The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-02-12
THE SQUADRON.
The Ships Encountered Terrible Storm
OF the Carolina Coast-Lives Lost.


Maine, Columbia, Amphitrite and Mar
blehead arrived off Charleston bar
Monday, after a terrible experience
with the storm, which swept the south
Atlantic coast Friday and Saturday.
The Cruiser Colum bia and the battle
ship Maine were sighted from Sulli-
vans island early in the forenoon and
the flagship New York, the monitor
Amphitrite and the cruiser Marble.
head steamed into view later, the
flagship being the last of the
squadron to reach an anhorage
to the north of the Charleston
lightship. All five of the yes.
seiS are now at anchor about two
miles off the bar. Admiral Bunce's
feet ran straight into the teeth of a
terrific storm Friday night. The war
ships were 40 miles off the North Caro-
lima coast and we'll below Hatteras
and while the officers are as usual IN
willing to discuss their experience, it
is known that both ships and men
were in great peril When the fleet
was visited by representative of the
United Associated Presses Monday it
was learned that the actual casualties
consisted of four lives, eight men seri-
ously injured and minor injuries to all
the vessels themselves. The battle
ship Maine had five of her men ever
board, three of them losing their lives.
The Marblehead lost one man killed
and six injured.
The MarbIehead lost Ship Carpenter
Strawhat who was dashed to death by
the sea. His body was saved and bur.
led at sea Sunday. Seven of the car
penter'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.
The New York, the Colum bia, the
Amphitrite and the Maine were off the
miles out when the storm began to
gather. The admiral signaled from
the New York for the ships to stand
together. The storm was blowing
from the southeast. It steadily in
creased during the night, and the four
ships were separated. So heavily did
the New York roll that the big
eight-inch guns in the turret were
dashed down with heavy hawsers as
precaution. During the storm heavy
sea rolled over the stern and the aft
companion way was flooded with water,
which went down into the officers
quarters. The gun ports and torpedo
tubes also let the water in; there
was plenty of water inside. The
boatswain. VIM. Anderson, while
on the forward deck, was struck
from his feet by sea and injured by
being dashed aft. Naval Cadet Castle
man, while on the forward quarter
deck, also lost his footing and was
about to go over the side when he man
aged to seize lifeline and save him
self. When the sea was shipped astern
the sounding apparatus was knocked
to flinders and one of the officers near
ly dashed over the side.
When morning came the Maine was
sighted and spoken. The battleship,
it is believed, had the most trying ex-
perience of the feet.
Friday night the assistant appren-
tice, 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 carried away. They were
the Seaman John Brown and the Marine
Alex Nelson. In trying to save their
messmate they lost their lives, for they
too, were carried out into the mount
aims of black water Charles Hasseu
was washed overheard at the sans
time. When these four men went
overheard VIM. j. Creelman, a lands
man, was standing on the poop deck.
He saw the upturned face of c.
kozel floating by. Creelman
dove over the stern and struck
out to save him. In the meantime two
life buoys mad been thrown over.
Hassel got one of them. Brown, Mel
son and Kozel disappeared, and the
brave Creelman was struggling far
from the buoy intended for him. Has
sci saw him and reached him in time
to save his life The Maine was
brought around in the storm and
4 lifeboat lowered from the
starboard. Naval Cadet Gherard was
put in command of the six men. The
boat only got a Few yards from the
ship when she was overturned and
seven more men were in the water
The men were rescued with life lines.
The lifeboat was lost. as were one or
more of the ships boats. These were
all torn from their davits by the heavy
seas.
The Amphitrite, Maine, Column bia
and Marblehead were sighted in the
morning in the order mentioned. The
Marblehead was laboring heavily and
had out all her oil bags. Grave fears
had been entertained for the Amphi-
trite, but she rode out the storm and,
as far as can be learned, no lives were
lost. On board the Maine a board
Of inquiry reported on the loss
of the three men. They highly
commended Creelman's brave attempt
10 rescue Kozel. He will be recon-
mended for life-saver's medal of the
first class. The Columbia, Mar blehead
and Amphitrite came down the coast
together after the storm. The reason
the New York did not arrive until af-
ternoon is explained by the fact that