River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-12-06
YOSEMITE GOES DOWN
United States Cruiser Wrecked
Near the Island of Guam.
Desperate Fight Made to Save vessel.
Hut Crew Forced TO Finally
Abandon It-Five
Drowned

Manila, Nov. 30.-The United States
auxiliary cruiser Yosemite parted her
cables off the harbor of San Luis
d'Apra, Island of Guam. during ty-
phoon on November 10, drifted 60 miles,
struck a reef and was wrecked. Five
of the crew were drowned \ collier
rescued the remainder.
According TO advices received here
from unofficial sources the wind was
blowing from the southeast in the
early morning of November 10 at the
rate of a hundred miles an hour. The
Yosemite had two anchors down, but
both were dragged mile across the
harbor entrance. At II a. IN. she
struck the reef and stove in forward.
She drifted for an hour and at the
noon struck the rock near Somaye,
carrying away her rudder and dam
aging her propeller.
Five Drowned.
A launch had been sent to find shell
ter. but it capsized and the occupants
were drowned. They were Coxswain
Swanson, Seaman George Aubel, En-
gineer J. L. Mabancfy and Firemen
j. l.. Davis and Joseph Anderson. The
storm abated somewhat at one p. M,
but was then renewed with violence
from the southwest. A dozen of the
crew attempted TO carry line ashore.
but the boat capsiZed. although the
occupants managed to reach the land.
Meanwhile the Yosemite was being
blown seward, her head down and
the forward compartment filing. The
boiler and engine-rooms, however,
were free of water, and the pumps
were kept going. The cruiser was
kept afloat until the afternoon of No
vember Is, when the United States
collier Justin, which also had suffered
damage TO her anchors and had mar
rolvly escaped the reef, was sighted
The Justin attempted to tow the
Yosemite with two chains and two
cables, but these parted.
Rest of the Crew Saved.
Finally 1873 of the Yosemite's crew,
26 marines and nine officers, were
transferred to the Justin, together
with $6s,0OO Mexican. The Yosemite
soon plunged headforemost and sank.
The members of the crew were pro-
vided with temporary quarters at
Agana, which suffered badly from the
hurricane.
Many Persons Killed.
The typhoon was of unprecedented
violence. Many are reported to have
been killed or injured. At Agana
three were killed and ten died of ex-
posure. The town of Moranjan was
destroyed, 80 of the townspeople be-
ing killed and many others injured.
1t is believed that there was consid-
cradle loss of life elsewhere in Guam
and all the crops were destroyed.
Many dwellings in Agana were de-
molished. Mrs. White, wife of Maj.
White, of the marine corps, the only
white woman in Agana, took refuge
with her husband, and Commander
Seaton Schroeder, naval governor of
Guam, in the cellar of the governors
mansion, which was already partly
filled with water.
The Last Vessel.
| 1.-THE Yosemite was first commissioned
April 13, 1898. She had been station ship at
! the island of Guam since the days of the
! Spanish war. She was a 16-knot converted
cruiser of GIG tons displacement and was
provided with main battery of ten five
inch rapid-fire guns and a secondary bat
terry of six six-pounders and two Colt rifles.
She had a complement of IS officers and 267
men. Her measurements were S9l feet IN
length by IS feet extreme breadth. She had
a mean draft of 20 feet / inch.
Just before the outbreak of the Spanish
American war the vessel was purchased
by the navy department, fitted as an aux
Hilary cruiser and rendered effective service
as one of the patrol fleet, being manned in
part by the Michigan naval militia. 1t is
said that her anchorage at Guam was off
the harbor of San Luis d'Apra. and that
owing to her draft she was obliged to lie
six miles off shore The harbor is a par
ticularly dangerous one, owing to the ex-
istence of a rocky shoal in the middle and
a particularly crooked channel.
According to the naval register the Yose-
mite was manned by is officers and 267 men,
| but in her capacity as station ship rot
all of these were required. and undoubt-
edly part of them were ashore engaged in
duties at the naval station. This probably
would be true of her commander, Seaton
Schroeder, who also is governor of Guam,
and who probably left the active command
of the ship to the ranking lieutenant, Au-
gustus n. Mayer.J