Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-03-20
GOVERNMENT VESSELS WRECKED
War Ship Gslena Ashore at Gay
Head.
Tug Nina also Beached and Breaking
mp.

of SATURDAY. OF Gay Head.
She had $4,000 worth OF ammunition for
the war,hip Lancaster, which is now being
fitted on. at Portsmouth for Chinese waters,
aud besides, all her guns were slowed be-
low
Her setting on the uneven bottom with
this great weight. battered and litted by The
uneven sea. broke her backbone, and the
scamen of Gay Head say that the damage
cannot be repaired.
The United States steamship Galena, UNI
der the command of Lieut.. George \; blrk'
nell left the Brooklyn navy yard on lhurs
day morning little after o'clock.
She was In tow Of the government tug
Nina and was bound for Portsmouth 10 he
relitted for commission. Master OF Tugs
Thomas VI. Smith of Brooklyn was in
charge Of the tug with crew OF ~ men on
the ship.
Soon after the trip began thick weather
set IN. and Il continued thick all the way.
FRIDAY afternoon Capt Bckuell took his
bearings at Block island, and set his course
east by south.
Il was very foggy, making the tug, that
Missed and puit,d, OH indistinct object IN
front. The captain, feeling confident of his
sea room and the trueness Of his course.
kept on the way.
About 10. 10 be decided to make Vineyard
Sound, and gave Ensign Field the course
northeast, thrce-Quarters north, which he
thought would bring him by Gay Head anu
well into Vineyard Sound.
Capt. smith Of the tug received the same
orders, aud had hardly changed on the new
course when he felt a jar, then grating, as
he pluughcd into the beach.
The warship did not have time :" Nccr
around for the strong tide carried her
broadsde to, onto the beach.
Neither of the captains knew where they
were. All about them was impcncirabic
daIkuCss the fresh breeze which was piping
from the sou'h-southwe>t drove great seas
against the hlIks and dashed the spray c'e'n
over both vessels. The tug ew Its horn
aud the ship sent up rockets.
Then n il To pity OF the vessels misfOr'
tune, most singular incident the fog which
had yelled the danger which hal come sud
denly. began to lit and In 10 minutes both
captains were able to see that they Were
aground on the west side Of Gay Head, about
mile from the light, which now shOnC out
a. brightly and clearly as II II had always
been possible to see il.
The Indians ON Gay Head are great
wreckers. II j. a part OF their winter life
and among the expected happenings Of the
tempestuous month.
The first alarms from the sea, which had
come at 1920 y. M, called many of them
from their beds, 50 that when the fog lifted
they were gathered in numbers on the
beach.
The tug being nearest to the shore, a lin,
vs. soon made fast. 4 boatswau's chair
was attached and ono by one the tugs crew
was brought to shore.
Bernard Doherty was the first to come
lie tried to make the distance hand over
hand. and, when about midway, he slipped
into the sea.
lie would have been lost had not the
hardy natives formed chain by joining
hands and rushing into the hrCakCrN ti-hcd
him out All the other members of the tug:
crew came ashore in n boatswsin's chair, tic
last to make the trip being Capt. Smith him.
self.
When nearing the shore the chair parted
from the rope, and the captain would have
been drowned had not the natives dragged
him ct; u the breakers.
Ii was then about 1920, and all had gon,
well with the tug. As for the men on The
ship they were not having equal success
About an hour after striking they managed
! to cast line ashore, but before ii could b.
used it parted The natives finally Shot
! line TO the ship. and in this way a rope fol
! the chair was rugged.
! Then the transferring Of the officers AM
men began Tho first half dozen received
a ducking in the surf, but the rest go
thr ugh without even wctting their feet.
| Capt Bicknell was the last man to leave
the ship, aad II was ! O'Clock SATURDAY
morning when he set his feet on III,
| beach.
II had been all ail-night job. The native,
had worked with zeal and courage, aud but
for them many coffin would have beer
necessary in Gay Head now.
Before die ship WAS connected with ht
shore one OF her boat. crew had landed an,
they were the first men from the imprrilrL
vessels.
Their conn. had all been hy chance fol
in the confusion that rciynrd on the ship 70,
| a short time sitter she grouudr the crew
mtstook orders and came ashore when il
was Intended to man the boats and lo1d them
with men AMI ohcer1
This crew GreatiN assisted the natives If
the work Of rescuins their fellows. They
also assisted the Indian women To buiI,
great bonfres, and around which the re,
| cued men gathered and secured protection
| from the wind.
When the work Of rc~cuing ceased tn,
Men were distributed among the Indial
/ families and sheltered for the niyht.
All day saturday heavy seas beat agains
the hunks and drove them further and fur
ther in shore, dashing ut times clean vNc
them and loading the rigging with ice.
II was expected at any moment that the,
would go TO pieces, and the sen made II i'm
kH0ssibIc for any one 10 board either of III
MlaftS, and it was Sunday vi hen the SCI
moderated sufficiently IT, permit Of commu
nication with them.
Meanwhile. under the high bluffs of Guilty.
hunk across the sound the glass REVEALED
another steamer ashore, and an investigation
| brought To light most singular coincideuc
in rh1ntpF pf IisuNtnr e.,
Topltsett. with the seas krcakng ever he
and the tide ebbing and lowing through
three ugly rents IN her iron hull. law til
| little steamer TrianH, which i attached T.
the | nitod STATES torpedo station N New
port. X. l.
When the appeal for assistance was sent f
Newport, rs the cutter Dexter was not /,
port. it was decided tn despatch the Triana
and she WAS ordered to proceed to Ga
Head. In the height OF the northwestern
gale she struck on Schooner ledge. or Can
nopit>ett, within few hundred yard, of th
life saving station.
As the Hunt steamed over to her it proye
that She had not been abandoned. althoup
the boats alongside indicated that prcpara
tons had been made for al iustantancuu
departure.
The Nina was in command of coast pilo
who was supposed to know the course bu
pn hicI WAS nolnlhHHN the COmmnuutI
officer, and the court may find IL one
ordered, that the blame rests on him. Will
Of course It may prove that the accident wa
unavoidable because Of The dense fog an,
that no one Is to blame.
The Galcna is not very formidable fight
ing craft rs mcn-O'-war 90 NOWADAYS. Sh
Is a wooden cruiser, bark rigced, of lNO
tons displacement. carrying eight guns, ST
OF which are smooth bOrcs.
She was built between 1871 and 1878. at tn
Norfolk Navy Yard, by the government, An
since then has cost the government thousand
of dollars for repairs.
The Galena has been out of commission
Tor some time, and IL little better than
hulk, as she Is without boilers. She was be-
ing towcd because she had no motive MOVE
Of her own.
naval officer said that from tho date O
her birth up to the present time the vesst