The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-28
THE TALLAPOUSA.
Wrecked by a Collision on Martha's Vine
Lost

Il
Wrecked by a Collision on Martha's Vine
yzra-Two Liv-s Lost.
COTTAGE CITY, Mass, August 22-The
United States steamship Tallapoosa sank OF
here last night The survivors landed at
Woods Hall. She cOilided with a three
masted schooner She lies with her main
mast and the top of her smoke stack out of
water. 1t is stated two lives were lost by
the disaster.
ANOTHER DISPATCH
BoSroN. August 22.-The facts of the
sinking of the TallapOOsa are as follows:
The Tallapoosa, with one hundred and forty
men and officers, bound to Newport to take
on board Secretary Chandler, at eleven
O'Clock last night, during thick fog three
miles northeast of Oak Bluff, Martha's
Vineyard, was struck by the bow of the
schooner James S.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
blew a signal OF distress and was
heard by the steamer Gate City,
which came up Immediately, and
with the schooner Mary 4. Hood,
which happened to be in the vicinity,
rescued the crew with the exception of the
surgeon and one man who is said to be
missing. The Gate City blew her whistle,
and the steamer Fish Hawk, lying at the
wharf at WoOdshall, sent out her
steam launch. The Gate City lay TO
until three o'clock. transferring the crew to
the launch. They all landed at Wood
shall. The TallapoOSa lies on what is
known as Squash Meadow Flat and the
smoke stack and topmaSt alone are visible.
The schooner James S. Lowell also has on
board several of the TallapOoSa's crew.
Captain Reed, of the schooner j. S. Lowell,
states he was passing through the Sound
last night with strong southwest wind. all
sails set. He was going nine knots. The
night was clear but dark. When two miles
away the lookout reported
"A LIGHT AHEAD
and shortly it was seen TO be red light, and
| said, speaking to the wheelman. Red
light, keep her straight" l stood near the
wheel during all the time, and our course
MAS not altered until word came that the
green fight could be seen. To avoid COLI
sion, seeing the steamer was doing nothing
to avoid lis, | 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 stems seemingly came together exact
ly. Our vessels stem glanced by the ITALIA
pooSa's ana 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 | eX-
amined my vessel. She was leaking quite
- 81
sinking. The TaliapooSa tlrifted away
from us and sank within ten minutes. She
went down before many of the officers and
crew had left her; as she went down those
who could do so took 10 the rigging and
were taken off later. The schooner Mary
y. Wood came along and assisted in saving
the crew, and later the steamer Gate City
was sigmailcd and came to Our assistance
and after all the saved hal been transferred
to her she steamed away to WoodShall; Om
vessel was badly damaged,
TIE STERN BEING STARTED,
and the wood was injured. She made
twenty-One inches of water in the short
time we We're under way proceeding tC
Vineyard Haven. Touching the coils
ion Captain Read says: ut is the
most careless piece of work l ever
saw. the night WAS clear. The lights OF
the Lowell were burning all right, and were
perfectly visible a long distance" There
is difficulty in obtaining the story of the
steamer. Her executive officers to WHOM
were referred declined to make
any statement. One of the men on the lookout
on the steamer says lie saw the schooner's
light fifteen minutes before the collision
and reported the fact. Several of the crew
of the steamer acknowledge the steamer
10 he at fault. Briefly the facts are thai
the schooner was steering southeast by
south half east and the steamer in exactly
Al opposite direction with the sailing vesse
having the right of way by law. Many o:
the men were considerable TINE
in the water, ten being tiShed NJ
nearly half an hour after sinking
Numerous wrecking schOOnerS and the
steamers Fish Hawk and Nerbena vert
cruising about the sound in the vicinity
seeking to secure the bodies of the drowned
and any wreclage.
WA>HINGToN. August 22.-The name.
OF the missing from the TallapoOSa ere
Post Assistant Surgeon Clarence T.. Black
George \. Foster, landsman. Some of Sec
Rotary Chambers personal effects We're OF
the vessel when she sank. i