The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-09-05
NO FEAR FOR MONONGAHELA
Scholarship Once Before Took Longer
Time to Make Voyage.
Naval Officials Say She Could Not Possibly
Have Encountered the Hurricane
Measuring Answers to the
Anxious Inquiries

Special to The Post.
Norfolk, Va, Sept 4.-The United
States training-ship Monorgahcla is now
another day overdue, and anxiety for her
safety deepens. A letter from a cadet
aboard her, written from Funchal, Ma
deir1, stated that she was to arrive here
August 2S. This makes her one week
overdue. Naval officers do not express
anxiety for her safety, ana it is assert
ei In shipping circles that a delay of a
week fer sailing ship docs not mean
necessarily that she is in trouble
Several days ago the government sta
toned the tug Standish of, the Virginia
capes to watch for her. The tug remains
on that duty. No word has come from
the training-ship since she left FUnchaI,
but as she is out of The track of ocean
liners, it is not probable she viii be sight
ed by any of them. Government officials
here are awaiting intelligence inpatientiy
and many inquiries are received daily
concerning the ship from friends of those
on board.
Annapolis, Md. Sept. 3-Nhile deep in
terest Is manifested at Annapolis. where
so many of the naval cadets on the Mo
nnngahela are known vet no one
connected with the Naval Academy eX-
presses any apprehensions IN reGG.d to
her. The quickest trip from the Madeira
Islands that the Monongahela ever made
was last year, when she made ii in TWEEN
ty-eight days. She has taken as long as
forty-One days to make the voyage The
Monongahela is VIGOROUSLY bad saile=,
having been built as a steamer and tnen
changed into sailing ship.
Acting Secretary Allen has directed that
he made to fol Of
from parents of cadets on board the
Monongahela that the department enter
tains no apprehension on her account
The Monongahela sailed from Annapo-
lis on the lst of May last on a practice
cruise across the Atlantic and back. car
rying about 120 cadets from the Naval
Academy, made up of the second and third
classes ard part of the fourth class She
was bound for Plymouth, England where
she arrived July l. She sailed on the
homeward trip on July s, and reported
from Funchal, Madeira, her arrival at
that port July "A. On July q she sailed
direct for Annapolis so that she has been
out thirty-eight days The officers Of the
Navigation Bureau say this is by no means
a long time TO spend in the voyage even
under favorable weather conditions.
The distance from Funchal TO the Ches-
apeake Capes in a direct line is about
2.500 miles But sailing vessels never take
this direct route. and naval ships in par
ticular make a practice of swinging far
10 the southwark after leaving Funchal
in order TO get the trades. That makes |
route OF about $500 miles.
The Monongahela is commanded by |
Capt. Hutchins. the cOmmandant of ca
diets at Annapolis, whose reputation is |
that OF a careful and thoroughly compe- |
tent sailor. The vessel is stanch, and a |
good sea boat. She is speedy before the |
wind and running free. but not weatheriy; |
in fact, il is almost impossible to tack |
can only hold her own without advancing |
on her course. She is of wood, 2,lc0 tons. |
and in excellent condition. Capt. Dicxins, /
of the Navigation Bureau. says that his 1
last passage from Madeira on the MOnon- /
cahela consumed forty days.
Making a computation based on the date /
the Monongahela sailed from Funchal, |
and the date when the last West Indian !
hurricane crossed her course, the depart /
nent officers find that by no possibility |
could that particular hurricane have in
terferad with the ship She must have
heen A thousand miles east OF The hurri- 4
cane About the worst thing that can
nave bappened TO her Is 10 have fallen 1
mo the "doldrums" by which is meant 1
he region OF ca m that sometimes pre-
walls for weeks al a time in the South
Atlantic.