The Dickinson press., 1900-12-01
Ships Launch and Five Men
Are Lost Trying 10 Find
Safe Anchorage.
BLEW 100 RIFLES AN HOUR
Vessel Is Carried Over Sixty
Miles to Sea by the Ter
rifle Storm.
Crew Rescued by Collier JUS
tin and the Abandoned
Ship Sinks.

NEW YORK, Nov. 29.-Advices have
been received from Manila that the
island of Guam was visited by terrific
typhoon on Nov. IL, which wrecked
thousands of houses, among them be-
ing the headquarters of Governor
Schroeder. Tho town of Indrajan and
Tarraforo were swept away, and it is
estimated that hundreds of tho native
population in various parts of the
island met their death.
The United States auxiliary cruiser
Yosemite, which was anchorsed ada.
cent to the collier Justin, dragged her
anchor and was driven aground 100
yards from the reef, her bows being
crushed in. A launch with crew of
five men had previously left the ship to
endeavor to find save anchorage for
the vessel, the indications being that
the anchors would not hold where she
was The men were not seen after they
left the ship and it is practically Ger.
tain that the heavy sea which the
storm kicked up swamped the launch.
The bodies of Coxswain F. Swanson
and Seaman Anhel were recovered after
he typhoon subsidized.
The storm veerod around af ter the
Yosemite grounded, and shs was driv CD
off and carried on to the Somaye cliffs,
where her rudder and propeller were
broken. Boatswain Sweeny and 10 OF
the crew volunteered to
Take u Lifeline Ashore.
A boat was lowered for this purpose,
but it was Immediately swamped by a
big sea that swept over it. All its occu,
pants were carried away from the boat
but they succeeded in reaching the
land after an hours struggle with the
waves.
Meanwhile tke atmosphere had be.
come of inky blackness, and the Yo.
semitic, which had again been blown
off the land, was drifting hel plessly be.
fore the gale, which was blowing at
the rate of 100 miles an hour.
All hope of saving the cruiser was
abandoned and the officers aud 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 davits
and those that wore left could not &C.
commodate half the crew, even if it
had been possible for them to live in
the enormous seas that were by this
time running.
A sea anchor had been put out and
this held the Yosemite up into the
teeth Of the storm and prevented her
from falling off into the trough If the
sea. She rode to this anchor and
drifted rapidly until p. M, when the
weather cleared. The cruiser was then
~ miles north and 40 miles west Of
Guam. She had labored so heavily
that
She Had Sprung q Leak.
and oil hands, including her comman.
der, Lieutenant Bries. and the chief
engineer worked her incessantly 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 efforts were made to 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 gaining in the hold and the
ship was gradually sinking.
At 1880 p. NJ, Nov. Is, the Justin,
which had started in search of the
Yosemite, picked her up and attempted
to to tow her back to Guam. Two
hawsers were broken, and it was then
decided that it was impossible to take
her into port. The cruiser was then
scuttled, after which she was aban.
doned, all hands going aboard tn
Justin. The Yosemite sank bow first
at O. clock and the Justin stood of
for Guam