The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-11
THE DESPATCH ON A SHOAL.
PROBABLE TOTAL WRECK OF THE
WELL-kNOWN NAVAL VESSEL.

| leland During n Gale on Friday Might
Said TO he Going to Pieces-'rhe Crew
Rescued Safeiy-The Vessels Career.
NonroLK, Oct 10.-The United States steam
ship Despatch. for many years regarded as the
official yacht Of tho President and the Secre-
| tary Of the Navy. has gone ashore on the As
| sateaque Shoals. forty miles north OF Cape
Charles. The coast there is very treacherous,
hhe was bound from Brooklyn to Washington.
During q severe gale on Friday night she
truck the dreaded sands. She will become
probably total wreck. Her commander
Lieut. Cowles. and all the crew are known to
be safe. but beyond this Information nothing
definite Is known.
Tho rescue Of the crow 10 said to have been
extremely hazardous. The mon are under
cover on the beach. The nrst news came from
| despatch to the Superintendent Of tide Life
Saving Service In Washington.
The operators at Cape Charles and Cape
Horny can get no further information. they
say. than that the vessel 10 ashore and tho
crew is safe
North America has gone to the assistance Of
the Despatch.
WASHINGTON. Oct 1o-The Navy Department
has given orders to tho Commandant OF tho
New York Navy Yard to send q vessel to the
relief OF the Despatch. Tho lighthouse tender
at Philadelphia has also been oreered on the
same errand.
Later.-WAsHNoroN Sept 1o.-The superin-
tendent OF the Life Saving Service late to- night
received o telegram from the keeper OF tho life
saving station at Assateague. Va. saying the
United States steamer Despatch was broad
side on the shoals and fast going to pieces.
Her officers and crew are now being cared
gor by the life saving men. The Despatch was
nm hor 20 ia H.
take on board the President. Secre-
tary Tracy. and some officers OF the
navy. and convey them to tho naval
proving grounds. down the Potomac, to wit
ness experiments in testing some of the armor
plate for use IN tho armament OF the new YES
sells. She was expected to arrive here on Mon
day. and after taking the President down the
river was to have been placed out OF COM
mission. as she is old and in much
need OF repairs. It is impossible to learn
here any particulars attending the vessels
going ashore. but It Is surmised by naval
officers that in her endeavor to hug the coast
closely to avoid the heavy gale she got too
close In shore. and when her position was dis
covered It was too late to work of with a north
east wind driving her shoreward.
The news that the Despatch had got aground
was received in this city early yestsrday morn.
Rs ne Merritt
navy Yard W ass ha t. s@e
"a vessel sd ssstss sssm to
ship Yante was to sail for Brazil at II
o S5s fo sa9 ss
Merritt RYt
DsspatSh's sssstsnse from Sorfok 20 % INC
proeeed direct M asR}nssosn h sssred 70
q William f5 Sesss ssd sSSq tsz
g; Thurman. was her commander The other
SO lar q rst wRo sailed on the
r ASiiisan.. Assistant Psymsster s. l. Heap.
end en Passed Assistant Engineer J, Ogden
Teod WAS forme ss'0 stseh @ds shs
H. frS s rs As Ssssss ta: sSsaSs
tie g e =, te Cape Shsries; " Shesspesks BaSz
mandins ofiicer got too close in shore. ' ''
Cape Charles. in Northampton county. Va. It's
S Il abodt hs .an5
are the treacherous sand shoals. which, are
feared hy mariners nearly az greatly as those
dangerous bars Of sand
line arrived. in this city yesterday morning.
She passed Assateague Island about . o'clock
On Friday evening. several hours before the
that the weather Vas thick then and the sea
alrssdy hesyy Both hsrTIwne
indeed, He thinks the Despatch endeav9red
and cot too close. i IS danEerous ', COAST so at
all times. he said.
yacht since President Arthurs time. She h has
e 7o t2ns pd q
incSes Her speed is isa Knots an n hour ieS The
s o1H snrS smz fih h she sssn s
sna hss Sd s sss smt svnd I
reverses The vessel was sold at auction and
1877. during the Russian turkish war; she
was sent to the ether E side e e used e. de-
tG% sse
wise Tspai55e.d; e Early in The year 1880 shs was
ERA INSPECTION, ja%rts: shs csSrlsS a ens:
sonstrpetor Wilson Tepcted that unless
NOT hs depede
g have tho Dolphin take, her place. It was
iisc9vered. howeyer. that tho law did not al
SION as the Official yacht again. Last summer
Secretary Tracy made o tour Of ipspection Of
sailed for Washington by orders Of Secretary
Tracy. and this led to the erroneous report
vent on the sand shoals. There was no truth
n the report. however.
FIVE TEARS INPARIS FOR THE WINNER