New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-16
THE VESUVIUS GOES ASHORE.
A MUDDANK CAPTURES THE CRUISER.
no DAMAGE DONE AND SIZE is HAULED OFF
AT HIGH TIDE.


AT HIGH TIDE.
A question which has agitated the Navy Department
since the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius was put into
commission has been, What disposition sh ud be
made o, her ~ The commander Of the vessel. Lieu
tenant Seaton schroeder. came near to se'ulhg inc
question yesterday. by running her aground on Sulheh
Meadows OF Fast bnehundred-andt twenty -first-st.
about O'Clock in the morning. The Nesnvlus mas
been enrolled as one o, the vessels OF the North Atlantic
squadron, and when Rear-Admiral Bancroft "herlru
sailed with the Philadelphia on sunday morning last
he left orders that the Vesuvius should follow as soon
as the necessary adjustments to the new valves OF
the dynamite gun tubes could be made
The Phiadclphla went to GARDENERS Bay for target
pr.cce nnd then went - New London. where she was
Joined by the Concord Thursday. The NeSuvluS
was ready TO start Thursday night. but She did not
leave the Navy Yari until daylight yesterday, and
mn hour Inter she was hard ard fast aground In the
Fast River on what Is called Sunken Meadows. ana
when the Harlem people started ont upon their DAYS
labor they saw this "hellsh outcome Of Yankee
ingenuity a captive Of the Harlem fats and vet She
draws only 10 IL feet Of water. shortly before
o'clock Commodore Henry Erhcn commandam Of the
Navy Yard learned of the st7lndng Of the Vesuvius.
and Immediately he sent the Navy tug Narhecta
TO the assistance Of the vessel
A number OF vessels had gathered in the meantime
either ont Of curiosity to offer assistance" Among
them were the tug RAYMOND and the steamer Idle
Ve.uvius or the shoals about 10 30 o'clock but
The little cruiser would not bulge. Finally. within
an hour OF high tide, at II ~ o'clock. the f. y
Atwryd powerful tug managed TO free the grounded
vessel
The commanding officer Of United states Navy
vessel Is supposed TO b. thoroughly Informed IN
navigation and sufficiently frnIlia: with all ports to
sail his ship In and out Of any mrbOr unalded
In fact. pilots are not allowed TO the officers. 20
icuenant Schroeder, the commander Of the Ncsuvus.
rfOOd tn" bridge Of his ship and directed Ter
progress. The rtle cruiser had steamed slowly To
Hell Gate. and having passed through was going under
less than half speed 10 Little Hell Gate. Perhaps
the commanding officer became coniu I'd. losing his
behring's on account Of the dense ana heavy FOG
which rolled Into the clarnel, the ship. which
is considerably cut away In the stern may have
eheered around in the conflicting currents. At any
rate scarcely had the Vcsuvius passed Hell Gate
before the vessel grated upon the sands Of the >unken
Meadows between Randalls Island and WadS
Island Although the engines reversed at once,
the V,Suvius stuck fast.
Immediately the ships carpenter examined every
compartment to see II she making water and re-
ported leak had been sprung, Soundings were
then taken and the officers learned that the vessel was
in six feet OF water forward and in eighteen feet aft
Lieutenant Schroeder sent messenger to WARTS
-land to inform the Navy Ynrd II the accident. As
the ship not rolling and the tide was coming
II.
enough 10 get her on with the assistance ~ tug.
The Vesuvus stranded IN the exact spot where the
unfortunate Seawanhasa stuck and burned losing 80
many OF her passenger In leeO. That the NeSuVln'
found such II soft bed 20 rest upon was Fortunate for
the rocks. scarcely 300 feet further east. would have
dealt roughly with her After the Ves'ivius was
liberated the commanding officer had her thoroughly
examined again. and finding her ulnIurcu hc
headed her toward cw-LNpndOn.
Lieutenant schroeder has been attached 10 u'e
vcsuvius almost from the time her construction was
begun, and has been in command OF her since june -
1850. lie has not only made several trips In inahu
waes, inrlnding Long Island Sound, with the vessel
but has been to Norfolk and Washington with ber ana
on July had her ut Cape May. lie has thus haa
experience enough 10 make him competent to Judge
inst how best 10 handle the vessel to control her
movements: besides she Is vessel easy Of handling
and that she was allowed to run aground was II great
surprise 10 the officers at the Navy Yard. Much SYM
pathy was expressed for Lieutenant schre'i"r 1t beng
admitted that there would b. court Of inquiry and
possibly a court martial Tile other officers OF the
vessel are Lieutenant Gustavus G. lIanus. Lcuenans
u,ry M Dowbaurh Ensign John F. Hubbard Passed
Assistant Engineer william :. Moore ana Ahsstnne
surgeon william c. Brnsed. 5000,
The Y.sviuS designed in the spring OF lSno
and was regarded one II the features IN naval con.
sructon q the Cleveland Admni trn2n; tne grsas
usc the development Of the pneumatic dynamite gun
The Idea Of The dynamite gun vessel was hat u, OF a.
Instead Of through the water. CIHnlp a SONS were
requested b. design such vessel. which shonld be
Gamble 81 s,fming twenty knots al hour and 10 carry
a main battery of three 10 IL inch dynamite guns:
r" cost was 10 be s35o0OO. before the keel was laid
.,n, 1nd thc rcsut was the vosuvts steel vessel
81 the following dimensions: Length. 21l 81 feet
rCSes d,paccmcnt 030 tons, Two unsuccessful
sps,d trials were made. The third trial. in dNper
w. ,nr were considered faily successful bat all the
CONDITIONS expected have not yet been fulfilled.