Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-11-01

~Tartk Ry SCHOONER AND sRSf TO
THE BoTrUN IN TEN MINUTES

THE BOTTOM IN TEN MINUTES
All ,h~ oaic+-- and Wen saved Except the
mss-ama"a E-,-- Mea-1tinxinx - the
igSiuE Tor ~afcfss
rh. United States steamship Talla.
posssa, rh,eI sailed from Boston foT Ne@e
port where she ~as to receive Se<1ssary
Chandler aud hls party. was SIMS
.a.,iv Just of Marths's Vineyard,
AID is living With the top OF her smoke
stack and her ,opmast ont of the water.
At II o'clock she was struck. by she
James s. Lowell, three-masted coal
schooner. and went to-the bottom IN ten
minutes. There were leo officers and
men on board all of whom escaped to
th. deck OF the schooner with the exceT-
ton of Past Assistant Surgeon BLACK
and a cosorei servant named George
Foster and three men, who are drowned.
All Of Secretary Chambers effects were
Io-t. The rescued persons were taken
FROM The Lowell by the steamship Gate
CITY OF the Boston and Savannah hne.
and landed 81. Wosd. Holl, where shc
crew boarded the United States steamer
/ Fish Hawk and started for the scene OF
the wreck. The Gate City and the
schooner Mary A. Hood were attracted
to the spot by the blowing OF the Ialla-
poosa's whistle. as the ill-fated steamer
went down. Many of the survivors were
afioa. for some time before they were
picked up by the rescning boats. Ow-
ing TO the mildncss OF the weather they
| did not suffer greatly.
HOW THE DISASTER OCCURRED.
Lieutenant Commander Merry, OF the
! TaIlspoosa. declines to make state
men. except in the form OF report
| 10 the Navy Department, but Captain
Reed, Of the Powell, says: ut was the
most careless piece of work ever saw.
When two miles away the lookout re-
ported light ahead The course was
not altered until the green light could
be seen. To avoid collision, seeing q
vessel with light doing nothing to ovosd
rs, ordered the helm hard down, bnt
before it could he done, and before my
vessel had altered her course, the two
vessels struck their bows seemingly
coming together exactly. / found my
vessel leaking badly, though not in any
Immediate danger Of sinking. The Tai
lapoosa drifted away and sank in ten
minutes before many OF the crew and
I'll l. A ahn ant n
those who could took to the rigging and
were taken off later. Our vessel -
badly damaged. The night was clear
.hc lights of the Lowell burning al
night and perfectly visible long dis
lance.
SCENES or THE TALLAPoOsA.
Paymast.r John F. Tsrbell, OF the
Navy Yard. passenger ON the TAla-
noasa, makes the following statement
Everything went we'll until We
reached Martha's Vineyard. We were
six miles to the eastward OF West ChoI
light, running eight knots al hour
When the schooner struck us VA
soand asleep. tumbled out OF bed, and
inst then some one called down thu
compauionway, All hands abandon
sbipr The men rushed On deck. bu
there was no excitement. The officer
and Hlen were very cool. A few jumped
overheard, but most Of us took to tn
boats This is the result OF slidini
down the chains (showingr his hands
which were terribly blistered and torn)
W., were in the channel, and th
schooner had struck US square On th
starboard side by the foremast.
.sThe schooner's bow had cut half va
through the ship, tearing terrible hol
in the side. through which the water va
rushing. The foremast was cut ava
and the schooner's bow was shattered
Tlk Talapoosa sank in ten minutes
There was no time TO save anything
. We had 70 leave just as We were turns
ont Of bed. The schooner sent ont
/ boat 10 pick up those who were In u
: water and 10 render assistance. Anoths
Z schooner came up and took part OF Il
;. rnen while the remainder went On boai
= the Lowell. She was leaking badly, Z
!. our men took turn at the pumps unit
s s.ear. pumps were got 10 working. II
e Gate City came up in few minutes AZ
: took all the Taliapoosa's .cre~.
- cn,~~vxa ~ NYxyro -Errne Of II