The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-13
THE COMMODORE LOST.
WAS ON HER WAY TO CUBA WITH
WAR MAT ERALS.

|
lieved to Have Been scuttled by Some
Tra,tor-FuII Details Of the Wreck.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Jan. 2.-The
filibustering steamer Commodore sunk
twenty miles off the Florida coast,
fifteen miles north of Juniper Inlet,
at 8 o'clock this morning. Twelve OF
tho twenty. eight men on board have
arrived in this city, and the other six.
teen were landed at Oramond, twenty.
five miles north of where the boat
went down.
Franco Blanco, the old Cuban pilot,
tells the following story of the loss OF
the steamer:
THE Commodore was overloaded
with coal when she left Jacksonville,
and her first disaster was striking on
sand bar in the St. Johns River.
We were pulled off by the revenue
cutter Boutwell, and crossed the st.
Johns bar. At 2 o'clock Friday after
noon the boat almost capsized in the
heavy sea, but we got away all right
and started to the southwark.
ut was discovered at Q o'clock this
morning that the vessel was fast fill
| ing with water. Great excitement
prevailed among the men, but Captain
Edward Murphy put every one at
work.
"The steam pump and hand pumps
were manned and worked to their full
capacity, but the water continued to
gain. A bucket brigade was formed
and we bailed for our lives. At 8
o'clock the fires were extinguished by
the rising water, and it was then de-
cided to take to the boats. Captain
Murphy took command of the largest
boat, with fifteen men, and Paul Rojo,
the agent of the owners of the Com.
modore was in command of the other
boat. I was with Rojo, and as soon
as we entered the boat we began to
pull for the shore.
1T was dark, and we lost the Cap
tain's boat, and the steamer soon dis
appeared, but did not see it sink.
We pulled for the shore, but did not
reach land until 10 o'clock this morn.
ing. We were all nearly exhausted,
but reached the lighthouse at 1880.
We went to New Smyrna, and there
took the train to this CITY,"
The officers and crew of the Commo-
dore, as shown by the articles of agree.
ment filed in the Custom HOUSE, were
as follows: Edward Murphy, cap.
tain; James Redigan, of New York,
chief engineer; Ed B. Ritter, of Flori.
da, assistant engineer; Frank P.
Grain, of New York, first officer, and
Felix De Las Rias, of Spain, second
officer.
LATER NEWS OF THE DISASTER.
JACKSONVILLE, Jan. 3.-Au of the
crew of the Commodore were not
saved, as reported last night. Twelve
are in Jacksonville. Three alive and
one dead are ct Daytoma. -Four are
reported to have arrived near Ormond,
but the report is not confirmed, and
eight are at sea on a life raft.
Captain Murphy, Stephen Crane,
the novelist; G. B. Montgomery, the
cook and William Higgins, a stoker,
landed at Daytoma this morning. Their
boat was turned over in the surf and
Higgins received a wound, which
caused his death soon after getting
ashore. The party on the raft are all
Cubans. They left the boat before
Captain Murphy's party and nothing
more has been heard of them. ]. NJ.
Barrs requested the collector Of Gus
toms to secure permission for the
Three Friends to 60 to the rescue OF
the Commodore Immediately upon
receipt of the news of the wreck Sat
urday afternoon. The collector tele.
graphed to Secretary Carlisle at once,
but no reply was received until this
afternoon. Permission was granted
and the Three Friends left tonight.
The beach is being patrolled from St.
Augustine to New Smyrna.
It is reported that there was treach-
cry aboard the Commodore, but no
details can be learned. The party
landed at Daytoma cannot get to this
,ity until tomorrow, as there are no
Sunday trains on the East Coast rail.
road. The party that landed last
nlgnS and reached here are: Major
Ricardo A. Deigado, Paul Rojo. Pa.
quito Bsncamo, Franco Blanco, Migu.
el Condisbury, Ramon Hernandez.
Gabriel Martinez, Santiago Diaz, Emi-
lilo Marquee, Jose Hernandez and
Buenaventuro Livonues. -.
The following was received from
Daytona at II o'clock tonight:
about 10 o'clock Friday night a
suspicious leak was discovered in the
fire room and Captain Murphy imme-
diately started the pumps which un-
doubtedly had been tampered with,
as they were in working order when
Captain Murphy and Chief Engineer
Redigan left watch at s o'clock. The
fires were extinguished and the boat
came to standstil about Is miles
from Mosquito light. Captain Muir
ply took full charge of the handling
of the ship while the first mate super
lnteded the launching OF the boats.
The Cubans took possession of the big
boat and loaded it with baggage so
that only 12 men left the tug in it.
They reached shore at o'clock Satur.
day and left for Jacksonville. The
second boat was occupied by six Gu
bans and was the empty boat washed
ashore at Port Orange last night. The
third boat to leave the crafts side was
filled with Americans, leaving q
10-foot dingy for Captain Murphy's
use, who refused to quit the ship until
all were saved.
&c. B. Montgomery, the steward,
Sfonhon Hrone on6 Wno Hio0ina 70.