Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-03-14
FORMER NAVAL DISASTERS.
List of the Misfortunes to United
States War Ships Since 1880.

states navy begins with the loss Oh
the 18-gun ship Saratoga. Sailing
from Philadelphia under the command
o. CAT. James Youns, about October
1, 1880, she captured three English
vesse.s. IN company with her prizes
the Saratoga sailed for Philadelphia.
When off the capes of Delaware the
British 74-gun ship of the line, IN
trepid, came in sight and gave chase.
The prizes were recaptured, but the
Saratoga escaped by running out to
sea. She was never beard from again,
and it is supposed she foundered in q
gale which set in the following day.
On July Il, 1900, The United States
being then hostile to France, the So
sun frigate Insurgent, Capt, Patrick
Fletcher, sailed under instructions to
take a course easterly from the Chesa-
.peake capes until longitude IS west
was reached, then TO cruise between
that longitude and SIS west, going as
far south as latitude 80 north. she
has never been heard Of since. The
Insurgent was formerly under the
French flag, and was taken by thu
Constellation, Capt. Truxton, on Feb.
9, 1899, off the Island of Nevis, after
hard-fought action. In August, 1900,
the 14-gun brig Pickering, Master
Commandant Benjamin Hillar, sailed
under orders to cruise off Gaudeloupe
From the time of her sailing she was
never heard of. Early in 1905, the
government, deeming it advisable to
increase the naval force engaged IN
the war with Tripoli, 10 gunboats,
planned for service in the waters of
the Mediterranean, were constructed.
Of these vessels, gunboat No Z sailed
on May IA, 1906, from New York I'M
der the command of Lieut.. Ogelvie.
When a short distance out her mast
was sprung and she returned for re-
pairs. She sailed again on June 20,
but was never heard from.
The next vessel Of the navy the fate
of which is shrouded in mystery was
the Wasp. She was one of the six
sloops authorized by the act Of jan
uary 2, 1913, and her career, though
III C1, WdS lUl1 III SlO1 OcIl11llS3 11OI1l
Portsmouth, N. H., on May l, 1914, I'M
der Master Commandant Johnston
Blakesley, she fell in with the British
brig Reindeer on June %, and after an
action OF 10 minutes compelled her to
surrender. On September / the Wasp
cut out and burned the brig Mary,
which was one of fleet of 10 mer-
chantmen under convoy of the 74-gun
ship Of the line Armada. During the
evening of the same day B1akesley
sighted four sails, two on the star
board bow and two on the port. AS
the darkness came on signals by rock
cts and lanterns were made by one Of
the vessels which had separated from
the others. The Wasp, laying her
course by the signals, had war ship
under her guns by $50, and received
a broadside from the chase. The ac-
ton continued until a few, minutes af-
ter 10 o'clock when the stranger hail
ed that she had surrendered. AS the
Wasp was about to lower a boat an
other sail appeared out of the dark
ness. The boat was held back and
the men sent to their quarters. A
little later two more sails came in
sight. The rigging of the Wasp being
much cut up, she stood off, followed
by one of the vessels, but after the ex-
change of a few shots the stranger
Joined her consorts and the Wasp held
on her way.
The vessel with which the Wasp
had the engagement was the l8-gun
brig Avon, and her injuries were SO
severe that she sank during the night.
Between the date of the fight with the
Avon and September 81 the Wasp de-
stroyed two merchantmen and capt
ured the Atlanta, mounting eight guns.
The latter vessel, having valuable
cargo. was manned with a prize crew
and sent to Savannah, where she ar
rived on October 1. The Swedish bark
Adonis was boarded in latitude 18 de-
grees 35 minutes north, longitude 80
degrees 10 minutes west, by BOAT
from the Wasp, Lieut. Stephen Mac
knight and Masters Mate James Ly-
man, officers of the Essex, who had
been paroled after her destruction In
Valparaiso harbor, and who were pas
sengers on the Adonis, paid their pas
sage money to the master, and with
their baggage went back to the Wasp.
That was the last intelligence Of the
Wasp.
When Decatur, in 1915, dictated TO
the dey of Algiers the terms of a
treaty with the United States, the
brig Epervier, Lieut.. john Shubrick,
was dispatched with q copy Of it for
the approval Of the government. On
board, as passengers, were Capt. Lewis
and Lieut.. Neale, who had married sis
tiers just previous to sailing for the
Mediterranean in Capt Decatur's fleet.
Lieut. Drury and Lieut. Yarnell who
had made a name for himself in
Perry's victory on Lake Erie, was also
on board. July II, 1875, the Epervier