Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-02-09
Uncle Sans Famous Old Warrior
Goes to the Bottom.
HER CREW OF 200 MEN ALLSAVED.
Passed Safely Through the
War With a Brilliant Record
and Having Ridden the Waves
for Nearly Third of Century
the Old Steamer Finally Strikes
a Snag and Goes Down Where
She Sent the Alabama.

WASHINGTON, D. c., February s.-The
United States steamer Kearsarge was
wrecked on Roncadore reef February 2.
The officers and crew were saved. The
news reached the Navy Department to-
day in despatch which came from
Colon. 1t was sent by Lieut.. Brainard,
OF the Kearsarge, who reached Colon
February 8.
The Kearsarge, by the last report
sailed from Hayti for Blue Fields, Mic
argua, to which it was ordered on ac-
count of the trouble between Nicaragua
and Honduras. 1t is supposed that the
vessel is total wreck, but fortunately
there appears to have been no loss OF
life. The vessel was one OF the Oldest
in the navy and had splendid history
Roncador reef is little over two
hundred miles from
THE MoQUITO COAST
of Central America. Between the coast
and the reef lies Old Providence island.
only seventy-five or eighty miles to the
leeward of the reef. 1t is believed at
the Navy Department that the officers
and crew would be able to reach Old
Providence without difficulty In case
they were in danger OF their lives on
the reef, and il is believed that they
would be safe on the reef, except In the
event OF rough weather. 1t is the lm-
preston also at the department that the
Kearsarge has not gone to pieces and
nav not do so for some time unless
rough weather comes up, although the
tides and currents about the reef are,
however, swift and dangerous.
Immediately upon the receipt Of the
news OF the wreck, the Navy Depart
ment sent a cable dispatch to Lieut..
Brainard, at Colon, ordering him to
).... CHARTER A STEAMER
and proceed at once to the relief OF the
shipwrecked crew. 1t is coDjectured
that the Kearsarge went aground on
the reef at night and foundered. Lieut..
Brainard seems to have got aboard
a small boat and succeed
ed in getting to Colon In six
days. The relief can reach the ship
wrecked men In less time than that
The greatest day in the history Of
the Kearsarge was June 10, 1864, when
she fought and conquered the rebel ship
Alabama. The Kearsarge was built at
the Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hamp-
shire, in 1861, and her machinery was
constructed by Woodruff & Breach, OF
Hartford, Conn.
The chief OF the Bureau of Naviga-
tion had a reply from Lieutenant Brain
ard at Colon, about noon, saying that
the City OF Para was available to go
sfter the crew. He was instructed TO
either charter steamer or secure one
of the regular mail steamers to New
York, or If one of the latter was TO
start Immediately on her regular trip,
to secure her to touch at Rsncador and
take up the crew. He was in fact
given discretion to do what is neces-
sary to insure greatest speed in
GETTING RELIEF TO THE MEN
of the Kearsarge. The crew was COM
posed of two hundred sailors and ma
rines. She left the Brooklyn navy
yard on December 21st. The number
of officers was twenty-one.
The navigation of a naval vessel rests
entirely with her commander and his
assistants, and the admiral never inter-
feres in the matter He directs the
general movements'of the flagship from
place to place, but leaves the details OF
routes and management Of the ship en-
tirely TO the commanding officer
Therefore, 1t would appear as though
Commander Heyerman will be held re-
sponsible for the loss Of the vessel. and
on him will devolve the task Of showing
that the accident was unavoidable. DE
will look to the officers Of the deck at
the slime OF the wreck for complete
explanation OF the circumstances. Ex-
actly who was at fault will not be known
here until the fuller details have been
received.
The City of Para, 1t is expected, will
get away promptly to the relief OF the
Kearsarge's crew. II seems TO be ex-
pected that after she takes them up she
will proceed at once to New York and
will not put into the nearest port and
send word OF the condition Of the
wrecked crew. This would defer the
reception of any further news on the
subject until the arrival OF the City OF
Para At New York,