Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-09
WARSHIPS IN PERIL.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE or THE
WHITE SQUADRON WITH A STORM.
-FOUR MEN LOSE THEIR LIVES.
rteht Men Seriously Injured, and
Damage Is Done To Almost All
tbe Ncssels-The New York Rolls
Heavily.

CHARLESTON, S. c., February S.-une
United states warships New York. Maine.
Columbia. Amphitrite. and Marblehead
arrived OF Charleston bar to-day. after a
trr.b.e experience with the storm which
taept up the South Atlantic coast Friday
arl saturday. The cruiser Columbia and
tas tattleship Maine were sighted from
ssl1an's Island early in the forenoon,
and tho flagship New York, the monitor
Am9hurte. and the cruiser Marblehead
steamed into view later; the flagship being
tt. last OF the squadron TO reach an an
er.raee 20 the north Of Charleston light
,ta All ave of the vessels are now at
anchor about two miles off the bar
Admiral Bunce's fleet ran straight into
trs teeth OF a terrific storm Friday night
I'd, Warships were forty miles off the
North Carolina coast and well below Hat
I.ras and while the officers are, as usual,
unwilling 10 discuss their experiences, IT
Is known that both ships and men were
'r l-aat peril When the feet was visited
tv "a representative of the Southern AS
s.ratcd Press this afternoon. IL was
learned that the actual loss consisted OF
four lives. eight men seriously injured,
and minor injuries 70 almost all Of the
vessels themselves. The battleship Maine
had six Of her men overheard. three Of
.hem losing their lives. The Marblehead
lost one man killed and six injured. The
silei on the Maine We're: L. c. Kogel,
rprrentice. dashed 10 death against tur-
rets and body lost at sea; John Brown,
feaman. washed overheard. body not re-
covered. A. r.. Nelson, private United
States marines. washed overheard and
drowned. body lost.
The Marblehead lost Ship's-Carpenter
strawhat. who was dashed to death by the
sea His body was saved and buried at
sea sunday.
seven Of the carpenters gang, who were
M work on the sea-anchor. were hurled
rcainst the supcrstructure OF the ship by
the sea. and more or less injured. Their
names are: Dennis Ryan. blacksmith;
Charles osborne. shipwright; Apprentices
Fcqnland and Regan. and Kicker plumber
Kicker sustained a compound fracture OF
the skull and his condition is serious.
Arrangements have been made for
rlaciur an of the injured seamen in the
Marine Hospital here. and they Will be
transferred from their ships to the shore
tomorrow.
STORY OF THE STORM
The New York. the Columbia, the Am
rhitrite. and the Maine were of the coast
below the Hatteras and about forty mics
6av night The Admiral sisnaled from
the New York for the ships TO stand ther
ground The storm steadily increased uu-
ring the night and the four ships were
separated SO heavily did the New YORK
roll that the big S-inch guns in the turrels
were lashed down with heavy haWseIs'
as a precaution During the storm a
heavy sea rolled over the stern, and the
aft companionway was flooded with water,
which went down into the officers quar-
tars. The gun-ports and torpedo-tuoes
also let the water in there was plenty or
water inside The bOatswain, william An
derson. while on the forward deck was
struck from his feet by sea, ana injured
bv being dashed aft Naval-Cadet castle
man while on the forward quarter-deck'
also lost his footing. and was about TO go
cra~ the side when he managed 10 seize a
lifeline and save his own life. Nhen the
sea was shipped astern, the soundlhs ap-
r4ratus was knocked TO flinders, ana one
a. rhe officers nearly dashed over the side'
v-ben morning came the Maine was
SIGHTED and spoken. The battleship, IL
i- believed had the most trying expert
,-ea az the fleet Friday night, Prentice
Kozd was struck by a terrible sea-
and his life dashed out Of him. The
rushing waters carried his BODY over
board Two men jumped after him. as
D. was being carried away. They were
r.re Alexander Nelson. In trying 10
save their messmate they lost their
lives for they too. were carried out INTO
ta mountains Of black water. ChaIles
Tessen was washed overheard at the
Sam. time. When these four men Went
overheard William j. Creelman lahus-
man. was standing on the poopdecK' lie
saw the up-turned face OF hozel nodtlhs
f- Creelman dived over the stern, ana
tim. two Nfe-buoys had been thrown
over Hassell got one of them Brown
Nelson and KoZel disappeared, and the
brave Creelman was struggling far from
the buoy intended for him. Hassell saw
him. and reached him I'm time 10 save
DIS life. The Maine was brought around
ll the storm and a lifeboat lowered from
tle starboard. Naval-Cadet Eherarul
Was INT I'm command, with six men. Ihe
boat had got only few yards from the
faH when she was overturned, ana
seven more men were in the water. The
men were rescued with life-lines. The
lfe-h0at was lost. as We're one or more
others Of the ships boats. Tnese were
an torn from their davits by the heaVy
AMPHITRITE o. K.
The Amphitrite. the Maine, the Colum-
la and the Marblehead were sighteu
4I L.r morning, IN Nlt blNti ii~ltN''-.-'
Tne Narblehead was laboring heavily
and had out her oil-bags. Grave fears
la4 been entertained for the Amphitrite'
bat she rode out the gale, and, as far as
can te learned lost no life. on board
the Maine "A board Of inquiry reported on
the loss Of three men. They hishy
commended Creelman's brave attempt 10
rescue Kozel He will be recommended
Tor a Ufe-saver's medal Of the tirst-class
The Columbia. Marblehead, ana Am
Ihitrite came down the coast together
after the storm The reason the New
y ork did not arrive until this afternoon
S. explained by the fact that she turned
back, and went almost 10 Hatteras. look
ilg for the monitor. The Marblehead
came up 10 the city this afternoon. ana
arrangements were made for putting her
injured sailors IN the Marine Hospital
here.
Exactly what amount Of injury the
various vessels themselves sustained du-
fae the storm cannot now be stated
ile officers say that their ships behaved
t'.ynI.1ly. but 81 was evident, even 10
casual observer that the vessels had
received rough usage at the hands or
tne hurricane. 10 is practically certain
however. that none Of them have been
seriously injured. IL Is not probable
iiat the manoeuvres viii be seriously
nieiered with or retarded by the ter
ioe experience through which the fleet
has passed