St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-23
PLANTATION at the time 1 was talking with
LIEUTENANT EVERETT SPEAKS.

from the wrecked Tallapoosa arrived tonight
at the navy yard, where they go upon wait
ing orders. Lieut.. Everett says he believed
the Tallapoosa did act in manner to avoid
the line water over which the schooner
would cover He was on deck at time of the
collision, but from con versation he has had
since he feels convinced that steamer was
in the right. "The vessels, - he says, ''were
coming in Numerically opposite directions.
The head of the schooner should have
been kept straight, and we should have
passed to one side of her; but it would seem
as though the officers in charge of the schooner
were afraid we would not alter our course,
and turned their vessels head from the
proper course. Now it is a perfectly easy
thing to avoid a fixed point, but when that
point keeps bobbing around there is no tell
ing what to do. The very way the schooner
struck us would indicate that she had
changed her course, coming as she Gid full
head into us, instead of grazing along the
side"
WHAT THE SAILORS SAY.
Statements Of others of the TallapOosa,
however, would tend to show that q different
set of movements were followed The gen
eral opinion among the sailors is that the
schooner was moving in such way as to
leave the Tallupoosa the option of passing
astern Or across her bows. The Tallapoosa
chose the latter course, and in endeavoring
to glide in front was run into by the
schooner. Says sailor, who claims to have
been in the pilot house at the time Of the
disaster: ''The captain, navigator and mate
saw the lights of the schooner. but
disputed whether it was a green
or a red light, and finally the cap
tain exclaimed: well, do something;
turn her enc way or the other, "and then we
struck" One of the men at the wheel de-
clares that 'they gave order hard a-starboard
when it ought to have been hard a-port.."
Wherever the fault rested, certain it is that
the schooner plunged full head into the Tai
lapoosa on the starboard bow, and cut clear
through the timbers OF the vessel, opening an
immense hole for water to pour in.
About sixteen men were on the deck of
the government boat with the watch, but ac-
cording to the statements of several OF the
watch, they and most of their comrades were
asleep forward. The men of
the crew below were rudely awakened
by terrific shock, and sprang hastily
from their hammocks. The water flooded
both decks, and instantly the sailars aban-
doned everything and rushed on the deck
through the debris. There they found con-
fusing noises resoun ding, so as to drown all
words Of the officers, caused by the escaping
steam through the whistle. The steam was
quickly cut off and then the only order Of
the hour was heard: ''Man the boats
abandon ship" The was no confusion. but
great deal Of haste. Some twenty or thirty
men took to the water instead of the boats.
All OF this happened in little
over five minutes. The Tallapoosa had
already begun to settle, and in a few minutes
her hull was completely submerged. Not
one of the head officers had left the craft.
Captain Merry, Lieutenant Everett, Engin-
eer Towne, Master Mechanic Steever and
Walker, and four sailors took to the rigging,
surmising the depth of the water was not
sufficient to submerge the mantop. Ensign
Whittesey and Mate Gallagher chung to the
ridge rope. The schooner in the collision
had stood by to aid the boats, and boats
made to her as well as to a second schooner,
the Mary A. Hood, which hove to in
response to calls for help. Having placed the
men on board the boats returned and took
the sailors floating in the water, and rescued
the others from the rigging Capt Merry
was the last man to leave his vessel, and
Lieut. Everett left only just before him. No
attempt was made to save personal effects.
The men were later transferred to the
steamer Gate City, of Boston, for Savannah.
which brought them to Woodstock. The men
| reached here this evening" Capt. Merry re-
naming with few seamen at Woodstock.
Four men were reported lost, but of these
only one was drowned. The man lost was
colored saloon hand named George
Foster, belonging In Norfolk, Virginia. He
had quickly seized life preserver, and rush
ing TO the hurricane deck threw himself pre-
server in hand, over the stern. His body
struck upon the the monkey rail, and he was
probably instantly killed, for the preserver
foated, but the body was not to be seen.
The other two missing men are William
O'Donnell, a seaman, of Boston, and w. E..
Jones, landsman, of Wilmington. 1t is con-
hdently believed they have slowed them
selves away in the Gate City. Several of the
sailors declarethey saw Jones upon the Gate
City, A few of the sailors were also injured
by the falling spars and by slipping down
the chains, but none seriously. The carpen
ter's mate, Chas. Carlson, who went to the
surgeon even when the ship was sinking, to
secure treatment, was seriously injured
while lying in his hammock on the berth
deck, by falling mast His wounds are on
the hand and leg.
EXAMINING THE WRECK.
Said Executive Officer Everett: ''Friday
morning we went out to look at the wreck.
We found only portion of her mainmast
and smokestack above the water. l think
she can be raised. She is worth it. The
launch, we found, had been removed from
its anchorage, and we soon discovered lit
tie schooner making off with the boat as
booty. We gave chase and got it back"
Lieut.. Everett strongly denies the statement
that the Tallapoosa had acquired an I'M
favorable reputation in maritime circles,
and says: 81 never heard her called
''old calamity" and l have always consid-
cred her reputation very good She never
had any serious accidents, the accident with
a schooner year or two ago being excus-
able.
THE SPEED.
Master Mechanic Steever was in charge Of
the engine at the time of the disaster He
saws they were going at nine or ten knots an
hour at the time, the regular rate being
twelve to fourteen. Only one boiler was in
operation. They kept on at this rate until
two minutes after the collision. Two
bells were rung and / slackened speed.
Immediately the water began to pour into the
room, and he was obliged to rush out 1t
was exactly II 10 p. m. when they first were
struck He went to the rigging with the
captain and others. Boats made off for the
schooner, each looking after himself. Cap
tain Merry hailed them, and finally the whole
boat returned for them, and afterward the
barge for the captain and lieutenant He
found that the general opinion is the ITALIA
poosa attempted to cross the schooner's bow,
aud got run down. The Tallapoosa, in his
opinion, was a splendid boat.
WHAT THE MATE SAYS.
Mate Kuhl says: "My state room was
abaft where the schooner struck. l rushed
on deck and heard some one groaning be-
edo q fu1len snar I turn ed tn loot, for the