Evening journal., 1898-05-31
WRECKED IN PORT.

Probably the greatest accident on
record, and certainly the most famous,
was the capsi1ing of the Royal George,
a line Of battleship of tho British navy.
1t was the flagship of Rear Admiral
Richard Kempenfeldt. On August 20,
1852, as it lay OIL Spithead, at the mouth
Of the Thames, it was heeled, in order
that pipe might be repaired. Hecling
was simple process; one broadside of
guns was run from one side of the ship
to the other, so that all the weight was
on one side; this laid tho ship over far
enough to lay bare the end of the pipe.
Heeling wasn't absolutely safe, but the
repairs were 50 simple that it wasn't
worth while to dock the ship. So they
heeled tho Royal George.
The ship had not been put out OF
commission, and practically all her Of
ncers and crew were aboard. Besides,
the friends Of mnny Of the ships COM
pnny were on board, men, women and
children, including a large number OF
Jews. a land breeze spring up, the
stays did not hold, and tho great ship
cupslzed. nearly 800 persons being
drowned. The Royal George carried
10s guns and was one Of the best vessels
in the royal navy.
On June ?, 1859, the steamship Eastern
Monarch lay of spithead, after voy-
ago from India, with 500 officers and
men on board, most Of whom were IN
valids. That night she was burned, but
providentlally only eight persons lost
their lives. On December %, 1878, just
three days before Christmas, II. NJ. s.
Goliath, used as n training ship, lay in
| tho Thames with about 500 officers, men
and boys, most Of the boys being res
cued from the slums Of London. A lamp
upset on the oil room floor; but again
fortune was on the side of man, and
only 10 persons were burned 20 death.
Sunday, March "a, 1878, was an un-
pleasant day IN parts Of England. There
was a snowstorm, which is always un-
pleasant in England, and when there
came thunder and purple lightning,
and, 20 top of, a furious squall raged
for short time. Just before the squall
II. NJ. s. sailing frlgato Eurydice, used
as training ship, sailed up along the
Isle OF Wight. She had about 800 men
and boys on bcurd, and came In with q
good breeze, most OF her sails drawing
and her ports open. Tho boys were
crowding the decks, happy to SEQ Eng
land again after along voyage from tho
Bermudns. on Dunnoso head, neal
Ventnor, that snow squall struck her
and sho capsized. Ventnor is a water
ing place, winter as we'll os summer
and right before the eyes Of hundred
Of persons unable 10 help tho old frigat'
went down. Hardly anyone was saved
Cnpt. Hare, Lieut. Tnbor, the executive
ofiicor, and nearly every other persol
on boGrd woa drowned almost within
reach Of land at tho entrance Of tn
harbor for which they had hoped.
Forty-fve yenrs ago Capt Cowpe
Coles, OF tho British navy, invented wha
I no called q turret ship, q vessel TO carr
I / few gums, but those Of large callber, &
! | movable towers on the deck Ehcsso
r ! bad the same idcn, and carried il out /
/. [ his Monitor, but Capt Coles was no
: ablo 20 embOdy his plans IN ship unit
D ! nearly IS ycnrs had passed. Finally tn
lords commissioners for executing tn
/ Office Of lord high admiral, accepts
. the captains plans, and III. N. 8. Captain
was the result 70 was q full-rlgge'
b. iron ship, nrmored, with nuxiliar.
D steam power. High bulwnrl1a were IN
4 tended 70 be let down when the vcssC
was cleared for action, uncovering tn
two turrets.
The ship was launched in 1869 an
(, had trouble from the first Finally sh
seemed to "fnd herself and joined tn
Channel feet. On September 2, 1917
commanded by Capt. Hugh Burgoyn'
= she was shilling through the bay Of Bii
d cay. She carried q company Of 4ss pei
= sons, and Capt. Coles and Mr.. Childer
!, q son OF the first lord Of the admiralt,
+ who were passengers, made the tot,
T. number on board 400. At 1915 a. IN.
= squall sprang up and struck tho tol
J. heavy ship. Tho bulwarks were dow
= tho ship heeled over and never rightei
. OF the 400 persons on board only
= escaped, and when the court-martii
4 sat to try somo one for negligence
L. losing tho vessel. tho only person the
- could try was James May, the gunner
n Every officer was lost.
IS The Captain was not in harbor; bt
u she might as well have been; she wG
alone. there was no danger Of collisio.
her ammunition didn't explode Seer
le ingly sho was as safe as q ship we
Al could be. She and the Eurydleo and Il
y Royal George we're beaten down by i
, great storms. Il was as though Il
~ finger of Providence had pointed
those three ships and at nothing els
Not quite three years after the Eur
IA dice capsizcd, there was q boat race {
W the Thames up the Canada The ia
le was Queen Victoria's birthday. May
e. 1881. The day was clear, it was q no
t day, and the race was exciting; so u
4 steamboats, accompanying the race
?. we're crowded. The Victoria had 4,
- her decks every soul she could carr.
but everybody behaved wen, and the
was no trouble and no danger nm
an exciting part Of a race caused Il
~ crowd TO rush TO one side of the be;