New-York tribune., 1886-03-24
THE LOSS OF THE RAPIDAN.
A STEAMER AND ALL ON BOARD LOST.
NO NEWS or HrR AFTER LEAVING THIS PORT
TwENrY-FoUR LIVES LosT-HER



CARGO AND CREW.
All hope for the steamship Rapidan, which
left here February for Port Imon Costa Rica, has
been given up Hers is undoubtedly one Of those mys-
ferrous where anoh ship sails out OF harbor aud
Is swallowed up by some unknown fate. No passing
vessel the doomed ship struggling with storm and
tempest floating wreckage gives clew to her fate,
no dead bodies washed messengers from
the lost craft There TO be utter and complete
annihation of the ship and everybody snd everything
pertaining TO her. The Rapdan sailed with crew or
twenty-five all told passenger, quantity OF live
stock and some general She going TO Port
mon In Costa Rics, and from there to Colon and Car
tagena, in the United States OF Colombia She was to
have been the pioneer ship Of q new line which T.
Kenuard. her owner. to establish between ports
the Spanish Man, Her general cargo shipped by
COtheal & Co, Of Beaverst Tho live stock belonged
to Senior Gonzales. wealthy Costa Rcan. The Rapidan
was a sde-whee steamer OF 500 tons register Tncss
who met their fate board OF her
William H. Towne captain. lJOhn Baxter, seaman
j. w. Clarke lst officer. James NcRyan. seaman.
ksnsn "a officer aSres LsssoH Lsss s1e.arS
Morgan L. Badgerly, chief en- Martin Thless. oiler
]. H. Langan lst assistant !. Dutson fireman
Holly I'd assistant George Rcharsoncos passe'
+; ;, imons carpenter August Toes coal pasaer-
Joseph H. Penney seaman. Manuel Gonzales passenger
All OF these. with the exception OF senior Gonzales.
the passenger and b. Leaman, the purser tho
ships articles belonging in this city. Captain Towne
was an experienced navigator about forty years old,
and had held masters certificate for twenty
years. He had been for time in tho employ of Mr.
Kennard and in his service 70 Colon last spring
with the first schooner-load of lumber wheh arrived
there after the nrs. He we'll known In shipping
circles here and considered to be shipmaster OF
ability. He leaves a family. The FIRST officer, j. W.
Clarke, held masters certificate aud accounted
good and experienced officer. He was formerly
w ntain Clarka frank N
Thsyer, the thrilling story of whose loss
was recently published IN THE TRIBUNE. The purser.
b. p. Leman. was young man belonging In Boston,
He was personal friend Of Mr.. Kennard's. and when
the Rapidan nearly ready to sail Mr. Kennard asked
him if he knew Of any who would like to go out as
purser. Mr.. Lemsn replied that he would like TO go
himself as he had desire TO visit South America. He
was thereupon given the BERTH He belonged To an exc
cellent family in Boston, Senior Gonzales had been In
the country buying blooded which proposed to
place his plantation In Costa Rica. The stock was
valued $4,000 and consisted of ten head Of pure Jer
sey cattle. four sheep. five pigs nineteen chickens,
three geese and Kentucky thoroughbred stallion.
He also had four fancy pigeons and a valuable
dog. He had bullhnch. for which he
paid S35 an accomplished bird which could whistle diff.
ferent airs All these se1or Gonzales was taking to
beautify that southern hsme which he was destined
never to reach The rest of the Rapidans cargo con-
sisted of sack OF seed. 10 barrels Of beer aud $4,000
feet of lumber.
When Mr.. Kennard bought the Rapidan he spent
$4,000 in repairing her. She was inspected by
the and the inspectors OF steam vessels and
pronounced seaworthy in every respect Sue was then
insured for S35 900. Tho weather stormy Ia tho
latter part of January but February l, pleasant.
and on that day the ship was cleared and her crew
signed articles william Curtis who signed as first assist
engineer William Brown. who signed rs oiler and
Daniel Graham who signed coal passer, deserted be
fore the ship sailed and their places wero nled Dy D.
Lanigan Martin Thesis aud August Toes The nert DAY
the vessel sailed. 1t pleasant day and everyone
expected quick and pleasant run to the tropics Her
went down to Sandy Hook in her and then came
back in a tug congratulatng himself thai MS snip.
which was to open up new helds OF commercial enter
prise in South America had sueh an auspcious day on
w6sS to came begin a hS of the ye'aSS Schws ad for
several days the weather was anything but re-
assuring for those who do business oD the great deep or
hazard their property in maritime enterprises All in
coming vessel. reported snow storms and rough weather.
ship showing signals OF distress but was unable TO g0o
her assistance on account OF the storm But Mr Ken.
the time that she was due at Port Lim0n and no
news OF her arrival was received he simply concluded
that had delayed by rough weather Day after
day he waited for the announcement OF the Rapl-
aa"S aa news '''a came. Then friends and relatives
OF the officers aud crew began to call at his office ana
against nope Mr.. Kennard tried by ali possible hypOth
explain the non-arftya OF the Rspdan at Port
But yesterday much time had passed that he could
hope longer. The loss Of his friend. young Leman.
the destruction OF his property and tue ru'traton OF
his plans blow. but there WI: no reason
hoping longer to hear from the missing vessel
How, when and where she met her fate Will always re-
main mystery. Since she slipped away
toward the southern horizon On February = no human
eye As seen her indeed she may have been tho
steamer distress reported by the Mallory steamer and
no spar or OF her has been by incoming or
outgoing vessels. And this mysterious disappearance
took place in a crowded highway OF cOmmercs, whose
waters at all of the year white with sails Of
cOasting vessels and churnod by the propellers OK
cruising and from the West Indies and South
America.
The loss on the Rapdsn and her cargo will be about
$4,000. The vessel was built at Williamsburg,
/. l., In 1865, and used for TRANSPORT
The occasion for transportation ceasng however. she
was sold to the Old Dominion steamship Company aud
ran on that c0mpanys line for good years. Then
she was laid up remained idle with periodic seasons
of usefulness unt she into the possession OF John
Roach from whom Mr Kennard bought her Though old.
she was apparently a stanch and sound steamer when
Mr. Kenuarl had completed his repairs. she was l71
feet long 30 wide aud 1919 feet deep and REGISTERED
$50 tons. She was q sde-wheeer and OF Iight
draught, but accounted good sea boat. The last
communication Mr. Kennard received rrOm Captain
Towne a letter the captain sent back by the pilot
which he said 5he is so good boat that II were
you would not nsure her, but take the risk myself"
Frou this port Captain Towue was Intending to take
the Rapidan through the Crooked Island passage into
the caribbean aud thence across that to Port
LimOn.
REVOLUTIONA RY WAR RNOWLEDGE