Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-01-07
COMMODORE WAS SUNK.
Sixteen of the Crew Drowned by
This Act =. Treachery is
Charged.

JacKSOnYllIe, Ela., Jan. f.
All of the crew of the Commo-
dore were not saved, as reported
last night. Twelve r in Jack
sonville; three alive and one dead
+ at Daytona. Four are re-
ported to have arrived near Or
mond, but the report is not con-
irmed, and eight are at sea on a
~life-raft.
Capt. Murphy, Stephen Crane,
the novelist, c.. B. Montgomery,
the cook, and William Higgins, a
stoker, landed at Daytona yester-
day morning. Their boat was
turned over in the surf and Hig-
gins received a wound which
caused his death soon after get
ting ashore.
The party on the raft are all
Cubans. They left the boat be-
fore Capt. Murphy's party, and
nothing more has been heard of
them. j. M. Bars requested the
collector of customs to secure per-
mission for the Three Friends to
90 to the rescue of the Commo-
dore Immediately upon receipt of
news of the wreck Saturday after
The collector telegraphed to
Secretary Carlisle at once, but no
reply was received until this after
noon. Permission was granted
and the Three Friends left to-
night.
The following was received
from Daytona at II O'Clock last
night:
"About 1 Friday night a sus-
picious leak was discovered in the
fre-room, and Capt. Murphy i'm
mediately started the pumps,
which undoubtedly had been tam
pered with, as they we're in work
ing order when Capt Murphy and
Chief Engineer Redigan left watch
at s o'clock.
''The fires were extinguished
and the boat came to a standstill
about sixteen miles from Mosquito
Light. Capt, Murphy took full
charge of the handling of the ship,
while the first mate superintended
the launching of the boats.
The Cubans took possession
of the big boat and loaded it with
baggage, SO that only twelve
men left the tug in it. They
reached shore at four o'clock
Saturday and left for Jacksons
vile.
1.-The second boat vas occu-
pied by six Cuhans, and the
empty boat washed ashore at
Port Orange last night. The
third boat to leave the crafts
side was filed with Americans.
leaving a ten~foot dingy fo1
Capt. Murphy's use. who refused
to quit the ship until all were
saved.
&c. B. Montgomery, the stew,
ard, Stephen Crane and William
Higgins remained with the cap,
tain, and with him launched the
dingy and stood by the tug unit
z o'clock, when she sank.
The mates boat, containing
nine Americans, was smashed
and the mate. two engineers. six
tiremen and sailors were dashed
to a raft which Capt Murphy
attempted to tow ashore two
miles away, but the terrible SCI
and the northeast gale sWep'
them awaw.
The dingy occupied by the
captain and companions was
twenty>seven hours at sea, Mont
gomery and Crane holding Capt
Murphy's overcoat as a sail, un'
til the beach was sighted. High
seas were breaking a half mile
from shore. Montgomery.
Crane and Murphy were washed
to the beach, where citizens
provided then with medical at
tendance
Higgins was killed at the
ogerturning of the boat, which
made ten Americans and si1
Cubans lost.
There is no doubt that
traitor did the work of scuttlin:
and then tempered with tn
pumps, as they were workin.
perfectly at 8 o'clock.
1.-The suspected man was savet
and a thorough investigation vii