The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-01-24
WAS SHERIDAN L0ST2
WHO READ OF TER
RIBLE DISASTER.
Rumor Published in San Francisco
Bulletin Afternoon Before Ventura
Sailed, May be Meade or Grant.

The startling rumor brought by the
Ventura from San Francisco of the loss
Of the United States transport Sheridan
has caused the utmost interest in HO-
.nOlulu. Unfortunately the accounts of
the reported loss of the vessel were so
Vague that practically no definite news
.of the occurrence could be learned It
is possible that when the transport
Fitzpatrick arrives today or tomorrow
from San Francisco she may bring
some later news, either Of CONTRA
.dictOry or a cOufirmatory character.
That the rumOr had gained general
notice in San Francisco is evident from
the fact that it had already found its
way into the columns of the newspa-
.pers before the departure of the Ven
tura. Horace Cook arrived on the Ven
tura, heard the rumOr and also read
IabOut it in the San Francisco Bulletin.
I'VE heard of the reported loss of the
Sheridan" said Mr. Cook before the
Ventura left the dock. l think 1t was
about o'clock in the afternoon when
II saw IL, l happened to see a notice
of the reported wreck, in the Bulletin.
owing to the hurry of getting away,
II did not read the article closely but
simply saw in the headlines a state
ment to the effect that the Sheridan
was reported lost. L did not pay any
particular attention to the article how
a
.impressionat that time was that the
vessel had been lost somewhere near
Honolulu and, thinking that the trans
ports called at this port, l supposed
that we would be able to learn all Of
the particulars after we reached Homo
lulu"
The statements of Mr. Cook explain
the reason why no special effort was
made by passengers and officers of the
Ventura to ascertain whether there was
Iany truth in the rumOr The Ventura
was being held expecting the British
mails to arrive at almost any time, so
the officers were too busy to run the
rumor down while the passengers were
naturally too much concerned with the
details Of boarding the vessel to learn
| whether the report was true or not, so
lit is not surprising that the Ventura
should have left San Francisco with
nothing more definite known than the
original rumOr.
/ r. b. Hogue who arrived on the Ven
/ tura is another person who heard the
Irumor He states that about noon time
OF the day the Ventura left San Fran
! cisco, the rumOr began to be nOised
about California street, in the vicinity
| Of the Merchants Exchange and the
Wholesale district.
! mo details were given" said Hogue,
"Other than that the Sheridan had been
Host with all hands aboard. 1 did not
credit the rumOr. In fact, no one SEEM
! ed to think that it could have been
true for we could not see how news of
such a disaster could possibly have
IreaChed San Francisco. l know Cap
tain Pierce the captain of the Sheridan,
! intimately and he is a careful naviga-
| tor well acquainted with the course to
Manila"
That the subject was not on every lip
| when the vessel arrived here is easily
! understood. To those on the vessel it
| was a subject six days old and hence
! not uppermOst in mind. and consciously
| or uncOnSciOusly assumed to be six days
! old here. Naturally therefore it was
not likely to be generally talked of un-
! less something arose to recall it.
As an indication of the utter failure
| or the officers or passengers to learn
the truth or falsity of the report, one
Of the officer Of the Ventura thought
/ that the Sheridan had been bound
from Manila to San Francisco and so
stated yesterday, whereas the course
OF the transport was in exactly the op-
Iposite direction.
The Sheridan left San Francisco
January 1, bound for Manila, via Gu
am. Her course would not therefore
have been by Nagasak as was stated
yesterday by the officer Of the Ventura.
But she might have had to go to
| INagasak for coal so il is therefore pos
Isible that some of the sailors might
have been picked up by some vessel and
taken to Japanese port as was claim
ed in the rumOr.
The fact that so many lives were re-
lported to have been lost would indi-
cate that the disaster was caused by
the boat encOuntering a typhoOn at sea
and laundering. The Meade encOun-
tered two such storms during her last
passage to Guam and Manila.
Until more definite news will have
been received however the report of
disaster will, of course, have to be TAX
en- for what it deserves. How the ru-
NOR gained circulation or where it ori-
lginated in San Francisco is unknown
lat present II is to be hoped that some
vessel will arrive before the Gaelic
next Tuesday with definite news of
/, some character regarding the reported
\ disaster, for the utmost apprehension
lcannot, but be felt here by army peu-
Iple as well as the community in gen
Ieral.
The Sheridan is commanded by Cap
ltain Pierce. She left San Francisco on
Years day and the departure was made
Ian occasion for quite a demonstration.
In addition to the several hundred
members of the crew. the following de-
lparted on the Sheridan, four companies
IOf the Twenty Infantry, con-
lsistng of 402 enlisted men, four troops
IOf the Eleventh Cavalry, numbering
1922 men 747 recruits, II Hospital Corps
lmen, IL Signal Corps men headquarters
land band of the Twenty Seventh Regi-
Iment and various line officers.
Colonel Frank d. Baldwin and wife
Major G.. j. Chub, Captains James r.
Moore, James A. Hutton, ShuttleWOrth
land wife, Andrus and huffman: Lieu
tenants O. S. Eskrdge, O.. S. Fries, o.
Van ID. Murphy James NJ KimbrauEl
land Mcnamara; Second Lieutenants
W. S, Persons, John j. Fulmer, KeltoT
l.. Pepper and Arthur A. Dalton; Chap,
lain Rice ana wife of the Twenty
seventh Infantry, Major j. b. Ricky
Captains j. ~ Haines, w. M. ROwell
wife and two children and mother; b
M. Leary and wife; Lieutenants T. b
Taylor, A. S. Odell and f. p. Ames
Second Lieutenants ID. ID. Tompkinl
and wife, John Symington, @. M. Baird
w. G.. Meade and H. WestermOreland
! Veterinary Surgeon Alexander Nc
Donald SurgeOn-Captain James
Kennedy of the Eleventh Cavalry, Ma