The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-16
PAUL JONES REPORTED LOST.
PLEASURE YACHT SUPPOSED TO
HAVE SUNK IN THE GULF.


and Chicago People Were on
DOard-No Tidings Received, and
Relatives Are Much Perturbed.
Tugs Sent in Search.
Louisville KY, Jan. 15.--There seems to
be every reason to believe that the naph-
tina yacht Paul Jones, which lcft Louis
vile Dec. with pleasure party of
prominent society people, bound for Pen
sacola, Fla, and other ports in Southern
waters, has gone down in a gale in the
Cuff of Mexico, with all on board.
The party consisted of Col. II. c. Yo-
cum and daughter, Miss Yocum and G.
NJ. Yocum, all of st. Louis; Miss Florence
Taggart, daughter of Mayor Taggart, of
Indianapolis, and Miss Margarle Wood
land of Chicago
Deckhand John Barry and Engineer
! Baigley were the only two member of the
crew of four known in Louisville.
The last heard from the yacht was when
it left the mouth of the Mississippi river,
on Jan. 8. 1t was the plan of Col. Yo-
cum, under whose direction the yacht was
sailing, TO coast along the various ports
between the &ississpprs mouth and PEN
sacola, Pa, where 1t was the intention
Of the party to make considerable stay.
According to weather reports received at
the local bureau, the yacht encountered a
storm when three days out.
Relatives Most Anxious.
The relatives of those on board are in
a terribly perturbed state of mind on ac
4 .F aaIr - IL, g. mi
| been telegraphing every port on the Gulf
coast where it Is thought the slightest
chance of information could be obtained.
| No word of the missing craft had been
| learned up TO a late hour tonight Tugs
! have put out from a number of ports in
| search of her, and some definite informa-
ton ought TO be learned concerning the
| vessels fate tomorrow.
The craft was the property of Mr.. Law
renee Jones of this city. He purchased
1t in the East, where it had been espe-
cially constructed for pleasure cruising
| 1t was launched here about the middle of
| the summer.
Mr.. Jones offered the use of the craft
| to Col. Yocum for a winter cruise in
| Southern waters. The three young ladies'
of the party were schoolmates, just hav-
| ing completed school last June. 1t was
for their special entertainment that the
party had been gotten up.
Tug Sent in Search of Party.
About midnight Mayor Taggart in re-
sponse to a query, wired from indianapolis
| as follows:
--latest l have is what Mr.. Lawrence
Jones says, that they left the lighthouse
at the mouth of the Mississippi river on
Jan. 3 for Pensacola, since which time
nothing has been heard. (signeO
"Taggart."
A telegram from Mobile, Ala, late to-
| night said:
| There are no new particulars to be 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 10 keep a look
out for the missing boat, but no tldings
| have as yet been received. Vessels ar
/ irving 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"
1t is barely possible that the Paul Jones
put In during the gale az a point along the
coast where there is no teegraphic office,
| hence no tidings.
An Elegant Pleasure Yacht.
The Paul Jones was one of the finest
| pleasure yachts of her size aloat, being
| sixty feet in length ten feet beam and
five feet draught A twcnty-horse power
gasoline engine in the center of the boat
furnished the power 10 turn the single
screw propeller in the rear. Fuel for 1,200
| miles was carried The interior of the
four cosy cabins was finished in mahog-
any and plate glass mirrors, and these
were changed to sleeping rooms, much as
a sleeping car is changed from a coach to
| a sleeper at night.
The complete equipment and handsome
| decorations made it a veritable floating
palace
The fine lines Of the hull and unusually
powerful engine and screw made this
yacht as speedy and seaworthy as 1t was
| possible to construct.
Had Many Accidents.
When the yacht left Louisville a quick
trip to New Orleans was expected and
would have been made had all gone we'll
However, she sustained a number Of acci-
dents which held her up at various points
along the way Ill luck seemed to follow
| her persistently.
While the boat lay at Elzabethtown,
ILL.,, one night. a fire broke out In the
! gasoline room about y o'clock, while all
were asleep One Of the crew was awak-
ened by the smoke and succeeded in arous-
ing all on board. The flames were only
extinguished after a hard fight. This de-
tanned her considerably over time. A
short distance below Memphis the boats
machinery became disabled and she was
forced to tie up quite a length of time
| There were also one or two other minor
| accidents before the Crescent City was
| reached.
| In addition TO this Col. Yocum had much
trouble with his pilots.
Plans of the Party.
81. Louis, Jan. 15.-Mr. Yocum IS presl-
dent of the Yocum & Kacer Manufactur-
ing Company at zoos South Eighth street.
| The cruise Of the Paul Jones was to have
lasted until next June. From New Or
leans the yacht was to go 20 Mobile and
thence to Clearwater, Fla, where the
party was to spend some Of the time at
Mr.. Yocum's cottage, which he erected
| during the past summer. There Mr. Paul
| Jones was to have Joined them.
The plan was then to proceed to Key
| West Havana, and circle Cuba before
their return visiting Porto Rican waters
also.