Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-01
GENERAL SHIP NEWS
Steamship Out of Coal and Adrif
on the Coast.
In Tow and Abandoned, She May Now b.
Lost-Unintcntionnl Relay Towing
Ship Captain Nearly Loses His Number
-Other News,


is dribbling in gradually with the ar
rival of vessels that were out in them.
Ycst, day the schoo ser, IIenry r.. Ia
vens (Walton), Massachusetts (Jones)
and VIM. D. Hilton GippencotO. all
from New York, arrived and in con-
versation they gave the last two weeks
at sea decidedly u bad name None of
them had suffered damage, but each
had known what foot of Ice on deck,
hull and sails half way to masthead
looked like. and one at least had been
obliged to put in twice for harbor and
be under double anchors with kedge
ready to reinforce the two, If neces-
sory. They had Rugged the land as
closely as consistent with safety and
escape from serious danger was evil
IDENTIFY due more to good scamanship
than to any favor of wind and tide.
Captain Walton came near being Il
son short in his family, Captain Clarry
Walton being washed overheard from
the deck of his vessel by 4 heavy sea,
and only loose boat line drifting to
leeward saved him. He clutched it and
was drawn aboard.
When a steamer gets out of coal
she is pretty helpless sort of article.
and in the kind of weather we have
been having lately. to be captain of n
big ocean steamship and wake up some
morning with the wind blowing a half
gaze and increasing, barometer falling
ana recent observations showing that
the vessel is within n few leagues of
6atteraS, and to hear the remark
made I'VE haven't coal enough to last
another day." is Il sensational situation,
to say III least about IL But that's lust
what the captain Of the Spanish steam
ship Minerva did, and what Is more,
the coal ran out and the big steamer
was helpless. the sport of wind and
wave. She was bound from I'orInnn IT,
Baltimore or Philadelphia with cargo
or iron ore, and had q crew of twenty
nine men. Her distress signals were
answered by the British steamship
Parana. MADEIRA to Breakwater, which
got a tow line to the Minerva and start
ed north with her. Then came horror
number two. Down on the Parana and
and her luckless tow swooped the north
east blizzard, and in the hail, snow,
fierce wind and towering seas the Par
ana found herself endangered and was
forced to loose herself from the Min
erva-
The Parana. as she passed Il steamer
bound In the Roads. reported the facts
and they were in turn reported to the
revenue cutter Onondaga, which was
off Cape Charles in the same storm
The Onondaga came In yesterday, re-
ported the facts. and also that her
search had been thus far unsuccessful.
She then passed out again to continue
search. The Minerva is likely still
adrift. helpless. and the wind going
around into the northwest from the
eastward n course which has meant
rough weather so far this winter
If the Spaniard is not soon found she
may have to be abandoned or come
ashore to meet the Arosto's fate. She
&c inc nf fr..-
The big ocean tug c. w. Morse lost
the German ship Fritz, in tow from
New York, during last Sundays storm
and few hours afterward the tug
Triton picked her up and towed her in
to Hampton Roads, arriving here yes
terday just after the Morse had been
In, reported her loss and passed out
again to look for her. The line parted
in the fierce gale at night, and the ship
had n rough time before she was picked
up. several men being injured by be-
ing thrown against the sides of the YES
sci by the terrific seas.
The schooner Sullivan Sawin, Captain
Cobb, lying at West Norfolk, was found
to be on fire in her galley yesterday
morning. the flames catching from a
kettle of pitch boiling on the range.
The roof was somewhat damaged, but
the ferry steamer Volunteer put the fire
out without serious injury being done,
and claims $4,000 for so doing.
Captain French and twenty-five men
left on the tug Joseph NJ. Clark to save
the cargo OF the Ephriam & Anna,
wrecked a few miles above Cape
Charles City.
Yesterdays Baltimore Sun says: The
tNa-hnaf q T,1trnha Cont0t1
left last night for the vicinity of Point
schooner LYDIA NJ. Deering, Captain
Swain. went ashore during Monday
night. The Deering left port that
morning with 1850 tons of coal for Bos-
ton. The dispatch ann ,,ir.hg - o.
cident to Gray, Irelan & Co.. the YES
sells agents, was sent by way of Peters,
burg. Va. 1t Is expected to float the
Deering without discharging. as the
tide was very low when she went
ashore.
The tug Annie. towing the schooner
Katie G.. Robinson from Richmond
Monday, ran on a sunken log near
Chafin's Bluff and injured her ma
chinery to the extent of about $1,000,
disabling her. Both tug and schooner
were towed in Tuesday night by the
tug Bentley. The Annie is owned in
Norfolk and Richmond. and will repair
here.
The barge Kingston Is high and dry
ashore near Newport News where she
was blown In Sunday nights storm.
The Old Dominion steamship Jeffer-
son. which arrived Yesterday, made the
run from New York to Norfolk in Is
hours and 40 minutes, which. consider
Ing the weather, is excellent time.
The steamer VIM. Coley placed the
new boiler in a. n. Marshall's tug SAL
lie yesterday. The Duval Iron Works