Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1899-11-16
THE CHARLESTON.
Wreck of a Costly u. S.
Cruiser on Sunken
Reef.
One of the Unexpected Events
Of the Philippine Cam
paign.
An Account Of the Sharp fight
Near San Fabian With
the Natives.

MANILA, Nov. l5.-12:25 p. m.-Ihe
United States cruiser Charleston ran
aground near Vigan on a hidden reef,
with 35 fathoms of water on both sides.
She worked her machinery for two
da. $ and nights in trying to get afloat,
but, typhoon arising, the crew We're
compelled to take to their boats and
seek refuge on a small island three
miles away. The natives are friendly.
Lieutenant Mcdonald and number Of
sailors put off in small boat and
reached the Callao, which brought
them to Manila. The gunboat Helena
has been dispatched to bring away the
crew.
Lieutenant Mcdonald describes the
Charleston when he last saw her as,
hard and fast aground, with her bottom
badly stove, and we'll out Of water.
The cruiser Charleston, which was
built in San Francisco in 1888, had a
displacement Of $3.50 tons, was 3l2 feet
inches in length, 4G feet 2 inches in
beam and 81 feet inches in draught.
She was Of steel. having 2 propellers,
funnel and masts with military tops.
She had the following armament: Two
s-inch guns. 8 6-inch guns, 6-pound-
ers, 2 3-pounders, 6 l-pounders, 9 ma
chine guns and light gun with
torpedo tubes. She had complement
Of 306 men.
The Charleston has been in Asiatic
waters more than year. She was one
of the first vessels to be sent to Manila
after the destruction of the Spanish
feet by Admiral Dewey, the navy de-
partment utilizing her for the purpose
of sending ammunition and other sup
plies for the Asiatic station. just pre-
vious to her assignment to that duty she
had undergone an overhauling at the
Mare Island navyyard, San Francisco,
and therefore was in perfect condition
for her duties. The Charleston is one
of the vessels Of more recent construc-
tion and belongs to that class which is
commonly referred to as 1.-the new
navy"
MANILA, Nov. 16.-Further details
regarding the grounding of the United
States cruiser Charleston show that she
struck an uncharted coral reef 10 miles
east of Kamiguen island. Her stern
was almost submerged and the bow al
most out of the water. A heavy sea-
was on and the cruiser began rolling
violently. The water tight doors We're
quickly closed but We're stove in under
the engine compartment, the largest of
the ship.
After the first efforts to right her the
officers feared she might slide off be-
cause of the heavy sea and therefore
abandoned the attempt to save her.
They hurried to the launches and boats
and rowed away with the Colt guns, IL
rifles and 10 days rations. A party re-
turned two days later, but found it
Impossible to save Anything.
The first landing was made on a little
island, with coast of barren rocks.
Nearly all the boats took to the water
and proceeded to Kamiguen island,
where landing was made in the ex-
pectation of fight. Contrary to this,
however, the crew of the Charleston
found half-b -barbarous people regard
ing them with curiosity and without
hostility. The gunboat Helena has
been sent to pick them up.
In naval circles the accident is con-
sidered quite unavoidable. The only
wonder is that there are not more such
disasters in Philippine waters, which
are most indifferently charted.
The Charleston lies practically in the
open sea and there is no hope of saving
her and the valuable paraphernalia and
tho contents Of the cruiser.