The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-12-11
LOST WARSHIPS
United States Vessels That Van
ished Mysteriously,
Swallowed Up by the Sea With
out Leaving q Trace.

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bat none more 90 than tho brief nc
counts Of six different ones summed
up tersoly In those words. "Noyer
heard from" This laconic expression
is familiar 10 al sea followers, and it
contains world Of meaning # rightly
understood. There have been ships
that have gone down 10 battle with
the flags flying dehantly at the mast
head, aud others that have battled
brayely against the adverse elements
until, waier-logged, they have sunk
within sight Of land but 10 be lost at
sea, with no official mention of the
disaster because Of lack OF all detail,
is to meet a fate hardly deserved.
Early in tho 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 brilliant service on the high seas
sailed forth upon the great ocean aud
disappeared forever from all human
knowledge. What we know OF her
is briefly summed mp 10 a few SEN
fences. After capturing three Eng
lish prizes she was intercepted on her
way to Philadelphia with them by the
British seyenty-tour-gun ship Of the
line Intrepid, and after a long fight she
escaped from her heavier adversary.
No further word from the Saratoga
was ever received, aud no signs of her
wreokage we're ever discovered. She
probably fouudered at sea in a gale,
but she never left any one behind to
tell the tale
This was in 1880, and the next loss
of similar character occurred twenty
years later. The thirty-six- gun frigate
Insurgent, commanded by Captain
Patrick Fletcher, was originally under
the French flag, but after she was cap.
tured by the Constellation of tue
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 completely from
the world as if swallowed up by {
whale. No one on board of her wal
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 a similar fate. She wa
cruising off Guadaloupe, with Maste
Commandant Benjamin Hitler il
charge, when severe storm arose ant
swept the seas. 1t is generally sup
posed that the vessel succumbed to tn
heavy waves, for she was an unseO
worthy tub, and fouudered with a
on board. Pieces Of wreckuge wer
picked up along the coast, but as s
many vessels were lost during tn
gale there was no certainty of ident
flying them. 1t is thought also tht
the same storm might have caused th
loss of the Insurgent although as
this no trustworthy account can
found.
The next vessel in our navy to di
appear in this mysterious fashion W
known as guuboat No. 7, commando
by Lieutenant Ogelvie. She sale
from New York May 4, 1903, to i
crease our naval force then engaged
the war with Tripol. She return'
to this port after being out for fl
days, and then she sailed on June
the second time. But she new
reached her destination, and no wo
was ever received from any of the Of
GERS or crew,
The loss OF the Wasp followed Il
disaster. The mystery about Il
handsome naval fighter is genera
familiar to all readers Of Americ
history. Her exploits on the wa
after her frat launching before
time Of her strange disappearal
were so brilliant that every SCHOOL,
knows about them. Within
period of five months the w
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