The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-31
SAFE IN HAMPTON ROADS.
THE FEARsARGE AND NANTUCKET
HEATHERED THE CYCLONE

The Cable Broke In the Terrible Sea and
They Parted Company, but tho Old Mont
tor Was Making Fort Alone, and Had
Nearly Reached the Roads When the
kenrsarge Overlook Her-Both ships
Now Mt the Norfolk Yard Repairing.
FORTRESS MONROE. Aug. 3o-The Kenrsarge
which left New York on Friday last with the
monitor Nantucket In tow for Wilmington. n.
c.. ran into the hurricane Off IIatteras on Mon
day. Her hawser parted and both vessels had
n very bad shaking up. AT one time 1t was
feared the Nantucket would go down.
The kearsarge stood by her. and both
turned about and made for Hampton Roads.
where they arrived this afternoon. They went
to tho Norfolk yard. where they will have to
repair damages before proceeding.
NORFOLK. Va. Aug. 3O.-Some idea OF the
severity OF the storm which has ragged along
tho Atlantic coast and at sea the past few days
can be had from tho story told by the officers
| of the Kearsnrge and Monitor. both OF which
vessels arrived in this port tonight.
Never in my sea experience" said an on
Ger of the Nantucket. have I ever expert
enced anything of the kind. 1 expected every
minute that we would go to the bottom"
And We had given up tho Nantucket as
! lost" spoke UP an officer OF the kearsarge
| The two vessels left New York last Friday
the Nantucket in tow OF the Kearsarge. In the
! words of an officer OF the Nantucket this Is
! what happened:
AT the time we left Staten Island there was
! a light southern breeze blowing, with every
prospect of good weather. At about
o'clock on Sunday morning fog
settled around us. which lasted twelve
hours. during which time we could
not see the Kearsarge. which was towing US
with two lines 200 yards long. During this
time the seas washed over tho decks OF the
Nantucket. and 1t was difficult to keep the YES
sci clear Of water.
After tho fog cleared away on Sunday after
noon the wind increased In force and the
swell became heavier from the south. The
Nantucket was making water all the time. all
the pumps not being able to gain on it.
The water rapidly filled the ship. owing to
the various openings to the compartments be-
ing choked up. which prevented the water
from running aft to the b!lge pumps.
AT about 10 o'clock on Monday We sue
ceeded in clearing some Of the openings and
thu pumps began to get ahead Of the water.
All hands. officers and crew. on board
tho Nantucket were exhausted from
lack OF sleep and exertion. but we got to work
to clear the ship OF water and secure the two
15-inch guns in the turrets which had gotten
adrift. All went WE'LL however. until o'clock
on Monday morning. when one Of the tow lines
parted followed an hour and a half later by
the parting of the other line which left us ut
the mercy OF the waves and wind. and forced
US to look out for ourselves.
when the lines parted the Kearsaree sig
nailed us that they would stand by US. BY
night the wind was blowing O perfect gale
from the south. and the Nantucket kept her
head to the sea by turning her engines over
BY this time the seas were breaking over
the turrets Of our vessel. Signals were eX-
changed between tho two vessels I'M
til midnight. tho kearsarge having pre-
vious to darkness signalled that. in
case we lost each other during the night to
remain Off Hatteras il the weather was good:
If not. to get into Hampton Roads il possible.
Tuesday morning the KearsarGe was not
to be seen. and the weather was still bad. We
shaped our course for Cape Henry. where we
arrived at 10 o'clock this morning.
During the whole time not man in the
crew got over six hours sleep. The storm
was tho worst We ever encountered. and every
man on board expected to go to the bottom"
An officer on the kearsarge who was pres
ent during the interview said: From the
time we los. the Nantucket until tonight we
were all under the impression that she was lost
I'VE had no idea that she had wthstood tho
gale until tonight, when we found her In port
1t was the most severe storm l have ever
known"
WASHINGTON. Aug. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for
the safety OF the kearsarge and the old mont
tor Nantucket was removed this afternoon
at about o'clock. Just before Secre-
tery Herbert left tho Navy Department
for his home. by the receipt OF q telegram from
Commander Crownlnshield. commanding the
kearsarge. saying that both vessels had ar
rived ut Fortress Monroe. Va. The despatch
read:
Secretary yhe Nary Washing or. D. G.:
Kearsarge and Nantucket arrived hers Heavy gallo
Monday near Hatteras parted tow lines Vessels sepa
rated during night Rendezvous appointed at Hamp |
ton Roads. Kearsarge overlook Nantucket near Cape
Henry this afternoon Both ships proceed to Nor
folk yard. CEowSISsHirLp.
The steamship Nacoochee OF the Savannah
line passed the Kearsargo at 5 o'clock on
Tuesday afternoon about forty miles north Of
Hatteras She appeared to be heading for the |
eastward. although # is likely she, was going |
southeast; and she DID not have the mentor
out the gale without suffering damage. She |
had her maintopgalant and foretopgullant
me oiiicers of the Nacoochee not knowing
that the warship had the old ironelad in tow.
were not much interested In her. II fact they
aooae ego got dock @ the he foot Of SPRING
are the code letters OF the Kehrsarge.
Naval experts are more than surprised at
the behavior OF the Nantucket in the tremen-
dous seas piled up by tho great cyclone. 1t
has been tho general impression that the old
time monitors We're unseaworthy. This i'm
preston probably originated after the loss OF
BY John Ericsson. off Hatteras after the war.
Everybody who was atioat in the neighbour
hood Of the Battery when Ercssons body was
started on its voyage to Sweden on the cruiser
may recall the low-lyng Nantucket
with freeboard SO small that IL appeared to
be only a stop from the surface OF tho water to
her deck
Folks who gazed upon hcr said that she could
not weather even an ordinary gale in tho bay.
They will have to revise their opinion. and the
"a ports also probably will con clude that they do
not know rs much about the sluggish and
rukish monitors as they thought they did be-
ore the Nantucket weatherod the remarkable
cyclone Of Monday.
Admiral Porter did not share the general
belief in tho unseaworthiness of the monitors,
Is he. had seen them ride ont gales In which
more buOyant war vessels were wrecked
Tho Nantucket was oyerhauled at tho Brook
yn Navy Yard at the time Of the recent clash
between Chill and this country. Secretary
Tracy was Of the opinion that she could still
light, Her engines are slow. but they were
ound TO be serYceable.
The Nantucku t wo hainp toyad n, WiIminu