Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-10
BIG NAVAL BATTLE.
Uncle Sans Warships Fight With Stol

Uncle Sans Warshfps Flght Win Storm'
The United States warships, New
York, Maine, Columbia, Amphitrite
and Marblehead arrived off Charleston
harbor Monday morning from Hamp-
ton Roads.
On the way down, it appears that
the vessels had terrible fight with Il
storm, and as the result of this fight,
several lives were lost.
The storm struck the feet off the
North Carolina coast, south of Cape
Hatteras, and about 40 miles out. 1t
was on Friday night that the storm
was encountered, and for several hours
there was an exciting time of it.
During the storm the battleship
Maine lost six men overheard and
three of them were drown. The Mar
blehead lost one man killed and six
injured, and all of the vessels were
more or less or less seriously hurt.
On the Maine, l.. G. Kozel was
dashed against the turrets and his
body was lost at sea. John Brown, a
seaman. Was washed overheard and
drowned. His body was recovered.
A. B. Nelson, a marine, was washed
overheard and drowned.
The Marblehead lost Ships Carpen.
ter Strawhart, who was dashed to
death by the sea. His body was saved
and buried at sea Sunday. Seven OF
the carpenters gang who were at
work on the sea anchor, were hurled
against the superstructure of the ship
by the sea and more or less injured.
Their names are: Dennis Ryan, black
smith Charley Osborne, shipwright
Apprentices Scandlan and Ragan, and
Kicker, plumber. Kicker sustained q
compound fracture of the skull, and
his condition is serious. All the in
| jured have been placed in the marine
hospital at Charleston.
The New York rolled. so heavily
that it was necessary to take the pre-
caution of lashing down the big eight
inch guns with heavy hawsers. Great
floods of water came in over the sides
and through the gun ports and torpe'
do tubes and for a time it looked as il
the vessel would assuredly 90 down,
Fortunately, however, the vessel es'
capped without serious accident.
Some gallant deeds were performed
by the men during the terrible night.
1t is related that when Kozel wa.
knocked lifeless and carried overheard
two men jumped after him. The men
were seamen-John Brown and Marine
Alex Nelson. In trying to save their
mesmate, they lost their lives, fol
they, too, were carried out into the
mountain of black water. Charles
Hassell was washed overheard at the
same time. When these four men
went overheard, VIM. J. Creelman, d
landsman, was standing on the poop
deck. He saw the upturned face Of
KozeI floating by. Creelman dove
under the stern and struck out to save
him. In the meantime two life buoys
had been thrown over. Hassell gol
one of them. Brown, Nelson and
Kozel disappeared and the brave
Creelman was struggling far from the
buoy intended for them. Hassell saw
him and reached him in time to save
his life. The Maine was brought
around in the storm and life boat
lowered from the starboard. Naval
Cadet Gherardi was put in command
with six men. The boat got only a
few yards from the ship when she was
overturned and seven more men were
in the water. The men were rescued
with life lines. The life boat was lost
as were one or more of the ships
boats. These were all torn from their
davits by the heavy seas.
A board of inquiry was held on the
Maine on Saturday morning, and,
among other things, it was recommend
ed that Creelman be awarded life saw
ing medal Of the first class for his gal
liant conduct during the storm.