The morning news., 1889-04-12
ILL LUCK OF WAR SHIPS.
Long List of Vessels That Have sue
cumbed to the Elements.
Erou The Ve,p York Tfn.es

peace having not been uncommon during
the past twenty years; it may be truly said
indeed that such vessels have suffered far
more from the revages of the elements than
from hostile demonstrations proceeding from
enemies in war.
| 1t will probably tax the memory OF the
present generation to recall the fate of the
| Monitor, which was the precursor OF IRON
cad construction for vessels of war. After
| her memorable encounter with the Merri-
| mac in Hampton Roads the Monitor was
| allowed to rest on her laurels for several
months until some other foe worthy of her
proves should give her challenge. This
encounter occurred on March 8, 1862. To-
ward the end Of that year it was decided to
move the iron-clad into more southern
waters for the purpose OF providing more
effective means of warfare against blockade
runners, men-of-war, and forts along the
coast on the Gulf. With this view the cor
vette Rhode Island was ordered to Fortress
Monroe in the latter part of December, 1862,
for the purpose of towing the Monitor into
the Gulf.
The sea was smooth and everything went
well until the night of Dec. 81, when gale
was encountered off Cape Hatteras. and the
heavy sea so pounded the engines and steer
ing apparatus of the iron-clad that she
sprung leak All OF the new pumps were
officers and crew stood by and did every
thing in their power toward a rescue, but
within a few hours it was seen that she
must inevitably founder before daybreak.
Not until the last moment did Capt. Bank
head signal the boats of the Rhode Island
to come to the rescue of himself and his
crew, and when that occurred ID of tie
crew were so much Supplied by fear that
they we're bic to leave the sinking boat.
The captain and officers aud ABOUT so of the
crew were conveyed safely to the Rhode
Island, which, in it's turn, had sustained
severe injuries by collision with the MOni-
tor during the effort to take off the crew.
The construction of irop-turreted ships as
men-of-war became the subject of wide
criticism in Consequence of the loss of
the Captain, a British man-of-war,
off Finisterre, France on Sept.
z, 1870. The Captain was vessel
of 4,270 tonnage. and with speed Of IA 2-10
and fully plated armor, the important
parts being covered with iron inches
thick. She carried four 25-ton guns, which
hurled 600-pound shot, and also guns fore
and aft OF nearly equal caliber. Her con-
struction had been designed by Capt.
Cowper Coles of the royal navy, who was
In command of her at the time she found
cred. From the day that she was launched
the principles upon which sne had been
constructed had been the subject of anina-
ted controversy in England. The British
admiralty, however, had decided to give
Capt. Coles an opportunity to reduce to
practice his views of what a seagoing tur-
ret cruiser should be- The only conditions
imposed by the admiralty were that tie
ship should be constructed With provision
against heavy shot, with due care for the
health of the crew ana with evident means
of moving the ship and manipulating the
guns with ease.
Capt. Coles was desirous of commanding
this ship in person, and at the time of the disa-
ter he was quite as enthusiastic upon the
points upon W ich it had been constructed
as he had ever previously been. At this very
time controversy in regard to the con-
struction of the ship was waging in very
spirited fashion between Laird Bros, the
builders, and Chief Constructor Reed Of the
British navy Constructor Reed insisted
that the ship was clumsy and could not be
we'll handled in battle nor could she stand
heavy weather at sea. Laird Bros.
were equally confident that she could do all
that had been promised for her, and, al
though they admitted that the weight of
the guns sunk her two feet deeper than had
been intended, yet that would make no
practical difference in the ease Of handling
her or in her sufficiency for action.
Navy officers and engineers took sides
quite generally in this controversy, and
bOta the builder and the chief constructor
were aole to array distinguished authority
IN support OF their respective claims. The
Captain was one Of a squadron of English
ships off Finisterre on sue night Of Sept. Z.
A gale arose at 2 O'Clock in the morning ID
when daylight came every ship i'll the
squadron was in signt except the Captain.
Just when she went down or what NAV
have been the immediate cause of the wreck
was never ascertained. Every one on board
perished, Including Capt. Coles, Lord
NorthbrOok, and a son of Mr.. Childers, the
first lord of the admiralty.
Another great disaster was that which
resulted in the loss of the German mau- Of
war Grosser Kurfurst off Folkestone, near
Dover, in the English channel, ON the night
of May 81, 1878. Ga the afternoon of MAY
% three of the finest vessels in the German
navy, the Preussen, the Grosser Kurfurst,
and the Konig Wilhelm left the great Ger
man navy yard at Wilhelmhaven, bound
for Gibraltar. Soon after passing Calais,
in daylight while the weather wasperfectly
clear and the sea calm, q bark, which was
fetching off shore, got dir ectly in the course
of the GroSser KurfurSt, which ported her
helm to avoid it. The Konig Wilhelm,
which was sailing close behind, pulled hard
aport SO suddenly that she struck the Gros-
ser Kurfurst forward of her mizzenmast.
Almost immediately the Grosser KurfursS
UOhO ONcA OAl anu Sttuk III 10
fathoms. Her crew jumped into the water
as she went down. Many must have been
scalded by the escaping steam, tor out Of
her complement of 500 men only % officers
and 100 men were rescued, aud Of these two
died of exhaustion. The Konig Wilhelm
also barely escaped disaster at the time and
was obliged to put back to Portsmouth for
repairs.
Even as late as last month a Brit
ish iron-clad, the Sultan, was stranded on
the ROCKS OF CominO. a small island not far
from Malta. 1t appeared from investiga-
tlon that when she struck the rocks the
water poured so fast into her hold, fore and
aft, that the captain and crew were obliged
at once to abandon her. This occurred on
the morning of Thursday, March T. For
four days she lay on the rocks, aud then
her guns and stores having been removed,
she was considerably lightened, but it was
still impossible to get her ahoat. Several
British men-ofwar were in the neighbor-
hood and also German iron-clad but they
were utterly unable to renders any assistance
beyond the rescue of the captain and crew.
The Sultan is a screw-armored battle ship
of the second-class, Of 1920 tons and Z 7,72O
horsepower. She was..commissioned at Ports
mouth on April 20, 1882, and up to the time
OF the disaster was attached on temporary
duty to the Mediterranean squadron.
Other disasters in time of peace can be
readily recalled. Everybody will remem-
ber whel tne British ship Bombay ran into
IL. ~