The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-25

Ano Oereiict Sargent Reported for the
Twenty-seventh Time.
New York Tirnea

Iwenty-seventh Time.
New York Times
Two pecuilarities of ocean-going craft
are regrettabie tendency to sink when
.ney should not, anu TO keep afioat when
tnefe Is no further reason why they should
remain ABOVE the surface The latter
pecuiiarity has been that of tie dereiict
schooner Wyer G. Sargent, whose wan
cerlngs about the North Atlantic for
nearly two years have attracted much at
tention.
The Sargent's crew abandoned her on the
night OF March 81, 1891 They went away
hastily, as 1t was feared that the vessel
would sink at any moment.
On the contrary, she has proved to be
the stanchest of wrecks, and has weliowed
her way through gales that have sent
many well-found vessels to the bottom
Inc Sargent began her career as a dere-
nct In gale encountered off the North
Carolina coast. Her three masts were
snapped OFF short above the deck, leaving
the vessel a helpless wreck. A Norwegian
park happened along aud took off her
crew. Buoyed by her cargo of mahogany,
the wreck drltted IN northeastern direc-
ton, and was frequently reported by in-
coming vessels.
Along In the summer of 1891 the Sargent
was reported in a locality 100 miles from
bermuda. Her $4,000 cargo of mahogany
tempted some enterprising Bermudians to
go In search of her. A large ocean-going
tug was fitted out. But the hunt was UNI
successful, and the tug returned after a
ten days cruise
Then the dereiict began TO describe cir.
Giles, squares, and various other figures out
upon the bosom of the broad Atlantic.
She flrsG circled around the Bermudas.
and then took trip across the Gulf stream.
Recrosslng the ocean river she sarted
across the Atlantic. In her desuitory vow
aging she crossed and recrossed her own
track many times.
The photographic Office in Washington
City has taken much interest in this wan
derer, and has carefully plated it's cratic
course upon the monthly pilot charts is
sued by that Office. For nearly three
months no tidings of the wreck were re-
ceiyed by the photographer, and he con-
cluded that she had been broken up by
storms and sunk.
But the abandoned craft has again
drlfted into the ken of the nautical world
a bulletin. issued by the photographic of
nee on thursday, announced that the
wreck OF the Sargent had been sighted in
Locality 800 miles due east of Bermuda.
where she had been reported by the Off
GERS of the British steamship Asiatic
Prince. The captain Of that vessel saws
up. A rusty anchor is still dangling from
the bow and the name on the stern is
plainly legible.
This makes the twenty-seventh time the
wreck has been reported during the 'time
she has been adrift. She has traversed
5000 miles, and has travelled at an average
speed of eight miles day.
This record breaking derelict was for
merly centerboard schooner of |, $50 tons
gross register. She was built in 1888 at
Sedgwick, Me-. under the supervision of
the American Lloyds.
Other notable derelicts whose wander
ings have been traced by the reports of
shipmasters were the American schooners
w. l.. White and the Twenty-one Friends.
The former was abandoned of the Della
ware breakwater during the blizzard of
1855. Ten months later the wreck was
driven ashore on Hoskier island. one of
the Hebrides group. The Twenty-one
Friends was reported twenty-one times in
one year, and finally disappeared.