Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-02-09
WARSHIPS IN A STORM.

The Uoited S ates warships New
York. Maine, Columbia, Amphitrite
and Marblehead arrived off Charleston
bar yesterday, after terrible expert
ence with the storm which swept up
the South Atlantic coast Friday aud
Saturday.
Admiral Blnce's fleet ran straight
into the teeth of terrific storm Friday
night The war5hips were forty miles
otl the North Carolina coast and we'll
below Hatterss, and, while the officers
are, as usual, unwilling to discuss their
experiences, it is known that both ships
and men were in great peril.
When the fleet was visited by a rep
resentative of the Southern Associated
Press yesterday afternoon, it was learn
ed that the actual loss consisted of four
lives, six more or less injured and minor
injuries to almost all of the vessels
themselves. The battleship Maine had
six of her men overheard, three of them
losing their lives. The Marblehead
lost one man killed and six injured.
The killed on the Maine were l.. G.
Kogel, apprentice, dashed to death
against turrets and body lost at ses;
Jon Brown, seaman, washed overheard
and drowoed; hoiy not recovered; A.
3. Nelsoo, private q. s. marines, wash
ed overheard aud downed, body lost;
The Marblehead lost ships carpenter
Shawberl, who was dashed to death by
the sea. His body was saved and bur-
led at sea Sunday. Seven OF the car
pepter's 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, blacksmith. Chas.
Osborne, shipwright. Apprentices Scan
land and Regan, and Kicker, plumber.
Kicker sustained a compound fracture
of the skull and his condition is serious.
The New York the Columbia, the
Amphitrite and the Maine were of the
coast below Hatteras and about forty
miles out when the storm began to
gather Friday night. The admiral
signaled from the New York for the
ships to stand together. The storm
was blowing from the southeast. 1t
steadily Increased during the night and
the four ships were separated. So
heavily did the New York roll that the
big eightinch guns in the turrets were
lashed down with heavy haw-
sers as precaution. During the
storm heavy sea rolled over
the stern and the aft compsn-
ion way was flooded with water, which
went down into the officers quarters.
The gun ports and torpedo tubes also
let the water iD; there was plenty of
water inside. The boatswain, William
Anderson, Of New York, was slightly
injured by being dashed on the deck by
heavy seas. Naval Cadet Castleman,
while on the forward quarter deck, also
losa his footing and was about to 20
over the side when he managed to seize
a life line and save his own life. When
the sea was shipped astern the sound-
ing apparatus was knocked to flinders
and one of the officers nearly dashed
over the side.
When morning came the Maine was
sighted and spoken. The battleship,
it is believed, had the most trying expe
rieuce of the fleet.
Friday night apprentice Kozel was
struck by terrible sea and his life
dashed out of him The rushing waters
carried his body overheard. Two
men jumped after him as he
was being carried away. They
were the seanen John Brown and