The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-10-16
LOST AT SEA.
Six American Vessels That Were
Never Heard From
Why Modern Vessels Are Safer
Than the Old Wooden Ships

Ah0 navy AhNAtAiANAh NNH many An-
teresting records Of its ships that have
met with sad endings, but none more
80 than the brief accounts Of six diff
ierent ones summed up tersely In
these words: "Novor heard from.
This laoonic expression Is familiar 10
all sea followers, aud Ii contains
world Of meaning If rightly UNDER
stood. There have been ships that
have gone down Ia battle with the
flags flying do6antly at the masthead.
aud others that have battled brayely
against tho adverse elements until,
water logged, they have sunk within
sight OF land but TO be lost at sen, with
no official mention Of the disaster be-
oaaso Of lack OF all detail, is to meet a
fate hardly deserved, says the Detroit
Free Press
EARLY in the history of our navy
such a mystery closed about one of
the first vessels flying the new Stars
and Stripes The Inflated Saratoga,
an eighteen-gun ship, after perform
ing a brilliant service on the high
seas, sailed forth upon the great ocean
and disappeared forever from all hui
man knowledge. What we know Of
her is briefly summed up in a fow
sentences. After capturing three
English prizes, she was intercepted on
her way to Philadelphia with them
10y the seventy-four-gun ship Of the
line Intrepid, and after long fight
she escaped from her heavier adver-
sary. No further word from the Sar-
atOga was ever received, and no signs
of her wreckage we're ever discovered.
She probably foundered at sea in q
gale, but she never left any one be-
hind to tell the tale.
This was in 1880, andthe next loss Of a
similar character occurred twenty
years later. The thirty-six-guu frig-
ate lnsurgent, commanded by Cap
tain Patrick Fletcher, was originally
under the French flag, but after she
was captured by the Constellation off
the island of Nevis, she sailed under
the American flag until the end of
her short career. She had sealed
orders to sail from the Chesapeake
Capes out to sea, but after she started
on her easterly course she went forth
to her mysterious doom. No word
from any ship brought tidings of the
Insurgent She disappeared as com
pletely from the world as if swallowed
up by whale. No one on board of
her was ever saved to give official
confirmation of the story of her loss.
About a month after this sad occur
renee the fourteen-gun brig Pickering
met with similar fate. She was
cruising off Guadeloupe with Master
Commandant Benjamin Hitler in
charge, when severe storm arose and
swept the seas 1t is generally sup
posed thatthe vessel succumbed to the
heavy waves, for she was an unsea-
worthy tub, and foundered with all on
board. Pieces of wreckage were
picked up along the coast, but as so
many vessels were lost during the
gale there was no certainty Of identi-
flying them. 1t is thought also that
the same storm might have caused the
loss of the Insurgent, although as to
this no Trustworthy account can be
found.
The next vessel in our navy to dis
appear in this mysterious fashion was
known rs gunboat No 7, commanded
10y Lieut.. Ogelvie. She sailed from
New York May II, 1906, to increase
our naval forces then engaged in the
war with Tripoli. She returned tc
this port after being out for few
days, and then she sailed on June q
the second time. But she neve
reached her destination. Although
nine other boats left about the SAM
timefor the Mediterranean service, an,
oil reached their points of sailing il
time, gunboat No. was lost, and n,
word was ever received from any o
her officers or crew.
The loss of the Wasp followed thi
disaster. The mystery about thi