Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-02-13
LOST FOUR MEN.
Big Warships Battle with WaterH1l
In an Atlantic Storm.
Four Members of Their Crews PeF-
iHh-severaI others Are BADLY
LnIured-The Vessels Rench
Charleston. 8. O., Safely.

ChnrleHtOn, y. u, safely.
Charleston, S. c., Feb. 0.-The United
States war ships New York, Maine, Coz
lumbia, Amphitrite and Marblehead
arrived off Charleston bar Monday after
q terrible experience with the Btormd
which swept up the south Atlantic coast
Friday and Saturday. The cruiser Co
lumbia and the battle ship Maine were
sighted from Sullivan's island early in
the forenoon and the flagship New York,
the monitor Amphitrite and the cruiser!
Marblehead steamed into view later;
| the flagship being the last of the squad
ron to reach an anchorage to the north
of the Charleston lightship. All five
of the vessels are now Mt anchor about
two miles oil the bar. Admiral Bunce'si
fleet ran straight into the teeth of n
terrific storm Friday night. The war
ships were 40 miles off the North Caro-
lima coast and well below Hatteras, and
while the officers are as usual unwill-
ing to discuss their experiences, It in
known that both ships and men were in
great peril.
When the fleet was visited by a re-
porter it was learned that the actual
loss consisted of four lives, eight men
seriously injured and minor injuries to
almost all of the vessels themselves. The
battle ship 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. C. Kozel, apprentice, dashed to
death against the turrets and body lost
at sea.
John Brown, seaman, washed over
board and drowned; body not recov-
cred.
A. b. Nelson, private United States
marines, washed overheard and
drowned; 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.
Seven of the carpenters gang, who
were ut 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, black
smith; Charles Osborn, shipwright;
Prentice Scandland and Regan and
Kicker, plumber. Kicker sustained n
compound fracture of the skull and his
condition is serious Arrangements
have been mnde for placing all of the
injured seamen in the Marine hospital
here and they will be transferred from
their ships to the shore to-day.
The New York, the Columbia, the AM
phitrite, and the Maine were off the
coast below Hatteras and about 40
miles out when the storm began to
gather Friday night The admiral sig
' nailed from New York for the ships to
L stand together. The storm was blowing
from the southeast. 1t steadily in
creased during the night and the four
ships were separated. So heavy did the
+ New York roll that the big eight-inch
4 guns in the turrets were lashed down
) with heavy hawsers as a precaution.
During the storm heavy sea rolled
: over stern and the aft companion
way was flooded with water, which
y went down into the officers quarters.
= The gun ports and torpedo tubes also
: let the water in; there was plenty of
n water inside. The boatswaiu, William
Anderson, while on the forward deck
+ was struck from his feet by sea and
s injured by being dashed aft. Naval
q Cadet Castleman, while on the forward
quarter deck, also lost his footing and
/ was about to go over the side when he
s managed to seize a life line and save
IS himself. When the sea was shipped
a astern the sounding apparatus was
l. knocked to flinders and one of the Off
l. GERS nearly dashed over the side.
r When morning came the Maine was
e sighted and spoken. The battle ship.
S it is believed, had the most trying expe-
vii nin n
s. prentice Kozel was struck by terrible
sea and his life dashed out OF him. The
e rushing waters carried his body over
IL board. Two men jumped after him as
Is he was being carried away. They were
y Seaman John Brown md. Marine Alex
n Nelson.
D. In trying to save l..eir mess.--te they
d lost their lives, fLl they, too, were car
t. ried out into the mountains of black
IN water. Charles Hassel WIS washed
E. overheard at the same time. When
ly these four men went overheard William
" ]. Creelman, lnndsman, was standing
ir on the poop deck. He saw the up
h turned face of Kozel floating by. Creel'
IL man dove over the stern and struck out
ut to save him. In the meantime two life
n buoys had been thrown over. Hassel
e. rot one of them. Brown, Nelson and
at Kszel disappeared, and the brave CreeE
n man was struggling far from the buoy
ve intended for him. Hassel saw him and
he reached him in time to save his life
ld Exactly what amount of injury tha
is various vessels themselves sustained
in during the storm cannot now be stated
t. The officers say that their ships be
ed haved splendidly, but it was eviden
e. even to a casual observer that the yes
is sells had received rough usage Mt thu
hands of the hurricane. 1t is practical
ly certain, however, that none of then
ed have been seriously injured. 1t is no
IS, probable that the maneuvers will b'
al seriously interfered with or retardeS