf at
Woodstock, sent her steam launch The
Gate City lay to until O'Clock transferring
the crew to the launch They all landed at
Woodshsil. The Tailapoosa lies on what is
known as Smash meadow. The smoke stack
only is visible. The schooner Jas. s. Lo-
well has aboard several of the Talapoosa
passengers.
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
Capt. Reed, of the schooner James S. Lo-
WE'LL states that he was passing through the
sound last night with q strong southwest
wind, all sails set and was going at nine
knots. The night was clear but dark. When
two miles away the lookout reported light
ahead Shortly 1t was seen to be ned
light and he said, speaking to the wheelman,
cred, Lord keep her straightl' / stood near
the wheel during all the time and the course
was not altered until word
came that the green light could be seen to
avoid collision, seeing the steamer was do
ing nothing to avoid us, | ordered the helm
dropped head down, but before it could be
done, and before my vessel had altered her
course at all, the two vessels struck each
other, their stems seemingly coming together
exactly. Our vessels stem glanced by the
Talapoosa's and penetrated her hull. After
the vessels stopped the steamer swung'round
along side of the Lowell and her crew might
have jumped on board, but it was not then
known what was the condition Of either YES
sci. After getting my family into the boat
| examined my vessel and found she was
leaking quite badly, though not in immediate
danger of sinking. The Tallapoosa drifted
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 do
so took to the rigging, and were taken off
later. The schooner Mary A.
Wood came along and assisted in
saving crew, and later the steamer Gate City
was signaled and came to our assistance.
After all who were saved had been trans
ferred she steamed away to Woodstock. Our
vessel was badly damaged, the stem being
started and the wood ends injured. She
made twentv-one inches of water in short
time. We were under way proceeding to
Vineyard Haven.' Touching the collision,
Captain Read says: SIT is the most careless
piece of work 1 ever saw. The night was
clear, and the lights of the Lowell were
burning all night and were perfectly visible
a long distance.
NEGLIGENCE OF THE OFFICERS.
There was some difficulty in obtaining the
story OF the steamers officer, her executive
officer, to whom the reporters were referred,
declining to make any statement. One of
the men on the the look out on the steamer
says he saw the schooner's lights fifteen min
utes before the collision, and reported the
fact. Several of the crew of the steamer ac-
knowledged III steamer to be at fault, and
admitted that the schooner was steering south
east by south, and the steamer in
exactly an opposite direction, with
the sailing vessel having the right of way by
law Many men were in the water, being
fished up an hour after the sinking of the
vessel. Numerous wrecking schooncrs and
the steamers Fish Hawk and Verbena are
cruising about the sound in the vicinity
seeking to secure bodies Of the drowned and
any wreckage.
THE MISSING.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22.-The names of the
missing from the Tallapoosa are: Past AS
sstant Surgeon Clarence f. Black and Geo.
E. Foster, landsman. Some of Secretary
Chandlers personal effects were in the vessel
when she sank.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
BosToN, Aug. 22.-Paymaster Tarbell, who
was passenger on the Tailapoosa, says SIT
was about 10 O'Clock when the schooner
struck was abed and supposed she had
gone aground. Some one called down the
companionway, ''All hands abandon the
shipl'' The men rushed on the
deck, but there was no excite
ment The officers and men were
very cool A few who were near
The bow jumped overheard, but most of US
took the boats. As soon as we were clear
from the ship we could see the result of the
| collision We were in channel and the
schooner had struck us square on the star
| board side by the foremost. The schooner's
| bow cut half way through the ship, tearing
| a terrible hole inside, through which the wa
/ ter was rushing. The foremost was cut away
and the schOoner's bow shattered. The
| Taliapoasa sank in ten minutes. All that
| can be seen of her now is about half her
| smoke stack. She sank bow first, and there
was no time to save anything. We had to
leave lust as we turned out of bed. The
! schooner sent boats to help pick up those in
| the water and to tender any assistance nee
essary. Another schooner also came up,
and took part of the men, while the re-
mainder went Oh board the schooner that
run US down. She was leaking badly
/ the captain was afraid he could not keep her
! above water. The water was gaining on
| him, so our men took turns at the pumps
until be could get the steam pumps working.
After that be was all right. The Gate City
came up in few minutes, and took the Tai
| laDoosas crew. Our men were destitute OF
clothes, but their wants we're supplied by
| the officers and men, When We were to-
/ r-u4f..- H. I'll rrna caiIcd md we found