The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-09
Rear Admiral Stanton, the Other Off,
GERS and the Crew of 200 Sailors
and Marines Saved.
PARTICULARS VERY MEAGER
Relief Steamer at Once Ordered
to the Scene of the Wreck.
The Memorable Fight Between the
Kearsarge and the Alabama-The
Long-LOst Brother Jonathan.

WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-Uncle Sans
historic war ship Kearsarge has met de-
feat at last. What the rebel cruiser Ala
bama could not do in 1864, when the Kear-
sarge was fresh from the builders hands.
has been done by an unseen enemy in the
L, ribbean sea- On Feb. 2 the kearsarge
met her fate on Roncador reef, one of the
most dangerous places in the sea, and
either went to the bottom, was wrecked
or stranded-which is not yet known.
Lieutenant Brainard managed in some
way to reach Colon to-day, and a cable
message from him this morning announced
to the Navy Department the fact that
the Kearsarge was wrecked, and that the
officers and crew were all saved. The
Kearsarge sailed from Port-au-Prince,
Hayi, on Jan. 80. for Bluefelds. Mica
ragua, to protect American interests there,
in view Of the invasion of the military
forces of Honduras. She was wrecked
three days out. Roncador reef is little
over two hundred miles from the Mos
quito coast Of Central America Between
the coast and the reef lies Old Provi-
dence island, only seventy-five Or eighty
miles to leeward of the reef. 1t is believed
at the Navy Department that the officers
and crew would be able TO reach Old
Providence island without difficulty in case
they were In danger of their lives on the
reef, and it is believed that they will be
safe on the reef except in event OF rough
weather. 1t is the impression also at the
department that the Kearsarge has not
gone to pieces and may not do so for some
time, unless rough weather comes up. al
though, the tides and currents about the
reef are swift and dangerous.
the wreck the Navy Department sent a
cable dispatch to Lieutenant Brainard, at
Colon, ordering him to charter a steamer
and proceed at once to the relief Of the
shipwrecked crew. The chief of the Bu-
reau of Navigation had a reply from
Lieutenant Brainard about noon, saying
that the City Of Para was available to go
after the crew. He was again instructed TO
either charter a steamer or secure one OF
the regular mail steamers to New York
or, IL one OF the latter was to start i'm
mediately on her regular trip, TO induce
her to touch at Roncador and take up the
crew. He was, in fact, given discretion to
do what is necessary to insure greatest
speed in getting relief to- the men of the
Kearsarge. 1t is thought by some that the
vessel went aground on the reef at night
and foundered Lieutenant Brainard seems
TO have got aboard small boat and sue
ceeded in getting to Colon in six days
The relief can reach the shipwrecked men
i'll less time than that. Navy officials say
tonight that the ships company are in no
danger. They will be able to get along ALI
right until the arrival of relief.
rear Admiral Stanton was on the Kear-
sarge. When the New York and Detroit
We're dispatched to Rio the wrecked ship
was made the flagship of the North At
lantic squadron, and Stanton was ordered
his flag to the Kearsarge and assume com
mand of the station. The wreck adds an
0ther to the misfortunes which have of late
befallen the Rear Admiral. He was sum
marily relieved from command of the South
Atlantic station for saluting Mello the in
surgent admiral. and ordered to Washing
ton. His explanation of his actions caused
Secretary Herbert to detach him from COM
mand of the South Atlantic by placing
sHi siin ~ f Goiliil@alu @ ol lne nome station He
joined the Kearsarge at Port-au-Prince
the latter part of the month.
AS soon as the ships company had been
transported TO a place Of safety and the
fate OF the Kearsarge is definitely known
court OF inquiry will be appointed to in
NeSugate the circumstances and fix the
responsibility. The navigation of a naval
vessel rests entirely with her commander
and his assistants, and the admiral never
interfereS 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 entirely
would appear as though Commander Hey-
erman will be held responsible for the loss
OF the vessel and on him will devolve the
task OF showing that the accident was un-
avoidable. He Will look to the officers OF
the deck at the time OF the wreck for a
complete explanation of the circumstances.
Exactly who was at fault will not be
known here until fuller details nave been
received.
The officers aboard the Kearsarge were
Rear Admiral Oscar +. stanton; Command
ing Officer L. Heyerman; Lieutenants
Charles A. Forse, Charles II. Lyman, Burls
T., Walling; Iieutenants Gqnior gradel.
EnSignS Herbert G. Gates and Thomas r.
Magruder; Naval Cadets nine divisionD,
Leon s. Thompson, Thomas l.. Stitt, Thom-
as :. Bordel, BENJAMIN b; Mccormick,
Walter Ball and David A. Mallon: Passed
Assistant Surgeon George y. LumSden; AS
sistant Surgeon Merritt W. Barnum, Pay
master James a. Ring, Chief Engineer
Burdette G. Gowing, First Lieutenant of
Marines Clarence L.. Aingate. The crew
was composed of two hundred sailors and
The Roncador reef is we'll known to
mariners in those waters as a dangerous
impediment to navigation Efforts have
been recently made To secure the erection
of q light house on this point Some time
ago when Warner Miller and officers of
the Nicaragua Canal Company We're on
their way To Nicaragua they were wrecked
Commander Heyerman, like Admiral
Stanton, has been in the public prints late
~.
houses in the Detroit district. His plan Of
lighting the St Mary's river differed from
that of the lighthouse board. and his cor
respondence with the lighthouse board was
considered as approaching insubordination.
He was suspended from duty, and failed
to secure a restoration. Commander Hey
erman was subsequently, assigned to in
spection duty at New York, and served
there until about three months ago, when
he was placed in command of the Kear-
sarge She made short cruises between
home ports to blow up derelcts and assist
at the trial of several new war ships
While in command of the Kearsarge Com
mander Heyerman was ordered 70 San
Domingo, where a revolution had start
ed with an attempt to aSSassinate President
Hereaux The trouble soon over with
out the necessity for Interference on the
part of the Kearsarge. She then cruised
around the islands in the vicinity until
Joined at Port-au-Prince by Admiral STAN
ton
The City of Para, it is expected. will get
away promptly 10 the relief OF the Kear-
sarees crew. IL seems TO be expected 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