The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-08-28
MARINE DISASTERS.

A British Vessel Wrecked and Eighties
Lives Lost-Six Old War Vessels Burned
A German Vessel and Two Hundred Lives
List.
PORr WASHINGTON, L. l., August ga
A fire causing q loss OF over 100000
broke out on board the steamer Colorado,
lying off Plum Beach, near here, last even
ing. The flames spread from the Colorado
to the following ships, all of which were
burned to the waters edge and sunk:
Minnesota, Susquehanna, Congress. South
Carolina, Iowa, Lottie Grant and Fair Play.
All with the exception Of the last two
formerly belonged to the United States
Navy. They had been condemned and
were bought from the Government by
Stannard & Co., who were to break them
up for the old iron and planks they could
get out of them. The fire broke out on the
forward deck of the Colorado where men
were at work burning up planks to get the
iron spikes. On the right of the Colorado
was the Susquehanna to which the
flames spread rapidly, and before
either it or the Colorado could be flowed
out the flames had spread to the other
boats. They all burned like finder and the
sky was red for miles around. The heat
was so intense that it was impossible TO go
anywhere near the burning ships while the
cracking of the flames sounded like the
sharp crack of musketry. The flames crept
along the decks and buIwarks Of the ships
and ate their way up the shrOuds and into
the rigging. The picture now presented OF
the eight burning vessels, outlined against
bank of inky clouds, was one long t" be
remembered. The fire burned so fiercely
that within three hours nothing was left Of
the once defenders Of the United States but
few charred planks and floating timbers.
The hulls sank Mt once to the bottom, going
down with . hiss and a gurgle, amid a
cloud of steam from the water as it swept
over tile burning wrecks. The Colorado
was the first to sink, and as the waters
closed over her mast from the Mime
sofa tOppled over on the Congress, and to-
gether they sought the sandy bottom of the
sound. The Susquehanna burst loose from
her mOOrings, and at one time the various
fishing crafts anchored along the shore ap-
peared to be in danger. She flOated about
fifty yards from shore, and after trembling
for a minute. keeled over and sank. The
South Carolina and Iowa followed her to
the bottom in short order, but before going
down the flames spread from the Iowa to
the Lottie Grant and Fair Play, two
schOOners lying near the shore, and they,
too sank. WHO the owners of the schOOners
are could not be ascertained, as The crews
became SO mixed up in the crowd of specta-
tors that they could not be found. Mr..
Stannard said: 1.-The loss to me is not less
than 100000, as it was only for the iroH
in them that | bought them. Had they
been serviceable the loss would have footed
up in the millions" The loss on thu
schOOners will not be less than $4,000.
EIGHTEEN LIVES LOST.
SAN FRANCISCO. CAL, August 2l.-It Is
reported that the British ship IIaddingston-
shire, from Astoria, Ore, for Liverpool,
with cargo of flour and salmon, is ashore
off Point Reyes, forty miles north of this
port. 1t is also said that eighteen lives
were lost The Merchants Exchange has
just received the following particulars Of
the loss of their ship: The vessel left As
tOria July o. got down as far as the equator
when she struck heavy gale, which 50
disabled her as to Oblige the Captain to put
back to San Francisco for repairs. In that
gale she lost four seamen and her chro-
nometer. When off this port last night the
ship encountered a dense fog, and while
cropping about ran on the rocks near Point
Reyes at three o'clock this morning. The
vessels cargo is total wreck. All aboard
except one sailor and the cabin boy were
drowned. The cargo consisted of 1900
barrels of flour. valued at $4,000, and L.
200 cases of salmon. va ued at 1000. The
lIaddingstoIshire was new iron vessel
launched at Glasgow in October. 1851, and
was owned by J. 4. Shepherd, of Glasgow.
OVER TWO HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
BEWLIE. August 222.-The report of the
wreck of the German corvette, Augusta, is
confirmed. Her crew of 23S officers and
sailors were lost. Her value was S1,75O.-
900. She was lost IN cyclone in the Red
Sea.