The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-08
KEARSARGEA WRECK
The Famous Old War Yes
sci Lost on Roncador
Reef.
ALL HANDS REPORTED SAVED.
The Accident Occurred February
2d-Lieut. Brainard Notifies
the Navy Department.

WAsHINToN, Feb. s. 1s94.-The old cor
vette Kearsarge was wrecked on Roncador
Reef, February2, while en- route from Port
au-Prince, Hayti, to Bluenelds, Nicaragua.
The officers and crew were saved.
This news reached the Navy Department
this morning.
A cable message arrived, dated Colon
It was signed by Lieutenant Brainard of
the Kearsage, who reached Colon this morn
ing.
After striking the vessel foundered
The Kearsarge was ordered, on January
81, to proceed from San Domingo to Blue
fields, Nicaragua, to protect American in
terests that were alleged to be endangered
by the troubles between Honduras and Mica
raugua.
Roncador Reef, on which the Kearsarge
is supposed to have struck, is some 200 miles
to the northeast from Bluefelds.
RELIEF FOR THE KEARsAGE.
Secretary Herbert has received an answer
to his cable message sent to Lieutenant
Brainard at Colon. Lieutenant Brainard
says that the mail steamer City of Para is
available, and that she viii proceed to the
relief of the shipwrecked crew of the Kear-
sage.
AN INTERESTING VESSEL.
The Kearsarge is one of the most interest
ing vessels in the American Navy, and her
exploit in sending the Confederate Alabama
to the bottom forever made her memorable.
She is a screw sloop and was built at Ports
mouth Navy Yard in 1862. Her battery con-
sists of eight guns and her crew of $50. In
1868 she was ordered on special service crus-
ing for rebel privateers, June 19, 1854, off
Cherbourg harbor, after engagement of
one hour, during which the Kearsarge re-
ceived twenty-eight shots in her sides, she
sunk the rebel cruiser.
ONE OF THE BEST CRUISERS.
1t was the good or Ill fortune of the Kear-
sarge to be one of the best cruisers in the
navy, and that, too, in spite of the fact that
she was more than thirty years old and, of
course, a wooden hull. Her excellence
as a cruiser has kept her busy for fonr years
past in the home station, which duty includes
the patrolling of West Indian waters and for
much of that time she has been within the
tropics. When the Kearsage was built she
was up to date in most matters of naval
architecture She would steam twelve knots
an hour, high speed for that period, and
was armed with guns quite as good as
those carried by any vessel of her size. Since
that time her boilers have been reduced, so
that she could steam but ten knots an hour,
and, as matter of fact, steam was only an
auxiliary to her sails. She was overhauled
year or so ago, and the wood below the water
line was examined for the first time in four
the day it went into the ship and almost hard
as iron.
HER BATTLE WITH THE ALABAMA.
The Kearsage was one of the historical
vessels of the American navy. She it was
which, on Sunday, June 19, 1854, fought and
sunk the rebel privateer, Alabama, off Cher
bourg, France.
The Alabama, which was commanded by
Captain Semmes, had captured or destroyed
a large number of Union merchantmen
Finally the pursuit of her became SO hot on
the American coast that she sailed for the
Cape of Good Hope and cruised in the East
ern seas Subsequently she returned,
arriving in the English Channel in June
1864, and on the eleventh of that month she
entered the French port of Cherbourg to
refit and supply herself with stores. Within
a few days the Kearsarge arrived. She
was commanded by Captain Winslow, a
former shipmate of Captain Semmes.
The Kearsarge made demonstration off
the port which the Commander of the Ala
bama took to be a challenge. He sent notice
to the United States consul that he would
sail out and fight the Kearsarge. The two
ships to appearance were not unequally
matched, but the Kearsarge had
a larger crew and was better armed
than the Alabama. She was besides
protected amidships by arnor The fight
took place ON Sunday. june 19, OF Sher-
bourg, all inhabitants of that place watch
ing it from the neighboring heights. The
result of the battle is well known. Be
fore the contest had lasted an hour Captain
Semmes found the ship sinking and gave
orders to haul down his flag. The boats
were got out and the wounded placed
In them but before the Kearsarge could
come to the rescue the Alabama went to the
bottom The boats of the Kearsarge saved
many of the Alabana's crew. Others, in
cluding Captain Semmes. were picked up by
the English yacht Deerhounds, which had
been allowed by the captain of the Kear-
sarge to help in ling the Alabama's
crew.
THE OFFICERS.
rxle following are the officers of the Kear-
sage
Commander, Oscar F. Heyernlan, COM
n,anding; Lieutenants, Charles T. Forse,
Charles H. Lyman and Burns 7. Walling
Iieutenants dunior grade, John Wood and
Frederick B. Brainard; Ensigns, Herbert g.
Gsstes and ThomasP .Magruder; Naval Cadets,
Zine division) Leon s. Thompson, Thomas
I, Stitt. Thomas S. Borden, Benjamin S.
Mccormick, Walter Ball and David B.
Allen: Passed Assistant Surgeon, George l..
Iunsden; Assistant Surgeon, Merritt w.
Barnum; Paymaster, james A. Ring; Chief
Engineer, Burdett @. Gowing, and First
I,isutenant of Marines, Clarence L. A. Ingate.
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