The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-16
A DAY WITHOUT TIDINGS
MIR. TAGGART WIRES MANY PORTS
FOR NEWS OF THE PAUL JONES.
Tug Leaves Pensacola to Search-Rev-
enue Cutter May Assist-MayOr
VIII Leave To-day.


launch Paul Jones. on board of which is
Miss Florence Taggart, eldest daughter OF
the mayor. The gracious, lovely young
woman had so many friends and acquaint-
ances in the city that this, together with
the wide acquaintance and the prominence
of her father, seemed TO make half of the
city akin in its concern for the welfare of
the little yacht and in sympathy for Mr..
and Mrs. Taggart.
Early yesterday morning the mayor called
the telegraph companies to his assistance,
and they sent messages to every point that
could be reached on the west coast of
Florida and the southern coast of Alabama
and Louisiana, but the reply was the same
from every point no tidings from the boat.
The mayor ascertained that the f. e.
Simpson, one of the fastest and stanchest
tugs at Pensacola, had been dispatched dur
ing the day to make a thorough search of
the inlets in thai vicinity in the hope that
the vessel may have put in somewhere along
the coast to escape the fury Of the gale.
The tug had not returned by midnight, and
it is hardly probable anything definite will
be known until to-day or tomorrow. The
west coast of Florida is so sparsely settled
and with little of maritime activity that
even if the launch has put in somewhere for
shelter it may be a day or two before its
passengers can communicate with Their rela-
tives in the North, and on this the relatives
are hanging their hopes. Mr.. Taggart COM
municated with Seantor Fairbanks at
Washington, and asked if he could suggest
any further means of ascertaining the fate
of the Paul Jones. Mr. Fairbanks promptly
replied that he would use all his influence
with the Treasury Department to obtain
Of ba wa
one of the revenue cutters stationed along
the coast. Mr.. Taggart will leave this after
noon for Pensacola unless word of the
launch's safety is had by this morning His
family is bearing UP bravely under the
great strain which was put upon them by
the intelligence of the night before.
No word has been received of the party
on board the Paul Jones since Jan. 3, when
it left the mouth of the Mississippi river,
ninety miles below New Orleans. The light
house observer there reported launch
which tailed with the description of the
Paul Jones. The vessel, it is said, laid up
three days there on account of the storm.
Information from Louisville, where the
owner of the boat lives, is that there were
only four passengers, Col. Harry Yocum
and daughter, of ST. Louis, Miss Wood
land, of Chicago, Miss Taggart, of Indian
apolis and crew of four men. The vessel
is referred to in the dispatches both as
launch and a private yacht. 1t was sixty
five feet long and ten feet wide, and was
one of the finest pleasure yachts of its size
in the country 1t was handsomely furnished
and was built several months ago by a
Louisville company. Lawrence Jones, the
owner of it, loaned it to his friend, Colonel
Yocum, for the trip. Mr.. Jones paid $4,000
for it. The pilot who took the vessel from
Louisville to New Orleans has returned to
Louisville, having transferred his post at
New Orleans to another pilot, who was to
steer the party around the gulf.
Miss Margery Woodland, one of Miss
Taggarts school friends, who was on the
vessel is the daughter of George Woodland,
vice president of the Prairie State National
Bank, of Chicago, and lives at No. $50 Oak
wood boulevard, in that city. She is twenty
years old.
The party started down the river from
Louisville Dec s, said her father yester-
day. They expected to get to Bel AR Jan
10 The last lette. received from my daugh-
ter was dated New Orleans, Dec. 81. They
were then lying in a fog and waiting for
clear weather 10 continue their journey
From all have heard do not give up hope
for their safety. l think possibly that the
boat has put in to one of the mary small
ports or bayouS to weather out the gale
and that they are too far from telegraph
station to communicate with us. My daugh-
ter has been away from home about six
weeks. She is a member of st. Mark 5
Episcopal Church.
Mr. Woodland received telegram late
last night from the owner OF the boat,
Lawrence Jones, Of Louisville, Ky. saying
boat. Mr.. Jones stated that he was sending
messages to every coast town between New
Orleans and Pensacola, and that an ocean
tug had started out from New Orleans to
explore every bay and inlet. THE chances
are all in favor of the boat oeing ahoat
said Mr.. Woodland, after receiving the tele-
gram. 1T was built for an ocean yacht,
and was stanch though not a large craft.
1t would not be surprising If nothing were
heard for days, even a week. Not till that
time has passed will believe that the beat
is lost. The intention was 10 keep close to
the coast. 1t is possible that an e<plora-
ton of some inlet or river has caused the
report of disaster.
Colonel Yocum, in charge of the boat, is
president of the Yocum d Racer Manufac-
turing Company, at No. zoos South Eighth
street. st. Louis. Colonel Yocum and his
daughter, Miss Florence, left St. Louis
joined by Miss Woodland and Miss Tag
CART and there went on board the boat.
They left Louisville few days later for the
South. The cruise of the Paul Jones was
to have lasted until next June according to
a dispatch from st. Louis. From New Or
leans the yacht was to go to Mobile and
thence to Clearwater, Fla, where the party
was to spend some time at Mr.. Yoc,m's cot
tage, which he erected during the last sum-
mer There Mr.. Paul Jones was to have
joined them. The plan was then to proceed
to Key West, Havana and encircle Cuba be-
fore their return, visiting Porto Rican
waters also.
Deck-hand John Barry and Engineer
Badgley were the only two members of the
crew of four known in Louisville.
A telegram from Mobile, Ala, late last
night said:
There are no new particulars to he OBJ
tanned regarding the reported loss of the
yacht Paul Jones. Tugs have been sent out
of Southern ports, and all shipping people
have been requested to keep lookout for
the missing boat, but no udings have as
vet been received. Vessels arriving report
that severe gales have been blowing for
the last few days on the gulf. They say
the winds have been very strong for several
weeks. Every means is being taken TO find
some trace of the yacht.
A twenty horsepower gasoline engine in
the center of the Paul Jones furnished the
power to turn the single screw propeller in
the rear. Fuel for 200 miles was carried.
The interior of the four coy cabins was
finished in mahogany and plate-glass mir
rors, and these were changed to sleeping
rooms, much as sleeping car is changed
from a coach 10 a sleeper at night. The
engine and screw made this yacht as
speedy and seaworthy as it was possible to
construct.
When the yacht left Louisville a quick
trip to New Orleans was expected and
would have been made had all gone we'll
However, it sustained a number of acct
dents which held il up at various points
along the way. i'll luck seemed to follow
it persistently While the boat lay at
Elizabethtown, H., one night fire broke
out in the gasoline room about II o'clock
while all were asleep One of the crew
was awakened by the smoke and succeeded
in arousing all on board. The flames were
only extinguished after a hard fight. This
detained the boat considerably over time. A
short distance below Memphis the boat 3
~ It, ~ ID IL