The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-22
THE ILL-FATED YACHT
MESSAGE FROM MAYOR TAGGART
THAT BRINGS LITTLE HOPE.
No Longer Doubt of the Destruction
of the Paul Jones-HistOrY
of the Vessel.

MIS-. LdSEAlL AtNttfNA AliD 4oliONAA3 NNAC-
gram from her husband dated at New Or
leans. last midnight:
II have just wired Roy and Sam at louis
vile not to come as everything IS being
done that can be. There are several parties
with boats on the hunt, and we look for in
formation tomorrow. 1 will wire you in
the morning"
Roy and Sam referred to in the tele-
gram are Roy Breunig and Samuel Patti
son, friends Of the Taggart family, who left
the city yesterday to offer their assistance
TO Mr. Taggart.
There was intense anxiety yesterday to
communicate with Mayor Taggart. Nothing
was heard from the mayor until late in the
evening when +. NJ. Johnson, city
troller, received a message from him con-
hrming the sad report that the launch Paul
Jones' had been wrecked. The message
said that a diligent search was being made
and would be continued for the missing
passengers and crew. The telegram had
been sent from Biloxi, Miss. at 3:45 D. m,
and said that the mayor had just arrived at
that point on the revenue cutter Winona
from Bird and Breton islands, near which
portions of the wreck were discovered.
According TO dispatch from New Or
leans advices- reaching that city yesterday
ACaFC III ILL LAAGA 0CubL DIS ~ the 1oSS u LlS
Inflated yacht. Much of the wreckage and
effects of the boat and those on board have
E zen picked up by the tug George. Cap
tam John Gibbs and Mr.. $. r. LeaVitt, the
latter prominent citizen of the lower
coast, who arrived at New Orleans yester-
day, say they saw and inspected the articles
found, some of which were brought to New
orleans. A yellow cushion and one of Miss
Haggarts handkerchiefs, in addition to her
bunch of keys, have been recovered. Par
ties are now hunting for the bodies of the
urf inc rfx md no hali
is expressed at New Orleans that some Of
them viii be recovered.
Miss Taggart was twenty years old and
Was the oldest of Mayor Taggart's five chill
dren. She was very popular in the society
of this city and all who knew her became
her fast friends She met the friends who
were on the yacht with her while at school
at Knoxville, Ill. Miss Woodland and Miss
Yocun were A wear older than Miss Tag
CART These three girls and Miss Lett1ngwell
and Miss Ewing, of Chicago, became chums
and their friendship lasted out of school
Miss Taggart entertained Miss Yocum and
Miss WOODLAND at her nome, IN tins CITY,
before she left for the winter trip TO
Florida Miss Lefingwell was to have Joined
the party at Clearwater, Fla, where Colonel
YOcum, who organized the party, owns a
cottage. The yacht left Louisville for the
trip down the Mississippi to the gulf Dec o.
HISTORY OF THE VESSEL.
The louisville Courier-Journal printed the
following story about the yacht yesterday:
1.-The Paul Jones was constructed by New
York shipbuilders about two years ago on
the order of Messrs. Lawrence and Saun-
ders p. Jones, of Louisville. They named
it for their uncle, the late Paul Jones. The
little craft was built for a sea-going vessel,
and made frequent trips down the New Eng
land coast before she was brought to Louis
vile. One of the builders of the launch
told Mr. Jones upon her completion that
he would not he afraid to cross the At
lantic on her. Many of the Messrs. Jones's
friends in New York had the use of the
launch for pleasure excursions. She made
many trips out of New York harbor, rang
ing in distance from one hundred to three
hundred miles down the coast. Often the
little vessel was as far as thirty or forty
miles from land. She braved the toughest
water and was always put into port intact
The launch was loaded and shipped to
Louisville several months ago. She was
taken from the train and put into the river
at a cost or several hundred dollars to her
owners. 1t was said by river men at the
time that in slipping the craft into the water
she had been sprung in such way as 10
render her unsafe. Mr.. Lawrence Jones
consulted several experts, however, and all
of them said the launch was in good shape,
and that there was nothing wrong about
any of her parts.
''AIessrs. Lawrence and Saunders P. Jones
gave a number of little river parties to their
friends, and the little launch always did
herself proud She was taken up the river
as far as Cincinnati once and made many
short trips down stream Her machinery
was always in the best shpe, and her own
ers as we'll as their guests and members of
the crew felt as secure aboard her jas they
would in their homes. Before I'd launch
was taken from the train at First street
several hundred people visited the levee TO
see her.
Mitchell Smith, of JeffersonviIIe, who
went as far as Cairo, ILL.,, as pilot of the
Inflated Paul Jones, is now south on the
towboat John A. Wood, but before he left
home and Immediately after returning from
the trip on the Paul Jones. he informed an
intimate friend, who Is one of me best
known pilots on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, that he was never so glad when
he left the Jones. lie said that !e was af,9id
of her, and especially did he for the
safety of the craft on account of the
naphtha tanks"
An Associated Press dispatch from New
Orleans at midnight said: Lawrence Jones,
owner of the Inflated launch Paul Jones,
and Mayor Taggart, of Indianapolis, father
of Miss Florence Taggart, arrived i'm the
city tonight. They have received word of
more wreckage picked up. such as pillows
and cushions belonging to the yacht, and
are firmly convinced of the vessels loss with
all on board They will remain here a few
days to hear reports from the numerous
searching parties out"