Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-11-11
THE STEAMER MANHATTAN.


New HAVEN, Conn.,, Nov S.-The u. s.
steamer Manhattan, Lieut.. Commander Tozlei
in command, foundcred and went to the bot
tom Of Southwest Ledge two mil outside of
this rarbor at $3.50 o'clock Saturday morning
At the time the vessel sank there was very
heavy sea on, with fierce gale blowing. The
Manhattan came into this harbor some time
during the night and anchored in the channel
off the yacht clubs house. The custom house
officials seem to know but very little about the
vessels mission In these waters, but think she
was on a special duty of some character and
mention the setting of buoys, examination of
light houses, or looking after coastng and
trading vessels to see that their papers were
correctly made out, and that they were en-
gagged In the trade sanctioned by their official
papers
Saturday morning about o'clock three #
the officers came ashore In small boat and
landed along the wharf. They were on shore
about an hour, and after getting the morning
papers went aboard the vessel. Immediately
after this the Manhattan got under way and
headed down the harbor.
William Kane, an oyster man at Oyster
Point, says tonight that he noticed the vessel
ward the southwest, and that she pitched
heavily in the sea. She slipped two or three
seas and apparently struge led very much in
the sea. She then turned half way arounl
toward the eastward, and Kane says her con.
dition grew more labored. He ran to notify
the tug Office In the city by telephone to send
assistance, and was gone but ten minutes. He
was unable to raise the city, however, and
when he returned the vessel was still strug-
Cling against both wind and tide. To all APP
pearances the vessel could not be controlled
by Its wheel. Kane says he then ran
for about forty feet across a warehouse floor
to call his employer, and that when he return
ed after an absence OF not over two minutes,
that she had disappeared from view. Not
yestige Of her was to be seen either to the
naked eye or with glasses.
Kane's story is corroborated by James
Smith, the proprietor Of a hotel at South End,
on the eastern Shore where Kane saw the YES
sci sink. Smith says that when he first saw
her the Manhattan was on her side, shipping
sea after sea, and finally careened over and
went down In very few minutes from the
time he first noticed her. Two or three per-
sons on the eastern shore, all at different
Poiheo VI ooSO''"UiOhi tOii oIoi VI thc
ter that fully bear out those told by Smith and
Kane.
The tug Alert Of this port, went down to
the harbor about II O'Clock this morning but
on account Of the extremely heavy sea and
wind could not go outside. They saw moth
Ing in the way Of wreckage, however. When
the Manhattan sank the tide was setting full
out into the sound, and whatever wreckage
there may have been would go directly out to
sea. Late this afternoon quantities of biscuit
and what looked like cabin timbers came
ashore near Light House point. The Manhat-
tan was steam propeller of the third-cass in
the revenue marine service, 10 tons, carrying
one gun. The shores are being patrolled to-
night in search Of bodies, but none have been
discovered yet.