Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-05
LOSS OF THE CATANIA
Vessel on Which District Regiment
Went to Cuba.
GONE DOWN IN MIDOCBAN
Particulars Given in Dispatch Sent
Out From London.
THE OFFICERS AND CREW

Much interest is felt in Washington in thu
press dispatches from London which tell
| OF the disappearance in mid ocean tha
complete swallowing up by the sea of tha
! steamship Catania. employed 10y the United
| States government during the war with
| Spain as an army transport, and on board
| which the list District Regiment of Volun-
teers made the trip from Tampa. Fla. to
| Slboney, Cuba. The protest of Col. Harrics
against bringing his men home on the Ca
tania, because he knew of her unseaworthy
condition. brought on, some criticism Of tho
commanding officer Of the District men.
The Particulars.
The dispatch was sent from London un-
| der yesterdays date. and is as follows:
The Atlantic Transport Company steam-
| er Mesaba, Capt. Layland. from New York,
December -, for this port, which passed
! Prawle Point yesterday and reported that
! she spoke the American steamer Catania
| capt. Eurlong, from Glasgow, on Decem-
Ter L. from New York, in distress ia lati-
| tude ~ north and longitude rs west has
| arrived here with details of the meeting.
| Captain Layland says he met the Catania
on December -. Her funnel had been
washed away and her decks had been
| swept She asked To be taken in tow. and
| the Mesaba agreed to do so if possible
| boat from the Mesaba, containing tho
chief officer and five men, was launched
, and attempted TO put line on board the
| distressed steamer, but failed to do SO on
| account Of the heavy seas which were run
| ming.
The chief officer, however, finally sue
| ceeded in securing a line from the Catania,
but the seas were high that he was
| forced to drop il. as its weight was endan-
! gering the boats crew Of the Mesaba.
As night was falling and the strength Of
| the gale was increasing further attempts
k4 1E2 VGAr
sibe.
The Catania then sgnaled Don't aban-
don me- and the Mesaba answered that she
would not Then the Mesaba asked the Ca
| tanias crew if they would not abandon
| their ship, but they refused to do The
| Mesaba stood by the Catania all night
| long and the latter did not fire any signals
| of distress, but at daylight she was invisi-
| BILE.
After searching for the missing vessel un-
| Ill o'clock in the morning Of December 30
| the Mesaba proceeded for London, having
] stood by for Twenty-Five hours.
The Catania il an iron, schooner-rigged
| screw steamer OF 2.Gi5 tons gross register
| and l.9+2 tons net She was built at Glass
! gov IN 1881, and belongs to the Tweedie
! Trading Company OF New York. Inquiries
| made at the Offices in New York Of the
| Tweedie Trading Company last evening
| showed there were about twenty-five men
| on board the steamer which was in ballast
| and insured, but to what extent could not
| be ascertained.
| Assigned tn District Regiment.
| It will be remembered that when The Dis
| tIiCt troops were ordered to sail from Tam-
| pa for Cuba the Catalia was assigned 10
| them for transport service En- route 10 the
| island the machinery on the ship worked
| very badly breaking down completely on
several occasions. The crew was small and
! insufficient, and th@ steamers condition WAS
| unsatisfactory in almost every respect Ar
| irving at Cuba the Cltania remained in
| Siboney harbor Tor a season. When the
| fever fell upon the troops at the front there
| was a wild scramble among the regiments
| as to which should have the first transports
home. The Catania was again assigned TO
the District regiment. Col Harries Was by
| this time fully conversant with the unfit
| condition Of the steamer, and vcntured the
| prediction that in the first gale encountered
she would go to the bottom in hurry. He
filed a formal protest with Gen. Shafter
| against sending his command on that boat.
His refusal was greeted with storm Of
| criticism from some of those who knew
| Tothing Of the facts in the matter, both in
| the regiment and at home.
| Colonel Harries' p.ediction has been veri-
| fed III tragic and awful manner. as the
| above dispatch attcsts. The disa astcr is
| appalling and furnishes much food for re-
Election.
The Captain Victim.
The District boys will be grieved 10 learn
Of Captain Furlong's probable death. on
| the trip to Cuba he did everything possible
| to make the voyage pleasant one and en-
deared himself in the hearts of every blue
coat on board the boat.
The officers Of The missing steamer Ca
| tania are: Charles \. FurlonE captain; J.
! Klingskill. first mate; J. Aud. chief eEgi-
neer. The names of the other twenty-five
men on board the Catania could not be OBJ
tanned from the agents of the vessel in New
York.