The morning call., 1894-02-22
SAFE AT HOME.
Return of the Crew of the
Kearsarge.
STORY OF THE DISASTER.
Officers Will Not Talk About
Responsibility.
LAST MEN TO LEAVE THE SHIP.
Admiral Stanton and Commander
Heyerman Quilted the Vessel
at the Same Moment.

NEW YORK, Feb. 21.--The steamer City
of Para arrived this morning from Colon,
brin ging the officers and crew of the war
ship Kearsarge, wrecked on Il ,ncador
Reef. The City of Para reached her dock
shortly after noon. The dock was gayly
decorated in honor of the returning sail
ors, and large American flag was spread
over the gang plank. A large crowd of
friends and relatives were on the pier.
Admiral Stanton told the story Of the
wreck of the Kearsarge to the Associated
Press. "The accident occurred about
P. NJ, February g" he said. ga stiff north
east trade wind was blowing. The Kear-
sarge struck lightly at first, then went
high and dry on the reef. The crew
remained on board that night. The fol-
lowing day all hands were taken off on
catamaran boat, together with water
and provisions. old sails. awnings
and duck, to rig shelters with.
Everybody was perfectly cool and the
work of arranging RATS to carry the
plunder ashore was carried on systematic
ally. Water was rather scarce, allowing
only pint per day for each man. In the
transfer, Seaman Anderson Robbins, who
tried to swim to the reef, was drowned.
the officers and crew are in good health.
"As soon as they got ashore Lieutenant
Brainard was dispatched with seven men
to Old Providence to secure a vessel to
take the shipwrecked men UP. At Colon
Brainard secured the City of Para. which
arrived at the scene February 10 aud took
them off, the men not having undergone
any special hardship aside from the short
age of water"
Admiral Stanton declined, in advance
of the investigation by the Government,
to say anything as to the cause of the
wreck or the responsibility therefor. He
expressed the opinion that there was no
possible chance of saving the hull of the
Kesrsaige. as she was badly stove and
nearly full of water.
Commander Oscar F. Heyerman said:
Admiral Stanton ani / were together
frnm the m0ment the vessel struck until
we went ashore next day together. He
and l were the last persons to leave the
Kearsarge. We went ashore to save our
lives, as the kearsarge was beginning to
ship a great deal of water. We made
several efforts to go ashore, but were un-
successful until we finally succeeded in
getting ashore on the catamaran-
W. Soh oiOuS NCl5 0SIi d1boI VIC TbdCUeQ
the shore, although the supply of pro-
visions was short ard until we dug we'll
water was very scarce. AS to the RESPONSE
bility Tor the accident, l do not care TO say
anything. The facts will be investigated
In all probability by a court of inquiry or
by investigation on the part of the Navy
Department. We managed to save great
many instruments. chronometers, the log
OF the kearsarge and other articles"
Tie story of the wreck as told by Lieu
tenant Brainard was substantially the
same as that told by the admiral and the
commander. Ee said: "At the time of the
accident there was quite sea running.
which broke over the poop after she
struck. She ran up high and dry on the
reef and we left her full of water and in a
very bad condition. There was nobody
on the bridge at the time of the accident
and there was no pilot, but do not care
TO talk about the causes or effects or re-
sDonsibility, or anything of that sort
That will have 10 be left for investigations
Ii was known that we were in the vicinity
of the reef. There is no chance of saving
the ship. She is full of water and is high
and dry on the reef. and The Merritt
Wrecking Company could not save enough
of her to pay for coal, nor could all the
engines in New York do anything with
her. She struck so hard that she glided
over two of the reefs like a greyhound
before she stopped"