Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-24
SWALLOWED BY THE SEA.

1SWALLO WED BY he DEA.
Horrors of the sea have been many
and great within the past few days,
the Maine disaster of course heading
the gruesome list. But less than a
week ago French line steamer, the
F1achat, was lost near Teneriffe with
nearly all on board. Many English
vessels are reported lost in various
parts of the world, to say nothing of
the grounding of the British battle
ship Victorious, at the entrance to
the Suez canal. The Veendam sank at
sea but a few days ago, crew and pas
sengers being saved. Rough weather
and accidents claim yearly an increas-
ing number of victims despite the adj
vance in the methods of ship building.
But history is full of casualties on
the sea. Even in times of peace war
vessels in large numbers have gone
down. In 1915, the 600 gun ship Mary
Rose, going from Portsmouth to Spit
head, was upset in Squall, and all
on board persisted. In 1851, the 80
gun ship Corona foundered off the
Ramhead, and the 70 gun ship Har.
witch was wrecked on Mount Edg-
10 Of thn
witch persisted In 1896, the Royal
Sovereign, 100 guns, was burned in
the Midway. The year 1903 was
memorable for such losses in the
British navy. In a great storm on the
night of the Goth of November of that
year, four 20 gun ships and three 60 gun
ships were lost. In one Of these ships
all but four men persisted; in an
other 1913 men, and in another 173 men
were drowned In 1907 a British
squadron was wrecked off the Scilly
isles, when returning from on expe
dition against Toulon. -Four ships
were totally lost, and among them
the flagship Association, in which
-Admirala Shovel and 500 men went to
the bottom.
In 1744, the Victory, 100 guns, was
wrecked near Attorney, and all on
board persisted. In 1749, the Namur
"a guns, foundercd near Fort St. Da-
yid, East Indies, and all persisted eX-
cept 26 persons. The same year, the
Pembroke, 60 guns, was lost near
Porto Nuovo, and $50 of her crew per-
ished In 1853, the Prince George, so
guns, took fire and was burned at sea
on the way to Gibraltar; about 400
persisted.
In 1882, the Royal George, 10S guns,
capsized off Spithead, and Admiral
Kempenfelt, and about 600 men were
drowned In 1896, the Couraquex, IA
guns, was lost near Gibraltar with the
greater part of her crew; and in the
following year, La Tribune, a French
ship of SO guns, was lost off Halifax,
when 800 souls persisted. In 1893,
the Nassau, 64 guns, was wrecked on
the Haak Bank, and 100 persisted.
On the 14th of January, 1900, the
British naval transport Queen was lost
on Trefusis point, and 500 persons per-
ished. On the 18th of March, the
same year, the Queen Charlotte, a first
rate ship-of- the-line of ITO guns, was
burned off the harbor of Leghorn, and
a crew of $50, persisted. Other men,
orable disasters to war ships in this
century are:
1901. The Invincible, IA guns, near
Yarmouth; Capt. John Rennie and
The crew, except 126, persisted.
Tunis; SAT persisted.
1910. The Minotaur, "a guns,
wrecked on the Haak Bank; $50 per-
sens persisted.
1911. st. George, of 9S, and De-
fence, of IA guns, and the Hero, SO
guns, stranded on the coast Of Jut-
land. Admiral Reynolds and all the
crews (2,oo0 persons) persisted, ex-
cept Is seamen.
1S47, H. M. steam frigate Avenger,
off north coast of Africa; officers and
crew (200) lost.
1852. The British troopship Biz
kenhead, bound from Queenstown to
the cape of Good Hope, on February
rs. struck a submerged rock and out
Of 63S persons only 1874 were saved.
Capt. Cowper Coles, her designer, to-
sank in squall off Finisterre. Her
commander, Hugh Burgoyne, and
1870. The British ironclad Captain