New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-04
SCARE ABOUT THE BROOKLYN.
WAS SHE SHORT OF pRov1s1oNsp
TIE Vessel BROKE HER SHAFT BEFORE LEAY.
ING JAPAN.

TIE Vessel BROKE HER SHAFT BEFORE LEAY.
ING JAPAN.
The officers at the Navy Yard yesterday emphaticaliy
expressed their opinion that the sensational report
about the United States steam frgate Brooklyn was
unnecessarily exaggerated by the captain OF the
British steamship Falshaw. who reported upon his
arrival at Pensacola Tuesday that he had spoken
tho Brooklyn in distress March GO. The impress
sion given that the vessel short Of provisions
but this could hardly be true, she had six months
supply Of provisions board when she left Honolulu
1t is believed that the officers had exhausted all their
own stores and were living on those Of tho ship
salt pork salt beef and hard tack-and seeing steam
ship which had apparently been only short time at
sea, hoped to obtain some -four and provisions from
her
1t also reported that the Brooklyn had arrived
at st. Thomas Sunday but this report was denied
yesterday at the marine telegraph bureaus. II Is
hardly probable that being at least 3oo miles north
Of St Thomas and the trade winds being in her favor
she would 90 south. sho was then only $50
miles south Of the BermudAs, and only about 1880
miles from Sandy Hook The prevailing winds at
this time are nom favorable direction, ard tho
Brooklyn the regular sailing route nom the
equator to New-York. Her course would DO about
northwest untn she reaches point of Cape Hatterss,
with the prevailing winds from east To northeast OF
Cape Hatteras the would be changed to north
by-west direct TO Sandy Hook She ought to arrive
here or at Hampton Roads before another week ends
The Brooklyn Is In command OF Captain Byron,
who commanded a monitor during the Civil War II
certainly mistake TO suggest that the breaking
Of the shaft was an alarming condition Her original
orders. issued In August last were that she should
turn home by way of the Cape Of Good Hope. She
left Hiogo Japan, on Der way home, on August o.,
and when going through the shimonoseh Straits,
which separate Hondo from Kln-sin and connect
the Inland Sea with the Sea Of Japan, she broke her
orankghaft She was tOwed into Nagasah on August
ID, and a week later was put into drydock for 70
pairs. 1t then determined by Admiral Chandler
and Captain Wilson, under orders from Secretary
whitney, that she should sail home, and go BY way
Of Honolulu and Cape Horn. Many Officers criticised
this decision severely, and thought that she should
have been sent San Francisco rather than risk the
loss of the ship and her crew on necessarily
tempostuous voyage. To improve tho steering and
sailing qualities OF tho ship her propeller was I'M
shipped and slowed on deck, aud the propeiier-WeH
was .iosed up. On SEPTEMBER she was towed and
conveyed TO sea by the Juniata and Palos, but her
two SUITS Of sas were IN such unsatisfactory condition
that It was feared she would not DO able to reach
Honolulu with them.
But tho Brooklyn did reach Honolulu on october
e7 and she proved herself good saiier up to that
point her greatest speed being at the rate Of fourteen
knots under top-gallant sans with the wind
point abaft the beam. u was hoped
that new topsas and foresas could DO obtained for
the Brooklyn at Honolulu but the canvas could rot be
obtained. Tho sails were repaired and entirely re-
roped with new roping, and some new spare sp2rs
were made She sailed nom Honolulu on November
90 Il being calculated that II she met with no mis-
hap she would reach this port about April 10. Inc
following are her Officers Captain Byron wilson com
handing; Lieutenant Commander Thomas Perry, eG'
ecutive officer; Lieutenant Eugene D. r Head, nav
Rator: Uoutenants W. III. II. Switzerland, Charles j.
Badger, Frank H. Holmes; enSgns, John A. Hoogo-
VERT and william X. Shoemaker; medical Inspector,
Grove g. BeLrdsley passed Assistant surgeon, Phihps
A. Lowering; assistant surgeon, Oliver D. norton;
paymaster, James T. Tofroe, chiet engineer, S: L. r.
Ayros: Lieutenant Samuel L. Jackson Of the Marine
Corps boatswan Edward Bonsall: gunner, John j.
walsh carpenter, Gould Northrop Salmaker, Truman
b. White.