The sun., 1898-02-20
WRECKED IN PORT.
0hips That Have Met Their Fate when Thoy
Seemed Perfectly Safe.

Ships That Have Met Their Fate when They
Seemed Perfectly Safe.
Every ono admits that it is dangerous to be q
man-of-war's man in war time. Even in time Of
peace. at great gun practice, or while salutinR,
| 1t is recognized fact that accidents happen.
and such accidents do not cause SO much aston
fshment.as they do temporary pity. But il thero
isone place where vessel is supposed popularity
to be safe that place is port. 1t need not be her
home port; but, SO long q vessel is in port
In the minds of the public she Is safe, yet, az
the recent disaster to tho Maine shows, even
port is not always safe. In fact. some of the
great naval disasters in history occurred in port.
Probably the greatest accident on record and
certainly the most famous, was the capsizing of
the Royal George, a line Of battleship of tho
British Navy. 1t was the flagship of Rear Admi-
raj Richard Kempenfeldt. On Aug. 30. 1882 as 10
lay of Spithead. at the mouth of the Thames, 10
| was heeled. in order that a pipe might be re-
paired. Heeling was a simple process; one
broadside of guns was run from side of the
! ship to the other, 30 that all tho weight was on
one side; this laid tho ship over far enough to
! lay bare the end of the PIPE. Hccling wasn't
absolutely safe. but the repairs were so simple
that 1t wasn't worth while to dock the ship. So
they heeled the Royal George.
The ship had not been put out of commission
and practically all her officers and crew were
aboard. Besides, tho friends of many Of tho
ships company were on board, men, women and
children, including q large number of Jews. a
land breeze sprang up. the stays did not hold,
and the great ship capsized. nearly 500 persons
being drowned. Tho Royal George carried 10S
guns and was ono of the best vessels in the
royal navy.
On June 2. 1859. the steamship Eastern Mon.
arch lay off Spithead, after voyage from
India, with 500 officers and men on board, most
of whom were invalds. That night she was
burned, but providentially only eight persons
lost their lives. On Doc. %, 1875. just three
days before Christmas, II. NJ S. Goliath, used az
q training ship. lay in tho Thames with about
500 officers, men, and boys, most of the boys
being rescued from the slums of London. A
lamp upset on the ol.room floor; but again for
tune was on the side OF man. and only twelve
persons were burned to death.
Sunday March "a, 1873, was an unpleasant
day in parts of England. There was q snow
storm, which is always unpleasant in England,
and then there came thunder and purple light
ming. and. to top Off, furious squall ragged for
short time. Just before the squall H. NJ. s.
chip sailed sailed up yod along the Isle Of Wight: She
The boys were crowding the decks. happy happy;
from nj the Bermuda. on D1nnoso ohs head. S0y near
Ventnor. that snow squall struck hcr. and sho
as well as summer; and right before the eyes OF
hundreds OF persons unable to hep7 the old
Capt. Hare, Lieut. Tabor tho executive officer.
and nearly every other person on board was
trance Of the harbor for which they had hoped.
BlsSy aE9 dc c1WpeT 1 Coles the
ship, a vessel to carry few guns but those Of
large calibre. in movable towers on the deck.
in his Monitor but Capt. Coles was not able ou 10
embody his plans in ship until nearly fifteen
oners % for ePssSnp he oce Of Iord Hgh
wirai, accepted the Captains plans, and II. M.
rop Hapt&in bin d was the result; was fulirigged
High bulwarks were intended TO bo let down
when the vessel was cleared for action, uncov-
The ship was launched in 500 and had trouble
from the first. Finally she seemed to '' find her-
1870 commanded by Capt. Hugh Burgoyne. she
was sailing through the Bay OF Biscay. she.
Coles and Mr.. Childcrs son of the First Lord
Of Of the Admiralty, who @ weT" w % passengers. mads
a squall sprang up and struck tho top.heayy
ship. The bulwarks were down, the ship heeed
over and never righted. OF the 400 persons on
board only eighteen escaped, and when the
coprtmarIial sat to try some one for negligenee
try was James May, the gunner! Every officer
was lost.
The Captain was not in harbor; but she might
MS well have been; she was alone thcrc was no
danger OF collision, her ammunition didn't eT;
could be. She and the Eurydico and the koyal
George were beaten down by no great storms.
II was as though the finger OF Providence had
pointed at those three ships and at nothing else.
Not quito three years after the EurydicS
capsiZeG, there was a boat race on the Thames
up in Canada. Tho day was Queen VictOrias
birthday May "a, 1881. The day was clear ID
was Ia aoGay, and the race was exciting, SO the
steamboats, accompanying tho racers were
crowded. Tho Victoria had on her decks every
soul she could carry; bur everybody behaved
we'll and there was no trouble ana no danger
until an exciting part OF a race caused the crowd
TO rush TO one side OF the boat, Then she cap
sized She had 700 persons On board, and more
than 300 died. The suddcnness Of this disaster
WAS appalling. A travclle er driving in a carriage
saw the crowded Victoria stcaming after the
racing bonts, the road ran behind low hill,
cutting on oil view Of tho river for a hundred
yards or so. When the driver had passed tho
buff and again saw the river the Victoria had
capsZed.
Ihore are countless other instances OF such
strange provdential happenings; they all go to
show that man is safe anywhere as he 10
anywhere else, and that when his time 10 ~ -
aust 60.