The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-09-15
SINGULAR NAVAL MYSTERIES
without Leaving Amp Cicw
to Thcir Whereabouts.

NhfioHA ulbhpptHihhteA anu AEeA'
dents 10 our warships characterize the
early history of our navy, and, in spite
OF all the efforts Of the navy depart
meut to explain the cause OF the dis
asters, many Of them are as abso-
lutte mysteries to-day as when they
happened,
When the government built ten new
gunboats 10 prosecute the war against
Tripoli, IN 1906, they were sent out as
soon as they were finished and be-
fore they we're named, Each one was
given a number and dispatched to the
scene Of war. No, Z sailed from New
York June 20, 1908, under command of
Lieut.. Ogelyie, and after She cleared
Sandy Hook light She was never heard
from again. She went down with all
oa board before she had ever been
named,
a most extraordinary accident hap
pened to the corvette Monongahela al
Santa Cruz In 1867. While at anchor n
the harbor a tremendous tidal wave
lifted her upon its crest and carried
her clean over the town Of Frederick
stadt and back again without injuring
the town or the boat TO any great ex.
tent The receding wave landed her
on the beach instead Of IN the deep
waters Of the harhCr, and Il cost our
government 100000 to noat her again,
Fully as strange was the fate of the
sIoor-of-war Watcree,
She was anchored in the harbor Of
africa, Peru in 1868, when a huge tidal
wave swept inland and flooded the
whole city. The wave carried the
sloop several miles inland, and finally
landed her in The nidst Of q tropica,
forest. II was impossible to relcash
her from such a peculiar position, and
the government sold her for nominal
sum The purchasers turned the vessel
into a hotel, and the remains Of the
once formidable war vessel loom mp in.
the tropical forest to-day as a monu.
ment to the power Of tidal waves.
Among other cases Of disaster which
are attributed to the violence Of the.
waves or weather there Is none more
interesting than that Of the strange.
fate Of the Saratoga. When She sailed.
from Philadelphia In October, 1886, uni
der the command Of Capt. james
Young, there was no finer or hand.
somer war vessel aAoat That she wa
as formidable as she was attractive
She soon demonstrated IN a practical.
way. After cruising around q SHORT
time she captured three British vessels
In succession, and then with her prizes.
she started to return TO Philadelphia
But or The Delaware oapcs she e]ncoun
tered a British ship Of line. As tbo'
Saratoga carried only rs guns and the.
Intrepid was a 74-gun ship CaptI
Young considered Ii safer to run aNyayI
The enemy did not chase her far butt
returned 60 protecl and recapture theI
British prizes, The Saratoga sailed.
away in the very teeth Of q storm, and.
she was never heard from again. Did
she founder at sea IN the gale, or was.
She blown UP By her own m]agaziues2
There were some peculiar accidents
to our naval vessels in the past thail
are accounted for, but, while the myBl
terry Of their loss Is removed aud ey
planned, the strangcuess Of their mis.I
haps Is no less interesting For iu.l
stance, there Is the sinking " tbel
United states sIoop-oi-war Oneida iuI
SHE yvHE h0uDd home from Y0E0-l