New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-25
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE YANTIC IN A CYCLONE.
A soRRY-LooKING VESSEL COMES INTO
PORT
FoREMAsr. ToPMAsr AND PART or THE BOW.
SPIRIT GoNE-oN HER BEAM ENDS FOR ]
ONE HoUR-RUNNLNG AWAY FROM I
HURRTCANE

n HURRlCANE.
The United States steamer Yantic, Commsndep
j. u Rockwell, came up to Quarantine about Z
O'Clock last evening IN a sorry-looking conditienl
"hile destroying rHrelicts at sea on Tuesday she
was suuck by a hurricane and badly damaged1
al the time She was in latitude 3S, longs
'uue os' but for two days she had been
running away from southwesterly Cyclone,
lhe hurricane struck the vessel frsm the south
al $3.50 o'clock in the afternoon For threa
hours she struggled against the force Of the wind
and the waves
When the tempest was at its height the vessel
was thrown on her beam ends and lay in that
condltion for an hour. The steam launch had
nled WIN water, and in an effort to night the
snip IL was cut away, but this effort proved
TO be OF no avail. Then men were set 10 wsrh
10 cut away the foremast. During the hurricans
the main and mizzen tOpmasts and a part Of tbs
ooWsprlt were carried away. The launch and
three small boats were lost while some Of the
men were injured, although not seriously,
STARTING FOR HOME.
After the hurricane had spent its force and tho
ship could be got to rights she started for this
port. On Thursday she encour te red strong eales
from the northwest and heavy seas When cha
reached port last evening she Wis leaking slightly.
Ohicer OF Deck AShmore and Navigator Richman
were on deck when the reporter boarded the yes-
sell Lieutenant Ashmore said that twelve men
were on the list Of injured, but none was seriously
hurt. William Herzfeldt, the captain of after
guard, was bruised about the head, and George
Fox, cabin cook, had his foot cut. Others suffered
bruises about the head and body. Lleutenans
Ashmore said that all the men would be ready fos
duty in few days. The Yantic, he said, was
engaged in blowing up the wreck Of the Ahca
Bordman in the Gulf stream at the time the hurri-
cane was seen to be approaching. She left
this account Of the storm. although there wers
five other wrecks further south to attend to. At
o'clock May 2l the mercury in the ba-
rOmeter had gole down 10 29.G2. and in twenty
minutes the barometer sank 5-8 OF an inoh. The
Gantic was then rInning under CloSe-reefed tops
sail. with banked fires.
By 3 o'clock the wind was blowing O hurrts
cane, and the men could not keep their feet on
deck At o'clock the first cutter on the STAR
board side was lifted from its cradle
and thrown ever against the smokes
stack. The next sea filled the steam
launch the port side just opposite the first
cutter and the ship was thrown on her beam
ends, while great seas rolled over her from stem
10 stern. The pantry bulkhead had been stove
in, aud the wardrobe and cabins were flooded
The officers clothes were ruined by salt water.
but she still lay helplessly. while the sea made
clean sweeps ove= her
AT ten minutes past ive' sailors with axes cuS
away the foremast, and it fell with q crash
over the port side with all the riggina
attached. The decks were flooded waist deep.
and the wrcckage floating about struck O
number Of sailors The ship was now heading
TO sea, but the water had gained the engne-room
and nut out the fires.
The vessel rghted after the foremast had been
cut away, but she had hardly done so when tho
main and mizzen topmaSt came down. Tha
donkey engine set to work. Al
bucket-hne was formed and the men
went to work with will. The second
whsleboat. second cutter and dingy went over-
board at o'clock. This left only the first whales
boat aud the gig. The first cutter was smashed "a
splIntcrS. Lieutenant Ashmore said that he had
never experienced such n gale IL was l | o'clock
before the i.cS were started, and the iantic, with
her deck looking as though the vessel had been in
action. started for New York.
The water during the storm was waist deep
IN The cabin, and on deck it was almost on top
miles east OF the Delaware breakwater when ths
storm subSded Another gale struck her from
tie Tie northeast, on May 2S but did no darnage:
OF her port bulwarkS are crushed in where the
mast fell The donkey engines were going last
night as the vessel was still leaking where the
bottom.
Lieutenant Ashmorc says she will be ready for
another cruise as soon as tie rigging can be re-:
paired.
1t is expected that the vessel will come up I'd
the Navy Yard today
The vessel sighted; and reported sbous
$50 mile, OF Sandy Hook but 10 was not thoughn
in the citv that she could have been seriously
damaged, as in that case she would have arrived
in port sooner. II said by some that the
reports abOlt her SparS and topmasts having been
carried away probably exaggerated, and 10
was thou ~ht that some OF her rigging might nave
been carried away by the fragments or somo
Ge-clct which she had blown up with torpedoess
Her arrival. however, sets these theories at rest
HER CREW AND EQUIPMENT.
The vessel SailCd from this port on May IL for
a t-o down the coast in search Of wrecks. Sha
was provided with batteries and torpedoes for
destroying these, had complement OF lao
officers and men, and carried five guns.
During the month of April there were
rumors aloat that she TO go 10 Hayti again,
but il was not known where she would go until
orders were received that she 10 stay here TO
take rqrt in the Centennial celebration before
going Oh this cruise
The Yantic is wooden corvette Of the second
class and was launched IN 1878. She is 80 feee
between pcrpendicuhrS and thirty feet breadth Of
beam has a maximum draft of 3 "a feet and
displacement of 900 tons. Her indicated horse
power is CO. and her maximum speed is Ia
knots. She carries one ll-inch, two 9-inch and
one 60-pound guns. She has "A screw propeller and
Is barll-rigged.