Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-02-15
WRECKED ON A REEF.

Au-Prince to Bluefields, NicaraGua-All
on Board Saved-The Famous Battle
with the Alabama In June, 1864.
WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-The story OF
the laundering of the Kearsarge was
told to Secretary Herbert in brief
cable message which he received this
morning from Lieut.. Frederick Brain
ard, an officer of the vessel, dated at
Colon. Lieut. Brainard reached Colon
this morning, and Immediately sent
the message to the secretary in sub
stance as follows:
Kearsarge sailed from Port au Prince Jan.
nary 80, for Bluefelds. Nicaragua The YES
sci was wrecked on Roncador reef, February2
Oh1cers and crew are safe.
Immediately on receipt of the cable
gram Secretary Herbert sent a message
to Lieut.. Brainard directing him to
charter vessel at Colon and proceed
at once to the assistance of the ship
wrecked men. 1t is presumed that they
are yet on the reef.
HOPE FOR OFFICERS AND CREW.
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 it is be-
lieved that they would be safe on the
reef except in event of rough weather.
1t is the impression also at the de-
partment that the Kearsarge has not
gone to pie ces and may not do SO for
some time unless rough weather comes
up, although the tides and currents
about the reef are swift and dangerous.
The Ron :ador reef is well-known to
mariners in those waters as danger
GUS impeachment to navigation. Efforts
have been recently made to secure the
erection of lighthouse on this point.
Some time ago when Warner Miller
and officers of the Nicaragua Canal Co.
were on their way to Nicaragua they
were wrecked on this same point.
ADMIRAL sTANTON's FLAGSHIP.
Admiral Stanton was on the Kear-
sarge. When the New York and the
Detroit were dispatched to Rio it
was made the flagship of the
North Atlantic squadron, and Admiral
Stanton, after the secretary of the
navy had acted on his report of the
salute of Mello in Rio bay, was ordered
to proceed to Port-au-Prince and trans
fer his flag to the Kearsarge and as
sumo command of the squadron.
1t is conjectured that the Kearsarge
went aground on the reef at night and
foundered. Lieut.. Brainard seems to
have got aboard small boat and sue
ceeded in getting to Colon in six days.
The relief party can reach the ship
where she lies wrecked in less time
than that.
OFFICERS OF TEE LOST SHIP.
The officers aboard the Kearsarge
were Rear-Admiral Oscar f. Stanton,
Commander o. T. Heyerman. Lieuten-
ants .Chas. A. Forse, Charles II. Lyman,
Burls r. Walling; Lieutenants (junior
grade) John Hood and Frederick r.
Brainard; ensigns, Herbert G. Gates
and Thomas P. Magruder; naval cadets
Zine division), Leon S. Thompson,
Thomas L. Stitt, Thomas I. Borden. B.
j. Mccormick, Walter Ball and David
A. Mallon; passed assistant sur
geon, George B. Lumsden; assistant
surgeon, Merritt W. Barnum; paymas-
ter, James A. King; chief engineer,
L. C. Gowing; first lieutenant of ma
rines. Clarence l.. A. Migrate. The crew
was composed of 200 sailors and ma
rines. She left the Brooklyn navy yard
on December 81.
HER BATTLE WITH THE ALABAMA.
The Kearsarge was launched among
the first of the vessels comprising the
new navy in 1861. Her length was
1861 10 feet, length in beam 30. 10, ana
mean draught 1879. She was one OF
the swiftest and most efficient wooden
vessels that took part in the war of the
rebellion.
The victory that made her famous
United States from the depreda ton OF
the terrible Alabama was fought Sum
day, June 10, 1864. After capturing the
Tycoon the Alabama steamed into the
harbor of Cherbourg on June IL. The
Kearsarge, Capt. John A. Winslow, fol.
lowed from Southampton three days
later.
Seeing that the usefulness of the Ala.
bama was gone, rather than be silent
witness to she end of the struggle,
Capt. Raphael Semmes sailed out into
the channel early in the morning. The
battle was witnessed by thousands of
people on the French shore; also by
the English yacht Deerhound and the
French Cauronne.
From the start the kearsarge had
the advantage. She was swifter, bet
ter armed and better manned, throw.
ing 430 pounds OF shot. to $50 thrown
by the Alabama. Besides the ammuni-
ton of the Alabama was old and much
Geteriorated and the shells failed often
to burst. Her decisive Superioritv
however, was. the protection of her
sides with chains hung down to the
waters edge.
The story of the battle has often
been told. Semmes opened fire when
about 1 mile from his antagonist.
The two vessels fought in cir
cult at about one-half or three-fourth
Iuile distance. After an hour and ten
minutes the Alabama began to sink
and a few mome4ts. later every bod;.
leaped overheard. The loss to confed-
crate cruiser in killed and wounded
was thirty, and ten men drowned.
The Kea rsarGe was not seriously
damaged and hex Loss was trifing in
comparison to her adversary.
Since the close. OF the war the Kear--
sarge has been in active service. In,
1869 she was with the North Atlanta.
fleet. After lying at Mare island for
repairs for two years, she served at the.
Asiatic station till 1877. After further
repairs,at Portsmouth. N. H., she was.
sent ton the Atlantic station
The Steamer City of Para to the Resous..
WAsHLNeToN, Feb. 9.-Secretary Her
nov I, L