Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-19
SYLPH WAS HELPLESS
LIEUT.. EVANS TELLS OF RESCUE
BY Ell CID.

Lieut.. FIT. Evans. commanding the Sylph.
who has made a report to the Navy De-
partment on the accident which befeii that
vessel April II. while en- route to Norfolk
from Florida waters. says:
Shortly after dark on the night OF the
18th steamer. which 1 have since been
informed is the Oteri of the United Fruit
Company of Baltimore. passed the ship. l
made distress signals to her and she head
ed in. passing within fifty yards OF the
Sylph L asked him for assistance. telling
him I was disabled; he refused to assist
me, did not even slow down, and passed
out Of sight. / beg that the department
take further action In this matter. and If II
prove that I have been rightly Informed
that the department will take such action
In the case as II may deem expedlent I
was entirely helpless and the Oteri knew
it,
Continuing. the lieutenant says he made
signals to several other vessels. but they
either did not see them or did not know
what they meant. for they passed on.
Rescued by Ell Cid
The following morning broke he says,
with nasty weather and an increasing sea.
and that about 7:3O I'm. the Ell Cid hove
in sight. and seeing his signals came to
communicate.
the captain of the Ell Cid. with the SyIph
in tow. got under way and proceeded up
the coast to Hampton Roads, where the
Sylph anchored. Twice during the trip in
he was obliged to request the Ell Cid to
slow down, because of the sea. After tow
ing the Sylph at ten knots for two hours
the sea increased and the towing vessel
slowed down to five knots. which speed she
held for a short time, when the report says
it was found necessary again to slow down
to about three knots, which was all the dis
abed craft could stand
Particular attention was invited to the
action of the captain OF the Ell Cid who,
he says, although bound to New Orleans,
did not hesitate to break his voyage In
order to render aid. II am firmly con-
| WINGED that had the Ell Cid not taken us
into port the Sylph and all her people
would have been lost the report rectes
The Sylph, it is stated. stood the heavy
sea remarkably well and was little dam
aged by it. 1t was requested that repairs
on the little vessel be pushed, as 1t was
understood that her services on special
duty would be required again soon.
Lieut.. Evans also invites attention to the
action of Capt Hansen of the, fishing
smack. Alice nj. Parsons, which vessel, 1t
is stated, was about two miles of at the
time of the accident. The lieutenant says
the captain at once sent a boat and came
aboard to express sympathy and offer any
assistance he could render and to say that
his vessel would anchor near by and stand
ready to assist If ship had to be abandoned.
The Accident Described
OF the accident Lieut.. Evans says that the
Sylph had passed Diamond Shoal Light
vessel and was going at full speed under
forced draft when soon after o'clock he
heard one of the force say to Chief Ma
chinist'S Mate Frank Weber that they had
lost their water below. Weber went below
and a little later the lieutenant says he
stopped at the engine room door and asked
of III. M. Caddin, fireman, first class, what
was the trouble below, when he was in
formed that the condenser red hot.
He says he was inclined to go below and
order the fires either banked or hauled, but
decided not to do SO, as he did not wish to
interfere with the chief machiniSts mate.
whom he saw below trying to get water
to the boiler. The Sylphs boilers. he add
ed had quite often lost their water but
never before with seriously bad effect.
Subsequently he heard two quick reports
and promptly hoisted signals and formed
bucket line. A slight fire below was
quickly extinguished. Thomas F. Muir
ply machinists mate first class. he says.
was burned seriously about the arms, also
internally and John Dalton. seaman, who
was assisting in firing because of a short
age in the force, was slightly burned As
soon as 1t became apparent that he could
not get a tow into Chesapeake bay, he
says he came to with forty fathoms of the
chain in eighteen fathoms of water and
signaled for assistance. He says he has
no report to make against any person In
the engineers force.