The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-09
At THE STORMS MERCY
Thrilling and Terrible tx
perienCe of Five United
States Warships Be-
low HatteraS.
FOUR SAILORS WERE LOST
EIGHT WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED
IN THE AWFUL PERIOD.

Admiral Bunce's Fleet Caught In Furi-
Gus Storm Of the Carolina Coast-Men
Crushed and Washed Overheard by the
Waves That Swept Over the Craft-Many
Deeds of Fl eroism-The Vessels We're the
New York, Columbia, Amphitrite and
Marblehead-Feared at One Time That
One or More of the War Vessels Might
Go Down in the Angry Sea-Guns Lashed
With Hawsers-The Maine Suffered Most
Naval Officers Silent.
Charleston, 8. c., Feb. 8.-The United
States warships New York, Maine, Co
lumbia, Amphitrite and Marblehead ar
rived off Charleston bar to-day after
terrible experience with the storm
which swept up the south Atlantic
coast Friday and Saturday. All five of
the vessels are now at anchor about
two miles off the bar.
Admiral Bunce's fleet ran straight
into the teeth of a terrific storm Fri
day night The warships were forty
miles off the North Carolina coast and
well below Hatteras, and while the Of
ficers are unwilling to discuss their ex-
periences, it is known that both ships
and men were in great peril When
the fleet was visited by representative
of the United Associated Presses this
afternoon it was learned that four lives
had been lost, eight men had been seri-
ously injured, and minor injuries had
been received by almost all the ves-
sells.
The battleship Maine had six of her
men knocked overheard, three of them
losing their lives. The Marblehead had
one man killed and five injured
The killed on the Maine were L. c..
Kogel, apprentice, dashed to death
against turrets and body lost at sea;
John Brown, seaman, washed over
board and drowned, body not recover
ed; A. B. Nelson, private United States
Marines, washed overheard and drown
ed, body lost
The Marblehead lost Ships Carpen-
ter Strawhat, who was dashed to death
by the sea His body was saved and
buried at sea Sunday. Several of the
carpenters gang were at work on the
sea anchor and We're hurled against
the superstructure of the ship by the
sea and more or less injured.
They are Dennis Ryan, blacksmith;
Charles Osborne, shipwright; Appren-
tices Scanlan and Regan, and Kicker,
plumber.
Kicker received compound fracture
of the skull, and his condition is seri-
Gus.
Arrangements have been made for
placing all of the injured seamen in the
marine hospital here, and they will be
transferred tomorrow.
4 The New York, the Columbia, the
Amphitrite and the Maine We're off the
\ coast below Hatteras and about forty
miles out when the storm began to
gather Friday night.
/ The admiral signalled from the New
York for the ships to stand together
The storm was blowing from the south
east. 1t steadily increased during the
4 night and the four ships were separat-
ed So heavily did the New York roll
that the big eight-inch guns in the tur-
rets were dashed down with heavy haw-
sers as a precaution. During the storm
N a,
the aft companionway was flooded
Y with water, which went down into the
officers quarters. The gun ports ano
torpedo tubes also let great quantities
of water in.
The boatswain, William Anderson, was
struck from his feet by a sea and in
jured by being dashed aft. Naval ca.
det Castleman, while on the forwarc
4 quarter deck also lost his footing ano
was about to go over the side, when he
s managed to seize life line and save
4 his own life. When the sea was ship
ped astern the sounding apparatus was
a knocked to flinders.
Il When morning come, the Maine was
u sighted and spoken. The battleship, II
u is believed had the most trying expert
"A ence of the fleet
Friday night the apprentice Koge
q was struck by terrible sea and his life
was dashed out of him. The rushing
y waters carried his body overheard
Two men jumped after him as he was
carried away. They were the seaman
y John Brown and the marine Alexander
81 Nelson In trying to save their mess
mate they lost their lives, for they, too
81 were carried out into the mountains Of
) black water.
4, Charles Haskell was washed over
board at the same time. When the foul
Z men went overvoard William j. Creel
u man, a landsman, was standing on the
y poop deck. He saw the upturned fact
"a of Kogel floating. Creelman dove ovel
II the stern and struck out to save him
g In the meantime two life buoys ha(
been thrown over. Haskell got one o
q them Brown, Nelson and Kogel dis
y appeared and Creelman was struggling
8 far from the buoy intended for him
n Haskell saw him and reached him il
time to save his life.
The Maine was brought around into
s. the storm and a lifeboat was lowered
Naval Cadet Gherardi was put in com
mand with six men. The boat got only
! a few yards from the ship when sht
81 was overturned and seven more mel
Il were in the water. The men were res
cued with life lines. The lifeboat wa:
~ lost, as was one or more of the ship: