The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-21
PAUL JONES WRECKAGE
GOVERNMENT VESSEL FINDS TT
sTREwN ABOUT BRETON ISLAND.
Evidence that the Yacht Was De-
stroyed by an ExpIOsion-Mayor
Hears the News.

The following telegram was received last
night from a Journal correspondent at
Biloxi, Miss.
The fate of the missing yacht Paul Jones,
which left New Orleans on Jan. 3, for Pen
sacola, has at last been solved, and the
news that came to-day. from the yacht and
her Inflated crew Will be received with sor-
row generally throughout Indianapolis.
The United States lighthouse tender Pan
sy. Captain Fields which has been engaged
for the past three days i'm the search for the
missing party. arrived in Biloxi this after
noon at o'clock and brought the sad in
telligence that the wreckage of the yacht
had been found this morning on Breton ISL
and eighteen miles from Pass a fOutre.
The report brought by the mate and sail
or on the Pansy leaves no doubt as TO the
The mate says wreckage was scattered all
over the island. and among other things
picked up was the foremost of the vessel,
plank bearing the name Paul Jones'
mirror a table. new tires of a bicycle.
yawl with bow crushed in, and several other
minor articles.
From the disposition Of the wreck, it is
clearly evident that the yacht was destroyed
by explosion, as otherwise the vessel would
not have gone TO pieces so completely. dad
not an explosion occurred and the vessel
gone TO pieces Immediately, ii is more than
probable that some, If not all of those on
board, would have made their way ashore
safely. No trace Of any of the missing per-
sons was discovered. although diligent
search was made 1t is possible however.
have made their way to the almost lmpene-
trable marsh land.
The Pansy was met on her return TRIP
by the steam tug Maud, which had on board
Mayor Taggart, Of Indianapolis, whose
daughter was on board the yacht, and Mr..
Jones the owner of the vessel, and the
story of disaster was related to them
Late last night the Associated Press con-
firmed the Journals special in the following
from Mobile: 1.-The government steamer
Parsy touched at Biloxi Miss, this after
noon and reported finding on Breton island
a part of the stern of the naptha launch
Paul Jones, also a yawl boat with bow
smashed and other small articles from the
launch. The condition of the wreckage
tends to show that the naptha tank blew
up and tore the boat to pieces. The Pansy
met the Maud, with Jones and Taggart on
board. The latter visited the wreckage and
identified it as part of the Paul Jones. No
bodies were found. o. +. Fremont and party
left Scranton this forenoon in the sailing
yacht Adelaine, of very light draught, and
will visit every nook to the westward. The
expedition is provisioned for ten days"
The launch had the following pleasure
seekers on board:
JOSEPH BRINKNIAN, Louisville.
Miss FLORENCE TAGGART, daughter
of Mayor Taggart, indianapolis.
Miss MARGERIE WOODLAND, daugh-
ter of George Woodland, vice president
Prairie State Bank Chicago.
COL. HARRY c. YOCUM, st. Louis.
Miss FLORENCE YOCUM, his daughter.
The crew consisted of three men, whose
names are unknown.
The launch, which was owned by Law
renee Jones, a Louisville distiller, was
loaned by him to Colonel Yocum, and left
T Q 4,-;,, L Tho
left New Orleans for Pensacola Jan. 3.
Since that time nothing definite had been
heard from her until to-day, although her
loss had been rumored since last Sunday.
News confirming her loss has been
brought by oyster fishermen, who have
known of it for more than a week. The
launch exploded, they say, on or about
Jan. near Bird island, and everything goes
to show that all on board We're killed at
once or drowned soon after. The boat was
operated by a gasoline engine, and 1t is
now recalled that she met with several ac-
cidents from fire on her way down the
river. 1t is regarded certain that this
engine exploded, but from what cause will
probably never be known. The force was
house. but split the yacht in two.
The men who brought this definite news
are engaged in the oyster fisheries off the
east louisiana coast Last Friday they
visited Bird island and found a lumber
schooner ashore, also a pleasure yacht near
the island. The latter, they say, was split
III NAH Dy an INTERNAL eNplOSlOH. Inc men
boarded the yacht and explored her cabin,
breaking open the trunks and taking from
them lot of fine female apparel and keys
and whatever other property they discoV-
cred on board. Although their discovery oc-
Cured week ago, the men did not come to
Venice, the nearest settlement, until to-day
when they had to do so to lay in a supply
of provisions. In Venice they turned the
keys over to a Storekeeper, by whom these
a tag inscribed Fletcher e. Co., Indianapc-
lis" The clothing taken from the trunk by
the men is that of Miss Taggart.
No bodies We're seen by the men on or
near Bird island, but there is no hope OF
any one having escaped from the wreck
The Paul Jones had two boats. One, badly
stove was picked up by the Marie Louise,
of Mobile The other, with Paul Jones"
painted on her, was found by the Pansy, of
Biloxi
The three relief expeditions ought. to
reach Bird island tomorrow. Two go from
New Orleans, the Zeta and the Doullet, and
one from Mobile, the Maud Bird island is
merely a sandy reef covered by coarse sea