The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-01-27
EXPLOSION DESTROYS YACHT
MYSTERY OF THE LOST "PAUL
JONES" CLEARED UP.
NO BODIES have YET BEEN FOUND
There Were Eight People On Board Con-
sistlng of Five Passengers and
Crew of Three.

A special from Biloxi, Miss, says:
The fate of the missing yacht Paul
Jones, which left New Orleans on the
Sd Of January for Pensacola, has at
last been solved, positive news Of the
yacht and her Inflated crew being re-
oeiyed Friday at Biloxi from two
sources.
The Paul Jones had the following
pleasure seekers ON board:
Joseph Brinkman, Louisville.
Miss Florence Taggart, daughter of
Mayor Taggart, Indianapolis.
Miss Margerie Woodland, daughter
of George Woodland, vice president
Prairie State bank, Chicago.
Colonel Harry @. Yocum, st. Louis.
Miss Florence Yocum, st. Louis, his
daughter.
The crew consisted of three men,
whose names are unknown.
The United States lighthouse ten
der, Pansy, Captain Fields, which
had been engaged for the past three
days in the search of the missing par
ty, arrived in Biloxi Friday afternoon
at 5 o'clock and brought the intelli-
gence that the wreckage of the yacht
had been found during the morning
OH Breton island, eighteen miles from
Pass a POutre.
The report brought by the mate and
q sailor on the Pansy leaves no doubt
as to the fate of the yacht and Of those
on board. The mate says the wreck
age was scattered all over the island,
and among other things picked up
were the foremost of the vessel, a
plank bearing the name 'Paul Jones,
a mirror, table, new tires of bicy-
Gle, a yawl with bow crushed in, and
several other minor articles.
From the description of the wreck,
it is clearly evident that the yatch was
destroyed by exploding, as otherwise
the vessel would not have gone to
pieces so completely.
Had not an explosion occurred, and
the vessel gone to pieces Immediately,
it is more than probable that some, if
not all, of those on board would have
made their way ashore safely.
No Trace of Passengers.
No trace of any OF the missing per-
sons was discovered, although dill
gent search was made. 1t is possible,
however, though barely probable, that
some may have made their way to the
almost impenetrable marsh land.
The Pansy was met on her return
trip by the steamer tug Maud, which
had on board Mayor Taggert, Of
Indianapolis, whose daughter was on
board the yacht, and Mr.. Jones, the
owner of the vessel, to whom were
related the story of the disaster.
Information brought by the Pansy
is confirmed by oyster fishermen, who
have just arrived and who have known
of it for more than week. The launch
exploded, they say, on or about Janu-
airy 9th near Bird island, and every
thing goes to show that all on board
were killed at once or drowned soon
after.
The boat was operated by gasoline
engine and it is now recalled that she
met with several accidents from fire
on her way down the river. 1t is re-
garded as certain that the engine ex-
ploded, but from what cause will
probably never be known. The force
was such that it not only blew off the
pilot house, but split the yacht in two.
The launch, which was owned by
Lawrence Jones, Louisville distiller,
was loaned to him by Mr.. Yocum and
left Louisville December 9th for trip
to Florida. She left New Orleans for