The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-09
Wrecked in Port.

Every one admits that it is danger
GUS TO be man-of. wars man in war
time. Even in time of peace, at great
gun practice, or while salutiDg, it is a
recognized fact that accidents happen,
and such accidents do not cause so
much astonishment as they do temper
airy pity. But if there is one place
where vessel is supposed popularity
to be safe, that place is port. 1t need
not be her home port; but, so long as a
vessel is in port, in the minds of the
public she is safe, yet, as the recent
disaster to the Maine shows. even port
is not always safe. In fact, some of
the great naval disasters in history &C.
Cured 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 the British Navy.
1t was the flagship of Rear Admiral
Richard Kempenfeldt. On August 30,
1882, as it lay off Spithead, at the
mouth of the Thames, it was heeled, in
order that pipe might be repaired.
Keeling was a 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
the ship over far enough to lay bare
the end of the pipe. Keeling wasn't
absolutely safe, but the repairs were so
simple that it 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 Off
GERS and crew were aboard. Besides, the
friends Of many of the ships company
were on board, men, women and child
rem, including large number of Jews.
A land breeze sprang up, the stays did
not hold, and the great ship capsiz-
ed, nearly 800 persons being drowned.
The Royal George carried 108 guns and
was one of the best vessels in the royal
navy.
On June 2, 1859, the steamship East
ern Monarch lay off Spithead, after a
voyage from India, with 500 officers and
men on board, most of whom were in
valids. That night she was burned,
but providentially only eight persons
lost their lives. On December %,
1875, just three days before Christmas,
H. NJ. S. Goliath, used as a training
ship, lay in the Thames with about 500
officers, men, and boys, most of the
boys being rescued from the slums of
London. A lamp upset on the OIL
room floor; but again fortune was on
the side of man, and only twelve per-
sons were burned to death.
Sunday, March "a, 1878, was an un-
pleasant day in parts of England.
There was snowstorm, which is al
ways unpleasant in England, and then
there came thunder and purple light
ming, and, to top off, furious squall
ragged for a short time. Just before the
squall H. M. S. sailing frigate Eurydice,
used as training ship, sailed up along
the Isle of Wight. She had about 300
men and boys on board, and came in
with good breeze, most of her sails
drawing and her ports open. The boys
were crowding the decks, happy to see
England again after long voyage from
the Bermudas. OFF Dunnose head,
near Ventnor, that snow squall struck
her, and she capsized. Ventnor is a
watering place, winter as well as sum-
mer; and right before the eyes of hun.
dreds of persons unable to help, the old
frigate went down. Hardly any one
was saved. Captain Hare, Lieutenant
Tabor, the executive officer, and nearly
every other person on board was
drowned almost within reach of land
/ at the entrance of the harbor for which
they had hoped.
Forty-tive years ago Captain Cowper
Coles of the British navy invented
what he called turret ship, vessel to
carry few guns, but those of large cal
ibre, in movable towers on the deck
Ericsson had the same idea, and car
ried it out in his Monitor, but Captain
Coles was not able to embody his
plans in ship until nearly fifteen
years had passed. Finally the Lords
Commissioners for executing the Of
flee of Lord High Admiral, accepting
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