The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-07
THE CHARLESTON'S WRECK.
DETAILS or THE Loss or TIE
CRUISER orr CaNf0UTN.
Combination Of Circumstances That Landed
Her on the Rocks-Spi"ndid behavior az
the Crew-Lieut. McDonald's Trip-A
Typhoon Encountered After the Wreck.

Typhoon Encountered After the Wreck.
NANuA Nov. yi-Whrn Tho officers and
m.n ~ the wrecked cruiser Oh arleston were landed
a, C.yiu, this morning BIZ the little gunbout iIel
en-. they were n mighty glad lot. Their ex-
pe,irnce ON the Helena had been worse 40 fer
A oc,~onai com,o,, was concerned than the wreck
nj their own fine shio II h a sorry tale. Thr
Charleston. filled I'D with stores and ammuni
ton. wen, down on tho east coas, Of lunon IN
Ar. vhn, she could src and b. prevent the insur-
pcnt, from carrying ON any trade, especially
An Arms. 40 far AZ she was able. OF course shc
WAS no, expected 10 keep an absolutely perfect
watch on the whole coast for that would be n
good lob for the whole naval force in these wa
tors at the present time. But the Charleston
was enough 10 keep the insurgents guessing,
IL was supposed. and no she went Well, she
got down 10 the port Of Tobacco. In Albay. and
there she found a lone. lorn banca flying the
Filipino flag. She put that banca out Of COM
mission by the fire. route and then stopped a willis
TO make a survey Of the harbor, II has been
remarked before in this correspondence ~ well
as else where that the Spanish charts OF the Phil p
pine waters arc not TO bc trusted. our ships
have found many inaccuracies and have done
a lot Of surveying on their own hook. Wherever
they go tho results OF their observations are care
fully recorded and noted on their charts for tho
general ocncnt Of the seafaring public.
Having surveyed Tobacco the Charleston went
along up the coast again looking for more con-
uabond bapcas and incidentally doing a littls
more surveying. She took a look in a! Balcr
where Gilmore and his men were taken by the
Fiipinos, scared the insurgent force there clear
Into tho hills and the peaceful inhabitants into
lining the beach with white flags, and went on
10 the beautiful bay and harbor Of Casiguran,
which. 50 far as is known, is the bcst in these
islands. The chart Of the bay showed an outer
harbor with plenty Of water and the cruiser found
this TO BE- the truth. Also she found an inner
harbor with plenty Of water and plenty Of size,
and strings Of insurrcctos all around H. The
insurrcctos were not pleased To see the Charleston.
They recognized the fact that she could make
Il very unpleasant for them and they followed
the established Filipino tactics and proposed
a talking match Mindful Of the fate Of Gill
more, tho Charles,on's reply was a cheerful as
sent to the proposition 10 talk provided the match
was arranged to take place on the cruiser her
self, This the takers Of the insurrectos could
not see. The launch Of the cruiser ran well
inshorc, projected by the big guns Of thr ship,
and word was howlcd across to the Filipinos
on the beach that they could either come aboard
the cruiser d< write what they wantcd to say and
lie IL 10 q pole which they could stick up In the
sand. Thrn they could 20 away and the cruisers
men would go in and get the message, The
Instructions either we're not comprchcndcd or
The desire 10 talk was not very great for the in
s~urrectos disappeared from the beach to be seen
no more except occasionally in ones and twos,
evidently not anxious for a visit in force from
the cruiser. The Charleston got out her boats
and made a complete survey of the harbors, outer
aud inner, spending several days at it. Then
shs went along on her way to the northward.
In the early morning Of Nov. . she passed m,
high hills that mark Cape Engano and stood
on for the island Of Camiguin. The chart shows
two small pinnacle rocks which stick strnight
out Of the water about Ehtrcn miles from Cant.
gum TO the northeast. They are perhaps six
miles apart and the sailing directions saw that
th.rr Is clear water b,tw,cn them, though tide
rips are seen. The cruiser was straming at
about five knots an hour or little less and thcrr
was a current 81 perhaps four knots which was
setting her along. Naval Cadet Schofeld was
the watch on deck. With him On the bridge
were Capt. Pigman and Lieut.. Dougherty, the
ma vigator. The Charleston was going 10 the
Isl and Of Camiguin, and there was some dis
cussion between the Captain and the NAVIGATOR
as IN whether /, would be bitter 10 go to the south
ward ot the island in order to get 10 Port Pho V.
her immediate destination. or 10 keep on by tho
northern and longer way. The current decided
the matter, il bring considered easier to run with
tho stream than Ia work against, il As tho
day drew on and the cruiser approachcd the two
pinnacle rocks, or rather as she came nesr IN.
bctwccn them. for she meyer was near either
OF them, thosr on the bridge noticed confused
water ahead Of them. II looked very much like
the water lust of the Battery when IN. tide
changes. This was apparently the tide rim
of which the sailing dircctions snokc Cant
turned 10 the navigator and said.
Port your helm. II is easier IN 90 ,rouna .
tide rip than IL is TO 70 oycr , reef"
The helm was nut hard over At once I'm, ,b,-o
yas 80 little yay ON the mise, TINT she ala No,
respond as readily as she vould b,v. dono II IA.
Ind hc,n running at normal sp.,d This !, -.
cas-, where disaster might have bccn avoided he
greater spccd As tLc Charleston swur, on 90
starboard the strong current sven, hor doun on :,
the rocks tina, were making tho hing that IooL.d
like n Tide rim He, commands, eau ,h., v,s
coming and o,d,,el ,b, o,r,as 5000 =, an
snecd aud I, vcs don, ,, n, irs,,,, b., a.
was moi tim, for her tn r,thcr s,c,,vov and Oh.
struek heavily ON the nor, hox rov, , .bo,n A.,
IN port scr,ped along huupry ove, IN. i.ar,1
rocks and s,oppcd, held bord and f,s, by tIc ,cc,
The engines were doing all thcy could 10 Lack her
of, but she never budgcd az far es fo.c.ond-cn
1t. $50 -"
hno"'" was 'o"''''cu' " was n niue Dt after
three bells IN the morning watch If THURSDAY