Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-18
NOTABLE NAVAL DISASTERS.
Many on Record In Which the Loss of
Life Exceeded That mt
Havana

Washington, Feb. 11.--In the history OF
the American navy no disaster is recorded
In which the loss of life was so great as
that attending the loss of the Maine. The
only recent parallel is the Samoan disaster
In March. 1859, when four officers and for
ty-six men of the Pacific coast squadron
lost their lives in a hurricane which swept
the harbor Of Apia and surrounding waters.
In this hurricane the United States men
of-war Trenton, yandalia and Nipsic, and
the German steamers Adler and Eher were
wrecked. Ninety-six Of the crews on the
German vessels were lost.
Going further back. the wreck of the
United States sloop OF war Huron off the
coast Of North Carolina, November "a, 1877.
during terrible gale. offers the most strik-
ing comparison. In this wreck 100 lives were
lost and the vessel was broken to pieces
on the shore.
The only magazine explosion of recent
years on a United States warship took
place on the Missouri while she was lying
at anchor at Gibraltar. The explosion
caused great damage to the vessel, but
was fortunately attended with no loss of
life.
Other navies have suffered far more Sc
verely than that Of the United States dur
ing the last quarter Of a century. One Of
the most terrible disasters was the founder
ing of the Spanish cruiser Reina Regenta
March II. 1885. in the Atlantic ocean, near
the entrance to the Mediterranean sea,
when more than 400 persoE- =are drowned.
Great Britain suffered a loss equally
appalling June %, 1898, when the battleship
Victoria sunk after colliding with her sis
the coast of Tripoli. The loss of life was
twenty-five officers and 33s Of the crew.
Three years previous the British torpedo
off the northwest coast Of Spain and all
but three OF a crew Of ITO officers and men
that of the British warship Doterel, which
was destroyed by an explosion April 26. 1881.
while lying at anchor in the Straits of Ma
the face Of the waters. leaving but seven
alive out OF 150 officers and sailors on
board. This was supposed to have been q
Some of the other notable disasters In the
history Of ocean navigation, in which war
Ships ISs alone have been DESTROYED are given
destroyed eight British men-of-war with
their crews:
Lives lost
Aug. %. 2-Man-of-war Royal George.
foundered Off the coast of Spithead
Msres Il, andsssons dsossssp ssRsfs queen Char
lotte. burned while in the harbor Of
Feb. Il. isG7"Man-of.war Ajax. burned '''
OF the Island Of Tenedos ........-... go
Dec. %. 1S10-Man-of-war Minotaur,
wrecked on the Haak bank ....-..--. $50
Dec. 4. 1Sl1-Frigate Saldanha, wrecked
on the Irish coast ...-.............-.... 800
Defence and Hero, stranded on the
coast Of Jutland; Admiral Reynolds
and all the crews perished and Is sea-
men rescued d........................... 900
Jan. 80. 1S16-Transport Seahorse, lost
near Tramore bay Observation-Disclosures. $50
Jan. 81. 1H6-Transports Boadicea and
Dec. 20 1S47-Man-of-war Avenger, lost
off north coast of Africa .............. 800
Feb. Is. 1S52-Troop ship Birkenhead,
struck on rock of coast of South At
Sept .. 1s7o-Ironciad turret ship Cap
tain. foundered near Cape Finisterre
during a heavy squall. and went down
Sept. i, is75NH. N. S. Vanguard. iron
clad collided with H. NJ. S. IRON Duke
during maneuvers of Wicklow coast
and sunk without loss of life.
Aug. 80 1S76-H. NJ. S. Thunderer. boiler
exploded during trial trip near Ports
mouth: 80 wounded ed--..--:....:..---- ID
ing ship. foundered in a gale OF the
Isle of Wight ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 800
May 81. 1S7S-German ironclad Grosser
Kurfurst sunk by collision with the
Konig Wilhelm .-.-..--.- SSo
Feb 10. 1SSo-British training ship At
Atlanta. lost in a gale during her trial 49,,
Appii Gha ss' 1ssi.Bianco Encaiada. flagship
of revolutionary party In Chile, blown ,o,
up by torpedo ........-...-...........- 200
Sept 19 1S90ITurkish wooden frigate
Ertogrul foundered In a gale off the
coast of Japan; officers and 81 men
saved out Of a crew of nearly 6OO-..-.. S5S