The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-24

ana then she SaaleQ on June ZJIh the second time. But she never reached her destination Although nine other boats left about the same time for the Mediterranean service, and all reached their points in time, gunboat No. was lost, and no word was ever received from any of her officers or crew.
 The loss of the Wasp followed this disaster. The mystery about this handsome naval fighter is generally fla miliar to all readers of American histo- ". Her exploits on the water after her first launching until the time of her strange disappearance were so brilliant that every schoolboy knows about them. Within period of five months the Wasp took fifteen English mer- chantmeH, valued at nearly a quarter of million dollaas, and fought several stubborn battles with naval vessels of her own size and strength. On October 1st, 1874, the Wasp hailed the Swedish bark Adonis and took on board two of the surviving officers of the old Essex after her destruction in Valparaiso harbor, and then passed oh into the dark mystery which has never been solved. That was the last intelligence ever brought to port by any ship con- corning the veteran fighter and victor Her fato will ever remain an unexpect- ed puzzle.
 The last vessel of the series to be lost at seq without leaving any signs be- hind to explain matters was the brig Epervier, commanded by Lieutenant John Shuhrick When the terms of the treaty were dictated to the Dey at the point of the cannon by Decatur in 1915, a copy of the paper was sent home by the Epervier. The brig passed the Straits of Gibraltar on July F, 1915, and from that time all trace of her was dost. She sailed out upon the ocean and was swallowed up by the sea that has wrecked the hopes and ambitions of so many VI
 Tn modern times the loss of naval vessels at sea has been comparatively limited The United States navy has been singularly fortunate in this re- spect during the past half century, but this may be attributed as much to the limited number of ships in commission as to any skill or safeguard, The mod- ern navy is built upon such different IllleS lIOIIi llC OlQ S1doS VI Ncl sCkosoSa1 that it is difficult to compare the two. but it is safe to assume that the cruis- CTS of to-day could stand the elements much better than their prototypes of fifty years ago. The mysterious disap- pearance of a member of the white squadron would undoubtedly cause more general sorrow and comment than the loss of the Wasp, Insurgent or Saratoga did in their days.
 A naval vessel of our modern fleet carries much larger complement of men, and her cost is several times as great The navy department probably exercises more precautions than any private company in surrounding the war vessels with every safeguard known to science, and it is because of this discipline that war vessels are so seldom lost The mysterious loss of only six war vessels during a period of one hundred years of active national existence Is Q record that the navy de- parnnent of any nation might we'll be proud of, and when 1t is remembered that some of the strange disappear ances recorded were only ordinary n1er- chant vessels fitted up as war ships, the cause for pride is increased.
 Great Britain and France have each a much longer list of war ships that have sailed upon the ocean to go down before some he avy storm without leav ing any message behind. Great Brit ain leads te list in this respect, which is only natural considering the size of her navy, and France comes second, with Spaiu following a q a close third On the naval lists of each nation there is; written over against the name of the unfortunate vessels these ominous words: Never heard from. "-Detroit Free Press.