The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-15
VESSEL LOST
IN A TYPH00N.
How United States Warshlp
Yosemite Was Wrecked.
AWFUL STORM STRUCK GUAM.
Brave Fight In facs Of Death That Ended
In The Defeat Of tho
Gallant Crew.
AWFUL STORM STRUCK GUAM.

A typical day in Guam. where IL is al
ways summer, was Monday. Nov. Il.
1900. The next day dawned disagreeable
and rainy. with fresh breeze from the
northward. In few hours a typhoon
was breaking upon Guam. destroying
houses. driving the sea inland, and
wrecking the good ship Yosemite. naval
structure designed 10 withstand nature d
nercest onslaughts.
In the harbor OF San Luis d'Apra, ISL
and OF Guam, were the u. s. s. Yosemite.
under command of Lieut.. r. e. Bierer.
L.. S. ~, and the l.. $. collier Justin.
commanded by Capt. William X. Scott OF
the Laurada filibustering fame.
The first sign OF approaching trouble
was the sudden and ominous falling OF
the barometer, which was noted little
before daybreak. The fires on the YoYe-
ME were out and repairs were being
made on one boiler. and as the indica-
tions OF a storm Increased the command
ing officer ordered Lieut.. Albert Moritz,
the engineer. 10 fire up all boilers.
by daybreak the wind had attained
great violence, and as the hours passed
the fury OF the storm Increased All
hands were kept hard at work preparing
the vessel 10 put to sea, but IL was ii 80
o'clock before the engines were reported
ready. In the meantime had occurred
an accident which cost the life of five
United States sailors.
AZ G:l0 o'clock two pulling boats and
the steam launch towed a loaded coal
lighter into shallow water I'm an effort
To save H., and secured the lighter as
well as good seamanship could devise.
But il was n wasted effort for the
lighter soon broke adrft and was driven
over the reefs and ashore
e.r,Y-t.r
The steam launch was ordered TO seek
protection under the lee OF Cabras Island
The crew were instructed later TO leave
the launch and 10 wade ashore, II neces-
sary. This would have been an easy feat
in the shallow water. Why they did not
save themselves will never be known. 1t
is probable that with too great a devotion
to duty they stuck TO their little craft
at the cost of every life on board.
They were seen TO enter shallow water
and then were hidden from view. In the
launch were Frank Swanson, coxswain: !:
George Aubel. seaman; J. l.. Mehaffy.
apprentice. first class; w. r. Davis, fire.
man, first class, and Joseph Anderson,
coal passer.
The launch has not yet been found
Two bodies were found three days after
ward, but they could not be positively
Identified. Probably they We're Aubel and
Anderson. Secured 10 the buoy at which
the steam launch lay was a broken oar.
What the bitter fight against death was
in that awful gale and binding sea Is
and ever will be an untold tale. but the
struggle for life alone, with shore and
safety but a few yards away, was indeed
a piteous one
The driving rain and the spoondrift
kicked by the wind from the crests OF
the waves made IL impossible 10 see a
l. g. -
and from o'clock on the hurricane i'm
creased relentlessly in force.
At. . O'Clock the starboard anchor OF
the Yosemite was let go, the port anchor
being already down, and every possible
precaution was taken 10 add TO the ships
chances for safety.
The only safety--which may be regard
ed as sarcasm-lay in leaving the harbor
and going to sea. but In such a port with
an entrance only about 200 yards wide
and also filled with reefs and shoals.
with a storm impossible 10 face, IL would
have been madness TO attempt TO put to
sea.
BY noon the storm. that had already
reached, as IL seemed, the extreme of
severity. increased TO a terrific force
from about north. and the ship began TO
drag. slowly at first and with increasing
speed, toward the Soumaye reefs.
YOSEMITE ON THE REEFS.
Attempts were made 10 check her by
going ahead half. then full speed on the
engines, but without visible results. In
spite OF the anchors and engines, the
fated ship drifted broadside on the reefs
at about fifteen minutes after noon.
All water tight doors were closed. and
the chief carpenter. w. a. Barry. and his
gang were stationed below to report II
any water was made. The carpenter soon
reported that the ship was filling rapidly
forward. The engines then went ahead
full speed to try TO keep the ship on the
reef. At about 1890 o'clock the wind sud-
denly shifted to the east and fell con-
siderabiy I'm force. though blowing a
sheavy gale.
Volunteers were called for 10 run q
life line ashore. and promptly the iifs-
boat was manned. Despite the excellent
seamanship of Boatswain sweeney. a
thorough seaman. the life line parted and
the boat was blown ashore. After a
long and dangerous battle with the surf.
in which number of unsuccessful at
tempts were made TO beach the lifeboat,
she cspsized near the shore and all the
crew saved themselves.
They swan and waded through the
surf 10 the beach. but were badly cut
especially about tho feet and hands. from
the coral rocks. They rested in Sonmaye
for the night and walked TO Agans, a
distance of eight miles. the next day.
lmping into the town badly exhausted
After the unsuccessful attempt OF the
llfeboat 10 take life line ashore. a
futile effort was made To fire 1t to the
beach from a six-poundor. attaching the
end 20 a wooden plug. but the storm was
too severe.
AZ this time the ship was only about a
hundred yards from the beach, lying on
the reef. when at I o'clock the wind sud
denly increased 20 terrible force. Among
those present were old seamen. including
survivors of the Samoan disaster OF
March. 1859. and all say that they had
never seen q storm Of equal violence.
VESSEL POUNDED on ROCKS.
The doomed vessel was blown of the
roof one anchor chain snapped ard