The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-23
SINKINGOF THE TALLAPOOSA
She Goes to the Bottom Ten Minutes
After Celliding with a Schooner.
FOuror Five Of the Crew LoSt-4The Accident
Alleged 10 Be Due to the Garelessness
of the Executive 0fficerOn Duty.

night. The survivors landed at Woods Holl
She collided with three-mastea schooner. She
lies with her main mast and the top of her
smokes stack out of water It is stated that two
lives were lost by the disaster The facts Of
the sinking of the Tallapoosa are as follows: The
Tallapoosa, with 140 men and officers was
bound to Newport to take on board Secretary
Chandler. AT IL o'clock last night, during q
thick fog three miles northeast of Oak Bluff,
Marthas Vineyard she was struck on the bow
by the schooner James S. Lowell, of Bath,
Captain Reed, from Baltimore for Portland,
with cargo of coal Her side was crushed
in, and she sunk in FIVE minutes
in ten fathoms of water. AS she
went down her whistle was blown as signal of
distress, and was heard by the steamer Gate
City, which Gamer up Immediately, and with the
schooner, Mary A. Hood, which happened to be
IN the vicinity, rescued the crew, with the ex-
ception of the surgeon and one man, who are
said to be missing The Gate City blew her
whistle and the steamer, Fish Hawk, lying at the
warf at Woods Holl, sent out her steam launch.
The Gate City lay tountn 8 o'clock, transferring
the crew to the launch. They all landed at
Woodshall. The Tallapoosa is on what is
knownas Quash Madow nat and the smoke
stack and topmost alone are visible The
schooner, James S. Lowell, also has on board
several Of the Tallapoosas crew.
The names of the missing from the Tal1apoosa
are Passed Assistant Surgeon Clarence r.
Black, and George a. Foster, landsman. Some
of Secretary Chambers personal effects were on
the vessel when she sink.
Captain Reed of the schooner James S.
Lowell, states that he was passing through the
sound last night with strong southwest wind,
and all sails set. He was going nine knots an
hour. The night was clear but dark. When
two miles away the lookout reported light
ahead Shortly it was seen to be a red light,
and said, speaking to the wheelman, Red,
Lord; keep her straight" I 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. and
seeing the steamer was doing nothing to avoid US,
could be done, and before my vessel had altered
her course at all, the two vessels struck each
other, their sternS seemingly coming together
exactly. Our vessels stern glanced by the Tai
lapoossas, and penetrated her hull After the
vessels stopped, the steamer swung round along
side the Lowell, and her crew might have
jumped on board, but it was not then
known what was the condition of
either vessel 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 as and sunk within ten minutes, be-
many Oh 0llcefS anu crew QSQ leIb 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 as
sisted in saving tho crew, and later the steamer
Gate City was signaled and came to our assist
Rnce. After all the saved had been transferred
to her. she steamed away to Woods Holl. Our
vessel is badly damaged, the stern being started
and the wood ends injured.
She made twenty-one inches of water in a
short time we We're under way, proceeding to
Vineyard Haven Touching the collision, Cap
tain Read says: 1T Is the most careless piece
of work ever saw. The night was clear, the
lights of the Lowell were burning albright, and
were perfectly visible long distance. There is
difficulty m obtaining the story of the steamer,
her executive officer, to whom repor tiers are re-
ferred, declining to make any statement. One
OF the men on the lookout on the steamer says
he saw the schooners light fifteen minutes be-
fore the collision, and reported the fact Several
of the crew of the steamer acknowledge the
steamer to be at fault
Briefly, the facts are that the schooner was
steering southeast by south, half east, and the
steamer m exactly the opposite direction, with
the sailing vessel having the right of way by law.
Many of the men were considerable time in the
water, ten being fshed up nearly half an hour
after the sinking. Numerous wrecking schooners
and the steamers Fshhawk and Verbena are
cruising about the sound in the vicinity, seeking
to secure the bodies of the drowned and any
wreckage.
Paymaster Tarbell who was a passenger on
the schooner struck, he was abed, and supposed
the vessel had gone aground Some one called
down the companionway: All hands abandon
ship. The men rushed on deck, but no excite
ment. The officers and men were very cool Al
few who were near the bow jumped overheard
but most of us took to the boats AS soon rs
we we're clear of the ship we could see the result
of the collision. We were in the 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 ships
tearing a terrible hole in her side,
through which the water was running. The
foremast was cut away and the schooner's bow
shattered The Tallapoosa sank in ten minutes,
and all that canbe seen of her now is about
half Of her smokestack. She sank bow first.
There was no time to save anything; we had TO
leave just as we turned out ofbed. Theschooler
sent out boats to help pick up those in the water
and render any assistance necessary. Another
schooner also came up and took part of the men,
while the remainder went on board the schooner
that run us down. She was leaking badly
and the captain was afraid he could not keep her
above water, as it was gaining onhirn, 80 ourmen
took turns at the pumps until he could get his
steam pumps to working; after that he was all
right The Gate City came up ina few min
utes, and took all of the Tallapoosa's crew. Our
men were destitute Of clothes, but their wants
were supplied by the officers and the men. When
we were together the roll was called and it was
found that two men were missing-Dr. Black,
the surgeon, and one of the men did not an
Bwer. They were probably drowned No one
saw them 60 down When last seen DR. Black
was aft on the rail preparing to Jump
The GOODNESS Of the officers and men ac
counts for the small loss Of life.
The captain told me every boat crew was at
their place, and the men went to the boats as
signed them It was rather amusing in spite of
onr serious situation, to see the negroes go for
the life preservers. They were the only ones
scared The whole reached Woods Hon We
were transferred to the Fishhawk and then to
chores THE Fishhawk at once left for the wreck
The saddest part of the acdcent was the loss of
those two men. We did not suffer any, for it
was a warm night don't know anything as
to the cause Of the collision Commander
Merry was on deck at the lime The captain of
she schooner did not offer any explanation at the
time was talking with him.
Later advices from Cottaee Gu CIV renort fur