Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-02-16
j. s. S. KEARSARGE.
The Old WarShip Strikes a Reef
Of Central America,
OFFICERS And CREW SAVED
A Relief steamer Sent to the Res
cue from CoIon-A Vessel with
a Remarkable History

The old United States steamer kearsarge
Is wreck ON Koncador Retf,~e Cen'ra'
America. where she struck February q
Tieutenant Brainard managed IN some way
,o reaoh Colon. and cable message from
him announced to the Navy Department INC
foct that the Kearsarge was wrecked ana
that officers and crew were all saved ne
Kearsarce sailed from Port au Prince, hayt'
on January 30, for Bueaelds Nicaragua, "
nrotect American interests there in view OF
the invasion of the military forces OF Hon
durss She was wrecked three days out IL
is coniectured that she went aground Oh 'he
reef at night and foundered. Lieutenant
Rrainard seems TO have got aboard sm1h
boat and succeeded in getting to Coiop Id
six days. The relief can reach tue sup
wrecked men in less time than that.
Roncador Reef Is only a little over TWO
hundred miles from the Mosquito coast OF
Central America. Between the coast ana Tue
reef lies old Providence Island, only seventy
five or eighty miles to leeward OF the reel
II is believed at the Navy Department that
tbe officers and crew would be able TO reaeh
Old Providence without difficulty in case
thew we're in danger Of their lives on the reel
| # +. believed that they would be safe oD the
reef except in the event OF rough wea'ner'
AREscUE STEAMER CHARTERED.
Immediately upon the receipt OF the news
Of the wreck the Navy Department sent Il
cable dispatch to Lieutenant Brainaro' at
Colon. ordering him to charter a steamer
and proceed at once to the relief oi the snip
vrecked crew. The chief of the Iureau OIL
navigation had a reply from Lieutenant
Brainard, at Colon, about noon, saying 'na'
tha C,itv of Para was available to go after the
crax He was instructed to either charter e
Gamer or secure one Of the regular steam
orc 10 New York, or II one Of the latter was
n start Immediately on her regular trip 10
secure her to touch at Roncador and take up
the crew. He was, in fact, given discretion
70 do what is necessary to insure greates'
sneed in getting relief to the men OIL Inc
Kearsarge.
Tne Roncardo Reef Is we'll known to mari
nsrs in those waters as dangerous I'M
nediment to navigation. Efforts have Deen
recently made to secure the erection Oh
lighthouse on this point.
: Admiral Staunton was on the hears'sV
Wh.n the New York and Detroit were uis
Matched 10 Rio it was made the flagship o
the North Atlantic squadron, and Admlra
Staunton. alter the Secretary oil the NaVyha'
acted ON his report OF the salute OF Hello Il
Rio bay. was ordered 10 proceed to Port a
3 PRINCE and transfer his flag to the KearsaS
, md assume commlnd OF the station.
DyscRIPTIoN OF THE KEARsARGE
, The Kearsarge for the services which sn
had rendered, was exempted by speclal ac
@ Of Congress from the operation OF the la
n witch condemns the old wooden vessel
IS when repairs to them cannot be made wi'll
J. the limit OF 10 per cent. Of their original cos
10 She was bark-rigged and wooden shiI
% built at Portsmouth, N. H., and was l9o
D. feet long, 43 feet beam, 1873 feet urau9n
IT displacement, 1859 tons, indicated nors
I, mower s49: speed, Ill knots per hour. III
ID batteries were NJ in, four 9-ineh smo0
o bores. two inch muzzle-loading rifle. ol
10 sixtypounder breech-loading rlhe; seco
= Diary battery. one 3-inch breech-loadil
y howitzer. one gatling. Her coal capacl
ie was 1865 ton (anthracite) Her compleme
K u,s twenty officers and 100 men.