The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-06
DERELICT BLOWN Up
Messages from Shore Helped the CTus-
err Columbia a Lot-Torpcdoes AMI
the Allen, j

The cruiser Columbia came bach TO
North River yesterday after having
sent the Edward L. Allen TO the bottom
about l20 miles cut OF Sandy Hook
The Edward l. Allen sailed from
Bangor. Me-, for Baltimore, last June
with a cargo of lumber. She encoun
tered fierce gales and was at last abaa-
doned by her crew on June % about
eighty miles south OF Nantucket.
The crew were rescued by the Nor
wegian steamer Kong Erode and land
ed at Boston. The old hulk. however,
remained waterlogged, and drifting
aimlessly upon the high seas, a Con-
slant source Of worry to maritime aL-
thorities and q serious menace to ocean
traffic.
She was reported about a dozen times
between June &c and September 20
and reports of shipmasters showed that
the derelict, while driving before every
changing wind, kept dangerously lear
the track of ocean liners.
Finally, when the photographic Of
flee in Broad street received news last
Thursday that TIE Edward L.Allen had
been sighted 12O miles. from Sandy
Hook the Brooklyn 2avy yard was no.
flied.
Last Thursday afternoon the Col1In-
bia started for the open sea with in
structions from Rear Admiral Coghian
to find the derellct and sink her. The
cruiser steamed 20 latitude 40:05 moth
and longitude 1853 west, at which
point the derelict had last been seen.
Then the search proper began.
1t was dark. Commander BOWyer
ordered that the Columbia travel in a
square of fourteen miles during he
night with the search light working
all the time. A double watch was
kept, as an unexpected discovery OF
the wreck might have been disastrous
to the Columbia herself.
When daylight came on Friday, Sep
TENDER %, the derelict had not baen
sighted. Communication by wireless
was Immediately established with the
Brooklyn navy yard via Newport. The
report was made that the Columbia
had travelled IN the fourteen mile
square with searchlight and double
watch with no success. A wireless
message was sent in reply by the Ai-
mirsl giving a rev position a little to
the east. AS this information was
considered more definite, the square
was shifted and narrowed to seven
miles.
All Friday this cruising was contin-
ued. The schooner John L. Treat was
sighted. and her master was question
ed by signal. He reported that he had
seen nothing of the wreck.
Through Friday night the cruiser
still steamed around the ~seven-jnle
SQUARE, but with no result. Commlni-
cation was kept up with the navy yard,
but no further information as to the
location of the derelict has been re
ceived. 1t seemed certain, however,
that unless the derelict had sunk she
must lie within the square. The repu-
tation of the wireless ~telegraphy as
a d~erelict marker was at stake.
On Saturday the Columbia was still
unsuccessful. Several ocean liners
were queried by wireless. No answer
could be obtained, however. There
was some Indignation aboard the Co
lumbia over this. Some Of the officers
blamed the steamers for refusing to 1e-
ply merely because the cruiser car
ried the Slaby-Arco wireless system. a
rival of the Marconi, which is install
ed on liners.
On Saturday night Commander Bow
yer of the Columbia, decided that he
would steam slowly to the southeast
with the wind, with the idea that the
derelict. which was reported low in TIE
water, had perhaps, slipped out of the
seven-mile square. The night passed,
the dawn 1arcd up on the eastern
horizon, and showed in silhouette 4
black sDeck about two points to port.
TS,,;oo Dohact uon1orcnn uhn wa
in charge of the deck, notified the COM
mander. The black speck was about
two and a half miles ahead, and grow
with much feeling and a swapping Of
telescopes, that the derelict had pcee
found. The bearings were latitude
39:45 north and 71:57 west.
Preparations were Immediately be-
gun for the destruction of the wreck.
Two boats were lowered. One was
commanded by Gunner Layer, the 9th
err by a modest midshipman, who re-
fused his name to the press. Torpe-
does. fuses, wires, and batteries were
put in the boat. The sailors boarded
the derelict, but nothing Of value was
found, and it was said to have been
apparent that she had been looted
several times. 4
With the aid Of a line the men low
cred two torpedoes, containing gun
cotton under the keel directly beneaSn
the deck house. When these were ar
ranged the wires were taken in. Then
the whale boats backed off before
connecting the wires with the bate
ries. The Columbia had steamed OH
to a safe distance.
When the wires were connected a
terrific explosion shook the sea, the
whale boat and the cruiser. The iere-
lict heaved out of the ocean brokeh IN
two pieces. The torpedoes had cut het
in half.
The harnaclad old derelict being
water-logged, did not sink, however, !
Her two parts drifted off in opposite
directions. The boats went back 10
the attack. Two more ~torpedoes were
put under the main hatch in the for