Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-20
LOSS OF THE CHARLESTON
Report Of Captain Pigman to the Navy De-
partment.
Admiral Watson Praises the Com
mander's Work in Saving the
Crew, Arms and Ammunition.

Under date of the United States naval
station. Cavite, P. l., November %, 1899.
captain George W. Pigman reports to the
navy Department the loss of the United
States steamer Charleston, under his COM
mand, at $50 am. November . 1899 by
grounding on sunken and uncharted reef
about ten miles to the eastward of the
north end of Kamiguin Island.
In his report the captain goes with great
particularly into all the details of the ac-
cident, and it appears that all precautions
were observed; that the ship was running
at only five knots speed that the captain
himself. with his navigator, was on the
lookout when the ship struck, and in fact,
that all of the ordinary measures were
taken to insure the ships safety. Rough
water ahead was supposed to be a tide
rip, but even under this belief the attempt
was made to keep away, but in vain, and
the ship struck heavily, being swept broad
side on a reef and held there by a terrific
current so that the engines could not move
ahead.
Fires Soon Put Out.
The boats were gotten out with great
difficulty, owing to the pounding and roll
ing of the ship, but no casualties of any
Importance occurred, though there was
swift current and the ship was rolling
heavily. The ship struck a rock ledge
under the forward fire room, and in a few
minutes all of the fires We're eXtinguished
and the engine rooms abandoned. Captain
Pigman took the precaution of destroying
all of the signal books, flooding the maya
zines and throwing away the breech blocks
of all the guns, as well as the small arms,
so that an enemy could not profit by finding
them. Owing to the crowded condition of
the boats it was not possible to carry any
personal effects. With the water up to the
floor plates the Charleston was abandoned
about O'Clock am. November =, two hours
and half after the grounding,
The Friendly Natives.
In concluding his report Captain Pigman
says: Il cannot speak too highly of the
kind and friendly spirit shown by the ma
tives, one and all, who, realizing that we
were in sufficient force to protect ourselves,
might have let us severely alone and left
us to do the best we could, but who, in
stead, came forward and offered US the use
of the houses which belonged to the town,
and even one private house for hospital,
and who did all in their power to relieve
our wants, and l would earnestly recon-
mend that this kindness be acknowledged
by the department in some substantial
were in the boat boxes, and which had
been pretty well used up in the time We
were in camp, and which would have been
condemned to the dump probably, be turned
over to the leading man for general use.
and l also gave him for distribution the.
few provisions We had left.
Admiral Watson indorSes Captain Pig
mans report of the disaster in the follow
ing words: 1T is only just to say the get
ting out of all boats and saving of every
life, together with arms, ammunition and
rations under the circumstances, without
accident reflects great credit upon the
captain, officers and men of the Charles
ton.