The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-02-11
WAS A DISASTROUS VOYAGE.
NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON
HAD A ROUGH EXPERIENCE
AT SEA.
SIX Men WERE SWEPT Overheard.
BY Monster Wave-Three of Them
Were Drowned-The Other Three
Were Saved by Heroism of
Boats Grew.

Charleston, S. c., Feb. S.-Admiral
Bunce's blockading squadron reached
port today after disastrous voyage
from Hampton Roads.
Three men were lost overheard from
the battleship Maine, during the gale OF
Friday, another was fatally injured, and
six others were so badly hurt that several
may lose limbs.
The details of the accidents on the
Marblehead are not yet obtainable, but
it seems the cruiser suffered considerably
from the blow. Tonight as she lies off
the jetties she presents dismantled APP
pearance. Her forecastle is stove in, Il
portion of her superstructure and TWO
matches carried away. The heavy sea
that swept her decks also carried away
her searchlight, lower port boom, smash
ed the rails and swept overheard the life
boats. Carpenter Sha wberle was crush
ed to death in the forecastle when it was
wrecked by monster wave, and Plum-
Der Hicks had his skull crushed by the
wreckage and will probably die.
The six seamen who were injured are
believed to have been hurt at the same
time but the officers of the vessel are
reticent as to the accident. 1T is under
stood that these sailors will be brought
on shore for treatment tomorrow. Car
penter Shawberle' was buried at sea.
The other vessels of the squadron show
marks of the rough voyage, their upper
works being damaged.
The squadron laid at anchor in the
roads until Thursday morning and put to
sea- Friday morning the weather thick
ened and by night was blowing gale.
The Indiana returned to the roads ow-
ing to the condition of her turrets. The
rest of the fleet, however, poked their
noses into the storm anG headed south.
When about fifty miles off Hatteras the
fleet encountered the full force of the
blow. Open squadron formation was
maintained and the 7essels were put in
order for siege of weather. The
battleship Maine rolled in the big seas,
the waters washing her decks at every
plunge.
1t was late Friday afternoon when the
accident occurred which cost three sea-
men their lives and three others were
rescued only by prompt and heroic work.
A gang of men were ordered forward to
make more secure the lashings of the
big guns. The deck was deluged and the
winds were freshened every moment.
The men were at work on the lashings
w
bows and swept aft. Six of the gang
were plucked up and carried overheard
before they could escape the wave. When
| the cry of man overheard" was carried
back there was scene of momentary
confusion, but in an instant the splendid
discipline of the crew fvas apparent
Life buoys were cut loose and the order
| quickly given to get q boat overheard
The high seas made this work aud peril
and difficulty, but boats crew under
Naval Cadet Walter X. Gherardi, son OF
Rear Admiral Gherardi, was finally low
cred. Excellent seamanship alene pre-
venting the craft from being crushed
against the side of the big battleship.
While the engines had been reversed al
the first signal from the bridge the mo
mentum of the ship had carried her some
distance beyond the spot where the sea
men were swept overheard, and the cur
rent was carrying them further away
every moment. The ships crew watched
the rescuers as they pulled manfvllv il
the heavy seas, the waves running *
high that the little boat was at times
hidden from the vessels deck as 1t sanl
down in the trough of the sea.
Meantime the drowning men feugh
bravely and three of them managed t.
keep afoat until their mates hauled then
from the water. They were Deamer
Haas, Cronin and Freeman. The fenain
ing three-Brown, Nelson and Roget
were not to be seen. The life boat wen
back and forth over the spot bet the
brave fellows had given up the struggle
and met a sailors fate. p."y
Cadet Gherardi and his boats crew
were highly complimented by the sGcerf
for their bravery.
Friday night the feet made heavy
weather of it, but managed to keep with
in signalling distance of one aAsther
Towards morning the squadron hove t.
and weathered out the rest Of the gale
in that manner. The officers say 1t wa.
one of the worst gales that the feet had
ever. experienced.
The Fern made this port before the
worst of the gale, being forty-eight hsurt
ahead of her consorts in making the
harbor. The Dolphin, which came NJ
from the south, arrived yesterday and ex
perienced severe weather
A boat from the Massachusetts eant
on shore today with party of slieers
They visited the collectors Office and
filed several kilograms. a committee gas
awaiting Admiral Bunce in csnseetier
! with the blockading program.