The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-09
SOME FAMOUS DERELICTS.
a CLASS OF INSTRUCTIONS OF GREAT
DANCER TO MARINERS.

the Navy Department.. contains record. in
teresting particularly TO naval men. OF the
course taken by the bow and storm OF the bark
Fred B. Taylor. since they parted company and
started out. without crew or master. to navi-
gate tho ocean on their own account Last
week the tug Fern went out to blow up the
bow and remove 1t from the path OF navigation
in New York harbor. The stern. which il some-
where in the ncighborhood OF Portland. Me-.
will drift ashore or be removed in the same
way. but SO long as it is allowed to float about
It is q constant menace to commerce.
The Fred b. Taylor was cut In two by the
ship Trave of the North German Lloyd line on
June % last. southeast Of Nantucket ON that
day tho Stuart Prince reported sighting tho
bow and stern together. After that day tho
photographic Office received up to July %
twelve reports from tho bow and thirteen from
the stern OF the Taylor Floating about in the
open sea. without q light to mark their posi-
ton, these two pieces OF the wreck are targets
at night for any vessel that may cross their
paths and dangerous targets. too. 1t is no.
body's business in special to remove them. I'M
less the Treasury Department or tho Navy De-
partment shall undertake to do 30 on its own
responsibility Efforts have been made for years
without success to induce Congress to max o
an approprintionfo for the destruction Of dere-
licts, and attempts have been made to organize
an international movement to chart the ocean
and divide with other nations the responsible
ity Of destroying derelict vessels. Early last
year the Navy Department sent out the Yantio
to destroy some twelve wrecks that lay along
the Atlantic coast She found all Of them and
blew them into kindling wood. In addition to
these twelve there wore six derelicts reported
to her while she was out. and Of these she
val Nl,n, L.
probably sunk All ofthese derelicts were on the
coast OF the United States. whena vessel be-
comes derelict in midocean it is everybody's
business to destroy 1t. and therefore. nobody's
business So the midocean dereicts go drift
ING about, blown this way and that by the
breeze, carried hither and yon by tho currents.
until they sink or drift ashore. Or arc towed
into port for salvage. Not inirequently the
dcrelict is rescued finally. and becomes a
source Of profit to its savior.
The most remarkable instance OF derelict
that was saved from ruin was tho Ada Iredale. q
ship that. on the voyage from Androssan. Scot
land, to San Francisco took fro in the South
Pacific through spontaneous combustion OF
the coal with which she was laden. The Ada
Iredale was abandoned on Oct. 10. 1876. about
300 miles east from the MarGuesns Islands.
The crew OF twentythree men reached the
Marquesas group in twenty-five days. with tho
loss Of one man and one OF tho three boats.
Tho wreck of the vessel. still burning. drifted
slowly to the westward in the south equatorial
current to Tahiti. Society Islands. 2.423 miles
distant, and was towed into port by the French
cruiser Seisucay on June s.. 1877. She con-
tinued to burn until May. 1879. when she was
repaired. and Us n handsome bark. named
Annie Johnston. has done good service in the
trade with China:
ever reported to the Hydrographic Office.
Most Of the derelct vessels are lumber laden.
Othe: ships. when abandoned. usually founder
very quickly A vessel laden with lumber will
keep afloat until it breaks UP or Ia blown III.
The usual course in blowing UP vessel is to
hoop. with torrrdoes attached. over the mast
and fire the torpedoes from safe distance ny
electricity: Tnat Is the way in which the
The position of derelicts is reported to the
Hydrographic ONCE by tho mas ers OF vessels
u pilot chart showing tl,o position OF these and
other distractions is issued from the Office.
1t is prepared by Lieut. Everett Hayden: ma
photographer. Lieut. Commander Clover. On
this chart is traced out the course Of the dcrc-
iiets reported. and the last position Of each is
indicated. so that marine rs approaching tn"
spot will he forcwarned and. therefore. foo-
armed. against col isi9n with, it; One Of the
graphic Office has recorded is aflont now mid
way between the coast Of spain and the south
ern coast Of tho United States. making irreg-
toral trade. She is tho three. mnstel
ssefho9nssT Mgr !, Sargent. al andonHd on
valuable load of mahogany lumber. She was
sighted first n ne days after her abandonment.
eighty-fve miles east northnnst of the SPOT
She was seen nGa n twenty miles south south.
east. and I'd twenty-two days later she, h.!
travelling is indicated on the pilot chart by
straight lines between the poi ts: for the Hv-
Geographic Office cannot know how many gyr,-
tions the dcreict has made between tho points
After reaching spot west Of the Azores. tho
Sargent begaH to move move in IN irregular circle
smaller circle. In the, mean time the schooner
Fannie L. Wolston. which was abandoned or
due east to Join the Sargent. At last accounts
they were floating about very nearly together
There are several Other dGreltcts aiioat. but
them are In the direct line Of travel. and there
fore they have, attracted little attention and
fhe voyage Of tho de,elict American schooner
". L. White is recorded in the Hydrogruphic
Once as on" Of tho remarkable eases in tho
close on Jan. u 1880 when she stranded on
one OF tho islands Of tho Hebridos; The White
vas a on" OF the mhny vessels or aban-
1SSS, when so many persons lost their lives on
or s5hqrs DnrHs tine bTIzard it was
sunk. or damaged along the const OF the unitei
states north Of liattr:us. on tho coast west
OF the fortieth meridian some twenty vessels
were sunk or abandoned. among them the
White. She WAS Il thrcc-musted schooner
Of Rockland. Me-. lumber, laden. She was
abandoned OF Delaware Bay on March IL.
1883 She started off southwark under tho
influence OF tho inshore current and the
northwest gale. with masts and portions OF
her sails standing and ensign SGT with union
down. Rcn"hinE the Gulf Stream she turned
to tho eastward. ana commenced her long
cruise toward Europe directly In tho trnck OF
thousands Of, vessels engaged In TRANSATLANTIC
c9mnrrce. drifting about At the mercy Of
wind and current. she travelled north north
east mt he rate of bout ~ miles n day unit she
reached latitude Az north. longitude 80 west.
when she hogan n remarkable ZigZag per-
inrmanre. which lasted from tho beginning Of
May TO tho end OF OctoDcr 1t landed
her in latitude 81 north. longitude Al, west.
whence she moved east and northeast l.2,iO
miles in eighty-tour DAYS. or at tho rate Of
about ilftecn miles n day. During her sum
NOR ZigHaG she was directly In the highway Of
Lhegrcatcst ocean commerce. and. toSsen a. out
ny tho winds and driltcd this way and that by
the Gu.f Stream and tho Lal rador current.
sho was constant m"nacs to navigation.
During those six months she was reported by
fh!rty-siX vessels. thrro of which sighted her
IN one day, In hor cruise OF ten months and
EN- days she travelled more than 5000 miles
and was reported fo,ty-lve times, How many
more vessels passed dangerously near to hnr
If night and N fhip. her IL Is m