The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-09
PRICE TWO CENTS.
WRECK OF THE KEARSARGE.
THE FIMoUS OLD WAR SNIP ROW.
DERS OFF RONCADOR REEF.

|
sent from Coioa to Tske Thew on
Colon Feb. 2-The United States steamer
| Kearsarge foundered on tho night OF Feb 2 OF
Roncador Reef The KearsarRe was ordered
| on JAN "a to proceed from San Domingo TO
| Bluehelds. Nicaragua, to protect American In
terests that were alleged to be endangered BY
| the troubles between Honduras aud Nicaragua
| Roncador Reef is some POO miles to the north-
| east from Bluenelds The kearsarge's last
| port was Port au- Prince. The news Of the
wreck was brought to Colon by Lieut. Bralnard.
| who chartered a schooner at Old Providence.
| an island almost directly west OF Roncadof
Reef. lie arrived here last night All the offi-
! GERS and crew Of the Kearsarge were saved.
| WASHINGTON. Feb. 6.-The most famous ship
OF the naval servioe-the old corvette Rear.
sarge-has Como to the bottom. Tho story Of
her loss was told to Secretary Herbert In
| brief cable message which he received this
morning from Lieut.. Frederick Brainatd. an
| officer Of the vessel dated at Colon Lieut..
Brainard reached Colon this morning and inns
| mediately sent the message to the Secretary.
| In substance as follows:
| "kearsarge sailed from Port-au- Prince,
Hayti. Jan. 80 for Bluenelds. Nicaragua. Wns
| wrecked on Roncador Eocf Feb. .. Ofllcora
and crew safe"
| Immediately on receipt Of tho cablegram
Secretary Herbert sent message to Lieut.
| Brainard directing him to charter a vessel at
| Colon and proceed at once to the assistance Of
| the shipwrecked men. An answer came quick-
ly from Lieut. Brainard that tho mail steamoI
| City OF Para was available. and it is supposed
| at the Navy Department that the vessel is ais
| ready on her way to tho relief Of tho ships
| wrecked men. Lieut.. Brainard was directed
/ to engage the mail steamer to stop at the reef
| and take the men oil, or to secure any availabls
vessel without delay. Roncador Reef Ia about
I a. - 4 /.
| City OF Para. tisexpected that the steamer will
| have Admiral stanton and his men in some
port within two or three days. There are no
| anxiety at the Navy Department over the safety
| OF the shipTrecked people There Is plenty Of
| provisions In the wreck Of tho kearsarge.
which is probably high and dry on the reef
| Old Providence Island Is seventy-nye miles
only from Roncador. and could be reached
easily in small boats: or. II 1t were missed the
| Kearsarges men could get TO the Mosquito
coast a belt OF the Nicaragua coast line. II
was on Roncador Reef that the steamer Aguan
! was wreck ed while the Hon. Warner Miller and
other Nicarauguan Canal capitalists were on
board.
The Kearsarge was the flagship OF tho North
Atlantic station. to the command Of which Act
ing Rear Admiral Stanton. who was detached
from the command Of the South Atlantic sta-
ton for salutinE Admiral Mello in Rio harbor.
was assigned. He recently Joined the old shin
at Port prince. and hoisted his flag on her.
| During the last week in January information
was received at the State Department that
Honduras was invading Nicaragua. and after
consultation between Secretary Gresham
and Secretary Herbert IL was decided to send
tho Kearsarge to Bluehelds to protect tho
| Nicaragua Canal interests there. Accordingly.
tho vessel sailed from Port au-Prince on jan
80. and NJ ct her fate three days later.
| Sentiment was divided at the Navy Depart
| ment to- day over sorrow for the loss OF the old
ship and pity for Admiral Stanton. whose un-
fortunate experience in Brazil is now followed
by the loss OF his flagship court ofinqury
TO oct ermine the responsibility for the loss OF
the vessel will surely follow. However. as
Admiral stanton had nothing to do with the
navigation of the ship. the responsibility falls
on the commanding officer. Commander Oscar
+. Heyerman and such oflcer or officers who
may have been in charge OF the vessel at the
time the wreck occurred.
The Kearsarge has been continuously in the
naval service for thirty-two years. She was
built in Kittery Me-. In 1851. and was commits
stoned the next year. Her great claim to fame.
OF course. Is her defeat OF the Confederate
cruiser Alabama. Off CherbourR. France. on
Sunday, June 10. 1864. The KearssTge had
been practically rebuilt. She was recently as
signed to the duty OF blowing up derelicts be-
tween New York and the West Indies. but news
that American interests in San Domingo wore
endangered 10y threatened revolution caused
Secretary Herbert to direct the KeArsArge to
proceed without delay to that country. The
alleged revolution. like many other similar
affairs in san Domingo. proved nzzle. and the
Kearsarge proceeded to Port-Ru- Prince. where
Admiral stanton Joined her.
The Committee on Naval Affairs OF the Houss
had under consideration the Insertion Of an
item In the APPROXIMATION bill for 1884 80 pro-
vidinG that the Kearsarge be repaired and put
in as good q condition as possible. This item
would have come under the bill passed last
session excepting the EearsarGe and HaTttord
from the operation OF the law forbldding tbs
expenditure OF more than 70 per cent OF me
ho sAi aidpesses 81 he ossrs OF the
KeArsArgs are as follows:
m aSPiFh Ds s4S SeR S
Moorew9od syenIs FiS'sSWgrTR; XII ,i,,d d1"i-
J~ffh lieut. WSIiias s0 Circls1ille. o- Lieut..
Hood. Florence. Ala his vile is now visiting
s a Ehssn dates s on
roe street. Bay city Mich; knstGn 4 sr
Shsden lib ' South f First street. RichaoHd
Val Assistant Surgeoa Barnum. Chappalua.
MsstShssteE eGTHsS ~ on fsE AZ a. tGe
Department; Chief, Engineer ,Goying, 800
i!erEimer street, Bro9ElyR; n XII .., Cadets is
erosion a district; { Gdet still weLash, Ind, :
Isdet EoTden ustt2 3d Il Hsdst MGCor -41sa
il hester \. s.; cadet Van Allen. Gallatia.
, Tenn. -,
: Ii is somewhat OF a coincidence that both
| Admiral stanton and Commander HeyermAn.
whose FIRST names, by the way, are the same.
: anu who have tho same middle initial. hG'S
| only recently een restored 10 duty after =
Z period OF forced Inactivity, Admiral stanton Q
I experience a liO. resulting in his detnch-
! ment il we'll Known. Commander HeyeTme4
opposed the lAns Of the Lighthouse Hoard
! for light NJ the 81. MaTy's RIVER. Michigan.
( He was Assistant InsI ector OF the district.
with headqurTiers at Detroit. and with COL
I William ludlow, the army engineer officer m
Z charge OF tue q strict. made such a firm stand
against carrying out the orders OF the Hmari
l that both we're SUSPENDED. Commander tieI-
Z erman Was sIbseI uently assigned 10 lnspec-
tion duty In new York. and remained iherS
4 until, about three months ago when the COM
4 mAnd Of the keaTsarga WAS given MIN. -
The kear-aTge had complement OF u!
. en- istei men, not tn"luttng the marine guard;
I She had no warrant officers. The names OF
I the enl sted men are as follows: