Richmond daily palladium., 1884-08-22
THE TALLAPOOSA.
One OF the Largest Vessels Of the Unitet
States Navy Sunk BY Collision
with Schooner.
Assistant Surgeon Black and Lands
man George Foster the Only
go p Persons Lost.

CoTTAGE CRY, Mass, Aug. 22.-The
United States steamship Tallapoosa sank
off here last night. The survivors
landed at Woods Hall. She collided
with three ID asted schooner. She lies
with her main mast and top of her
smokestack out of water. 1t is stated
two lives were lost by the disaster.
BosToN, MASS, Aug. 22-The facts
of the sinking of the Tallapoosa are as
follows: The Tallapoosa, with 40 men
and officers, bound to Newport to take
on board Secretary Chandler, at IL
o'clock last night, during thick fog
three miles northeast Of Oak Bluffs,
Martha's Vinyard, was struck in the
bow by the schooner James 5. Lowell,
of Bath, Captain Reed, from Baltimore
for Portland, with cargo of coal. Her
side was crushed in and she sank in FIVE
minutes in ten fathoms OF water; AS
she went down her whistle was blown
as . signal of distress, ard was
heard by the steamer Gate City, which
came up Immediately, and with the
schooner Mary A. Hood, which hap
pened to be in the vicinity, rescued the
crew with the exception of the surgeon
and one man, who are said to be miss
ing. The Gate City blew her whistle
and the steamer Fishhawk, which was
lying at the wharf at Woods Hall,
sent out her steam launch. The Gate
City lay to until o'clock transferring
the crew to the launch. They were all
landed at Woods Hall. The Talla-
poosa lies on what is known as the
squash meadow" fat, her smoke stack
and topmast being alone visible. The
schooner James s. Lowell also has on
board several of the Tallapoosas s crew.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 22.-The
names of the missing from the Talla-
poosa are Past Assistant Surgeon Clar-
ence +, Black and George A. Foster, a
landsman. Some of Secretary Chan
dler's personal effects were ON the vessel
when she sank.
Captain Reed, of the schooner James
8. Lowell, states he was passing
through the sound last night with
strong southwest wind. All the sails
were set He was going nine knots an
hour, The night was clear but dark.
When two miles away the lookout re-
ported "a light ahead" Shortly it was
seen to be a red light, and | said,
speaking to the wheelsman, Red, Lord,
keep her straight" stood near the
wheel all the time and her course
the green light could be seen. Toavoid
nothing to avoid us, | ordered the helm
hard down; but before it 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 Tallapoosas and penetrated her
hold. After the vessels stopped, the
steamer swung round alongside 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. I examined my vessel and
found she was leaking quite badly,
though she was not in immediate dan
ger of sinking. The Tallapoosa drifted
away from us and sank within ten min
utes before many of the officers and
crew had left her. As she went down
those who could do so took to the rig
ging, and were taken off later
The schooner Mary A. Wood
came along and assisted in saving
the crew, and later the steamer Gate
City was signaled and came to our as
sistance. After all the saved had been
transferred to her she steamed away to
Woods Hall. Our vessel was badly
damaged, her stern being started and
the wood ends injured. She made
twenty-one inches of water in the short
time we were under way proceeding to
Vineyard Haven. Touching the col
hsion, Captain Read says: 1t is the
most careless piece of work ever saw.
The night was clear, the lights of the
Lowell were burning all night and were
perfectly visible long distance.
There is difficulty in obtaining the
story of the steamer. her executive Off
Ger, to whom reporters are referred, de-
clining to make any statement. One of
the men on lookout on the steamer says
he saw the schooners lights fifteen
minutes before the collision and report
ed 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 In ex-
actly the opposite direction, with the
sailing vessel having the right of way
By law. Many of the men were a con-
siderable time in the water, ten being
fshed up nearly half an hour after the
sinking of the steamer. Numerous
wrecking schooners and the steamers
Fishhawk and Verbena are cruising
about the sound in the vicinity seeking
to secure the bodies of the drowned
and any wreckage.