The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-11
Paul JONES WRECK
Story Recalled by the Finding
of a Victims Body.
LAW AS TO SURVIV0RSHIP
Has a BusinessIike Application
to the Tragedy.
LAW AS TO SURVIV0RSHIP

ST. Louis, Oct 10.-The finding Of the
body of a well-dressed young woman by
the captain of srrimp lugger a few days
ago on one Of the Timbalier Islands, re-
calls the wreck of the yacht Paul Jones
that was lost in the Gulf of Mexico near
ly a year ago.
The Paul Jones was a magni1cently fur
nished yacht belonging to Lawrence Jones
a distiller of Louisville, Ky.
Colonel H C. Yocum, president of the
Yocum-Kacer Manufacturing Company of
st. Louis, and Mr. Jones were great
friends and the yacht was rendered to
Colonel Yocum for the purpose of making
a trip from Louisville to Clearwater, Fla.
where he had recently completed hand
some winter home.
Early in December the yacht cleared on
her voyage, The party consisted of Col
onel H. c. Yocum, his daughter, Miss
Florence Yocum, Miss Florence Taggart,
daughter of Mayor Taggart of Indianapo-
lis, and Miss Margery Woodland of
Chicago. Besides. Joseph Brinckman Of
Louisville shipped as pilot, and George
Jones, a negro boy, las cook.
The trip down the rivers to New Or
leans was without mishap and thorough
ly replete with pleasure. The yacht made
several stops on the way in order to en-
able the eXcursionists to visit places of
amusement in the cities along the route,
and at the same time break the monot-
ony incident to life aboard ship.
On January 8 the party cleared from
New Orleans with the announced inten-
ton of making Mobile thei next stop
They were due in that port January 5.
They failed to arrive, and from the day
the yacht left the mouth of the Mississip-
pi no member of the party was ever seen
alive.
At first the nonarrival Of the yacht &C.
casioned no serious apprehension, either
for the safety of the boat or those who
had taken passage on her. Weeks went
by, however, and no trace of the little
craft that had passed out on the waters
of the Gulf OF Mexico could be found
Every day then but added to the suspense
Of the relatives and friends of the party
on the yacht. In every port word was
sent around to keep cluose watch for the
yacht. Captains of both steam and sail
ing vessles were asked to keep an eve for
the boat. For three weeks the search
was continued. Reports from time to time
were brought of a strange boat that had
been seen at various points, and on these
vague rumors hope was kept alive. No
report, however, ever materialized.
q VI
ed States Senator Fairbanks for Federal
aid. The revenue cutter, Winona, was
ordered to put to sea in quest of the miss
ing craft. No trace, however, was found,
and after the Government boat had pa
trolled the coast from the mouth of the
Mississippi to Key West, the search was
nally abandoned and all hope lost.
Then the old sea dogs that smoke their
pipes along the wharves of the harbor of
New Orleans when not lighting the gales
of the Gulf began to comment on the
danger of the undertaking of the Paul
Jones. They recalled the fact that the
yacht had put out to sea in the teeth of
a "sou'easer'' that would have taxed to
the utmost capacity a vessel of much
more sturdy proportions, and in their I'M
lettered, but experienced minds, they
gave it as their opinion that the yacht
had foundered in the gale, and that the
wreckage had drifted on near the Tim
balier Islands.
In the meantime, Colonel Lloyd Harris
Of st. Louis, and Mayor Taggart of In
dianapolis, had gone to New Orleans, and
made every possible effort to recover, If
lost, the bodies of the victims Every
suggestion that was possible Of accom-
plishment was followed, and tugs and
yachts and shing sniacks were sent hith-
er and thither over the waters
On the 18th of January the compass of