Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-17

night of November 3D. 1877. 1t had not been
a bad night and the ships compass course
was such as to carry the vessel clear OF the
shore. But it was found afterward that the
heel ling of the ship was just enough to
throw out the compasses so that they varied
and carried the Huron onto the reef. 1t
was long time before the navigating Of
ficer received post-mortem the vindcation
that had been denied him by the court OF
inquiry. But 1t is now generally accepted
that he was free of blame In the matter.
Lieut.. Lucien Young was one of the officers
saved. He was badly injured in the wreck
and almost crippled when he finally reached
shore. But he walked seven miles to
closed-up ltfe-saving station, broke 1t open
and with the help OF the county sheriff, got
out the life-saving apparatus and got back
to the shore in time to save good many OF
the ships company. Eighty-three officers
and men were lost, but Young was given
the thanks of Congress and medal for
heroism. He was also made an honorary
member for life of the Kentucky legisla-
ture, and it is said makes special trip
to Kentucky to vote for Joe blackburn
every time the latter runs for the Senate.
This Is about the only time on record that
such an honor has been accorded any
American citizen by his native state.
The responsibility for the loss of the
Bennington has not yet been fixed. but it
is stated that Commander Young had no
titled the Navy Department frequently or
the condition of her boilers prior to the
explosion. and that the head of steam on
them had been reduced from the $50 pounds
that she was supposed to carry to 100
pounds at the time Of the explosion She
lost 100 officers and men and took her
place as one of the notable disasters OF
American naval history.
One of the most awful disasters in naval
records was the comparatively recent loss
of the Captain in the British navy. 1t was
after the introduction of the ironclad. and
for almost decade previously the navies Of
the world had been singularly free from
great warshfp disasters Her designer was
Capt. Cowper Cowles, the designer of the
English turret, and who has been accused
of plagiarizing Ericsson's idea, first dis
played In the Monitor.
The Captain was really an enlarged moni-
tor of $500 tons, and fitted with full sail
power In addition to her steam. She was
criticised by naval experts when she was
designed as being topheavy. This was fur
Their increased by curious accident in her
design by which her freeboard was made
only six feet eight inches instead of eight
feet six inches. She was tried in harbor,
however on canting tests which were quite
satisfactory, and then went on two voyages
with the Channel squadron, In which she
appeared to be perfectly seaworthy. She
was a powerful fighting ship, and 1t was
thought at the time that she could have dis
posed of all the other ships of the Channel
squadron seriatim In fair fight
She made her third cruise In the Bay of
Biscay, bad piece of water at the best,
and during storm on the night-of Septem-
Der g. 1870. she disappeared altogether. The
next day eighteen of her men reached shore
In the small boats and were able to tell the
story of the disaster. The Captain had
simply turned turtle during the night. and
the eighteen men were all that were left of
her crew of over 500. Here. as In the Birk-
enhead. the greatest heroism was displayed.
Her commander. Capt. Burgoyne, was found
by one of the boats on the keel OF the up
turned pinnace with some of the sailors. He
refused to be taken of, as the small boat
that sighted him was already overloaded.