Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-29
Was Oyertaken by a Terrific
Tphoon'
PARTED FROM HER CABLE.
give Of the crew Drowned Vain nd
deavor to Clear the Vessel of Wa
ter - Going 10 the Rescne.

Manila, Nov. 2s.-The United states
auvliary cruiser Yosemite parted her
cable of the harbor OF San Luis d'Apra,
island Of Guam, drlfted sixty miles
struck reef and was wrecked. Five
OF tho crew were drowned a collier
rescued the remainder
when the typhoon which swept the
island was at the height the Yose-
mite. which was anchored adjacen,
TO the collier Justin, dragged her an
Choir and was driven aground a hun
bred and dfty yards from the reef, her
b1ws being crushed in. A launch with
a crew OF i've men had previously left
the ship TO endedvor TO find a safe an
chornge for the vessel, the indications
being that the anchors would not hold
whore she was The men were not seen
after they left the ship and Il Is prac-
tically certain that,the heavy sea which
the storm kicked up sWanped the
launch. The bodies OF Coxswaln f..
Swanson and Seaman George Anhcl
were recovered after the typhoon sub
sdled.
The storm yeered around after the
Yosemite grounded, and she was
driven off and carried on TO the So
maye clin, where her rudder and pro-
heller were broken BOatsWain Sweeney
and twelve OF the crew volunteered 10
take life line ashore, A boat was low
cred for this purpose but II was imme-
diately swamped by big sea that
swept over IT, AL its occupants were
carried away from the boat, but they
miraculously succeeded In reaching the
land after an hours struggle with the
waves
Meanwhile the atmosphere had be-
come Of inky blackness and the Yose-
mite which had again been blown on
the land, was drifting helplessly before
the gale which was blowing at the rate
OF 100 miles an hour All hope OF saw
ing the cruiser was abandoned, ana the
officers and crew prepared for the death
they thought was surely staring them
In the face,
A majority Of the boats had been
either smashed or carried out Of the da-
Wits and those that were left could not
accommodate half the crew, even II It
had been possible for them TO live In
the enormous seas that We're by this
time running. a sea anchor had been
put out ana this held the Yosemite
IN I'm the teeth OF the storm and pre-
vented her from falling of into the
trough of the sea She rode 10 this an
Choir and drfted rapidly until o'clock
in the evening when the weather
cleared.
The cruiser was then sixty miles
north and forty miles west Of Guam.
She had labored so heavily that she
had sprung a leak, and all hands, in
Guiding her commander, Lieutenant
Brief. an engineer worked heroically
IN trying to clear her OF the water that
was pouring into and rapidly filling the
forward compartments
After the violence Of the storm had
subsidized an effort was made 60 start
the engines They were finally got TO
work and the Yosemite, with her dam
aged propeller. struggled landward AT
the rate OF two knots an hour.
The water kept filing In the hold.
and the ship was gradually sinking At
1880 p. m. November 18th. the Justin,
which had started I'm a search for the
Yosemite. picked her up and attempt
ed 10 tow her back 20 Guam, Two haw-
sers were broken, and IL was then de-
cided that II was impossible 70 take
her into port The cruiser was then
scuttlcd. after which she was aban-
doned. all hands going aboard the
Justin. The Yosemite sank bow first
az o'clock and the Justin stood away
for Guam Paymaster Ballard saved
SOS 600 Mexican money on the sinking
ship.
The Yosemite was fret commissioned
April 10. 1898 She had been station
ship at the island OF Guam since the
days Of the Spanish war. She Is 10
knot converted cruiser, OF 6l19 tons
displacement, and Is provided with a |
main battery of ten 5-inch rapid-flring
guns and a secondary battery OF six G.
FOUNDERS and Colt rifles Her measure
ments are S9l feet in length by Is feet |
extreme breadth. she has a main draft !
OF 20 feet ] inch.
Just before the outbreak OF the Span |
sh-American war the vessel was pur- /
chased by the navy department fitted |
as an auxiliary cruiser. and rendered !
effective service as one OF the patrol |
fleet being manned IN part by the /
Michigan naval militia.
IL Is said that her anchorage at Guam !
was on the harbor Of san Luis d'Apra, /
and that oWinf % her draft she was /
Obliged 10 stay six miles of shore. The |
harbor Is q particularly dangerous one /
owing to the existence Of a rocky shoal /
in the middle and a particularly |
crooked channel
According to the naval register, the /
Yosemite was manned by eighteen /
officers and 2e7 men, but In her capacity |
as station shin not all of these were !
required and undoubtedly q part OF 4
them were ashore engaged In duties al I
the naval station. This probably would /
be true Of her commander Seaton /
Schroeder who is also governor OF /
Guam.