The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-15
REEF UNCHARTED.
Accident to Charles
ton Quite Una
voidable.
SPANISH MAPS UNRELIABLE.
Shipwrecked Crew Hospital
bly, Received BY Natives
Of a Small Island.
SPANISH MAPS UNRELIABLE.

Manila, Nov. IA, s p. m.-Further de-
tails regarding the grounding of the
United States cruiser Charleston show
that she struck an unchartered coral
reef 10 miles east of Kamiguin island.
Her stern was almost submerged, and
the bow almost out of water. A heavy
sea was on, and the cruiser began roll
ing violently.
The water tight doors We're quickly
closed, but were stove in under the en-
CINE compartment, the largest of the
ship After the first efforts to right
her, the officers feared she might slide
off before the heavy sea, and the at
tempt to beach her was abandoned.
Some of the men were only dressed
in pajamas and their underclothing
The breech blocks of the cannon were
removed before the boats put off. Two
hours after the Charleston struck all
had gotten away. The report that the
crew remained two days on the vessel
is inaccurate A party returned two
days later but found it impossible to
save anything. The first landing was
made on a little island, with front of
barren rocks. Next day the boats
took to the water and proceeded to
Maiguin island, where a landing was
made in expectation that fighting
would be necessary.
NATIVES HOSPITABLE.
So far from this being the case, how
ever, the Charleston's men found q half
savage people, who regarded them with
curiosity rather than hostility. On the
third day the storm had greatly sub
sided, and Lieut.. John D. Mcdonald,
with Boatswain Dominick Glynn and
six men, started for the gulf of Ling
ayen in a 30foot sailing launch, hoping
to find an American Warship, but en-
tirely ignorant Of Gen. Wheaton's ex-
petition.
| Lieut.. Mcdonald was four days afoat
keeping under shelter of the hostile
/ shore for two days, on account of the
| high seas, being mostsof- the time in g
| soaking rain. Finally, flying the unior
| jack down, clad in their undertaking
and drenched to the skin, the Officer
and his companions overlook the trans
port Aztec, which carried them to the
battleship Oregon. The gupboat Helena
was due to arrive at Kamiguin island
| Saturday.
In naval circles, the accident is con.
sidered quite unavoidable. The only
| disasters in Philippine waters, which
| are most indifferently charted. The
| Charleston lies practically in the opeT
sea.
Col. Vessels, of the third cavalry
while near San Nicolas, north of Tay-
ug, captured a Filipino bull train load
! ed with records of the insurgent war in
the Philippines, and the press and out
At Of the newspaper Independence.
FACTS ABOUT CHARLESTON.
The Charleston was the first vessel to
come to the reinforcement of Admiral
Dewey after the battle of Manila bay.
On her way to Manila, she touched at
Guam, and took possession of the ISL
and. She is included in the group of
vessels following the completion of the
cruisers Chicago Boston, Atlanta and
Dolphin, built in 1882 and 'S3, which
were the pioneers of the present navy.
The Charleston was built by the Union
iron works at San Francisco, her keel
being laid in the year 1887. The con-
tract price of her hull and machinery
was S1,017, 500. She was launched in
July, 1888, and placed in commission
for the first time in December of the
same year.
The photographic office, navy Depart
ment, gives the following exact data
concerning the locality of the wreck:
1.-THE Guinapak island is in Lat. IS
deg. and $3.50 north. They lie seven
miles due east of the large island of
Kaniguan, one of the Babuian group
off the north coast of Luzon. The
Guinapak rocks are distinctly shown on
the naval chart, which is supplied to
vessels in the Philippines, but the coral
reef on which the Charleston struck is
three miles north of the rocks, and is
not shown on the chart The danger
GUS condition of this coast has been re-
Gently pointed out by Rear Admiral
Bradford in his report to Secretary
Long.
BRADFORD'S REPORT.
He said: 1.-THE bureau is in receipt Of
a number of photographic reports from
captains of ships concerning the entire
unreliability of the best existing charts
of the late Spanish possessions, con-
trolled by the United States. In the
Philippine islands, the assistance of pi-
lots is constantly necessary for this
reason and they do not always prove
reliable"
The old Spanish maps continue to be
used by our naval vessels until the
navy department can make its own
charts. This work is very extensive
and necessarily slow Only 100000 is
now available for the work in all of the
former Spanish possessions. The Ben
nington has been doing this work in
the Philippines and has complete hy
be some time before the data will be
available"