The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-11-20
HUNDREDS MEET DEATH.
FEARFUL DISASTER TO A BRIT
ISH MAN-OF-WAR.

The Cruiser Serpent Founders Of the
Coast of Spain and of 276 People on
Board All but Three Perish in the
Waves-An Admiralty officials Heart
less Conduct.
TLondon dispatch.I
The British torpedo cruiser Serpent,
has foundered off the coast Of Spain.
Out of total of 276 souls on board only
three were saved.
The Serpent was a tWin-screw vessel
of Ito tons and 1850 horsepower and
carried six guns 1t went on the rocks
during storm Monday night. A heavy
mist prevailed at the time of the disaster.
Owing to the violence of the storm it was
impossible to send assistance from the
shore.
Tremendous seas swept the decks of
the doomed vessel, carrying away group
after group of the unfortunate men on
board. The news of the wreck was con-
veyed to Corunna, distance of sixty
miles over mountain roads The Ser
pent's complement was 10 officers and
men. The others on board were going
out to relieve men now on ships of the
African station. The vessel was lost at
point twenty miles north of Cape Fin
isterre.
An official telegram from Corunna says
that the Serpent was wrecked off Cape
Kucy, near the village Of Camarinas.
There were 276 persons aboard, of whom
only three were saved The bodies of
three ladies have been washed ashore.
The Governor has ordered the authori-
ties at Camarinas to render every assist
ance in their power.
The three persons saved from the
Serpent are sailors, who swan ashore at
Camarinas They express the belief
that all the others on board were
drowned, but only four bodies have been
washed ashore as yet. There is no tel
egraph station at Camarinas.
The Serpent was third-class cruiser
of the type of the Archer, of which the
Concord, Yorktown and Bennington are
practically copies, 1t was provided with
whitehead torpedoes, tubes, and APP
paratus for firing. It is said by experts
concerning this class of vessels that in
the construction of the hull economy of
weight has been carried to excess. The
plating is too thin for durability. The
armament is overdone. In seaway the
heavy top weight causes loss of speed
Eand throws an undue strain upon the
light structure on which it is placed.
of one of these cruisers it is
stated that its speed 'when meet
ing q strong head wind and sea
was reduced to five knots, as the
vessel was being buried under water for
ward the forecaStle, bending down three
or four feet under the weight of water.
The Serpent was built of steel, 1,770
tons displacement, $500 indicated horse
power, II feet inches draught of water,
225 feet length, 36 feet beam. 1t was
built at Davenport, launched in 1887,
cost (hull and machinery sol, COG. It's
armament comprised six six-inch, five
ton breech-loading rife guns, eight three
FOUNDER rapid-firing guns, and three
machine guns. 1t sailed from Devon
port, being put in commission June "a
last, under command of Capt. TT. l.. Ross,
ordered to the Cape and the west coast
of Africa.
Lord George Hamilton, First Lord of
the Admiralty, on rising to speak at a
Conservative banquet at Acton this
evening, said he was sorry to announce
that just before he came there he re-
ceived a telegram that III. M. S. Serpent
was lost on the coast of Spain, and he
feared there had been great loss of life.
The Serpent, he said, was one of our
best cruisers, and was a valuable vessel,
with excellent officers and crew. He
could not tell the cause of the disaster.
The announcement caused @ sensation
and it was evident that many of those
present would have thought it proper to
postpone the banquet but no action be-
ing taken to that end, the entertainment
proceeded, and after the guests had
eaten and drank heartily, Lord
George Hamilton led off in the
toasts with an unusually jolly speech.
his rollicking humor provoking peal upon
peal of laughter. The news of this affair
soon reached the London clubs and ex-
cited much adverse criticism. It is con-
sidered that Lord Hamilton's conduct
may cause scandal against himself and
the Tories such as was aroused against
Mr.. Gladstone and his political adj
herents by the alleged presence of the
Liberal Premier at theater on the
evening of the day when Gordon's death
was announced in the London newSpa-
pers.
The Duke of Edinburgh was attending
a Patti concert at Plymouth when the
news of the disaster reached that town.
He was Immediately informed of the ca
lamity, and at once left the concert hall
and fastened to the various newspaper
Offices in search of further details. At
ter reading all the dispatches that had
been received concerning the disaster he
went directly home without returning to
the concert hall. He expressed the ut
most sorrow at the fate that had over
taken so many brave men.
Commander Ross is said to have been
in the habit of treating his men with un-
due severity. The Serpent started last
Saturday on it's maiden voyage. It was
commissioned for service in Africa last
June, but was detained by several mis-
haps to the machinery. It and it's con-
sorts were cordially dislil1ed by the SER
vice. The Serpent has bad record. It
broke down more than once in the man
euvers Of 1888.
Lloyd's agent at Corunna Ielegraphs:
cit appears that the Serpent was running
for shelter into one of the bays north of
Finisterre, 1t is not known whether it
founded or grounded on the fearful reefs
that are continuation of the Galician
Mountains. If it foundered nobody need
be surprised but the Admiralty. If it
grounded on the reefs it could not stand
,4os- L hoo