The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-30
NAVY LOSES HISTORIC SHIPS.
STORM DOES MILLION DOLLARS
DAMAGE AT PENSACOLA YARD.
GIOucester and Vixen Among the Heats
BeaChed by Great wave That Swept
Southern Coast Hardest Blow NAVY
Has Sustained since samoan Hurricane.

Has SUBSTANCES siDce 9am0an hurrrcnne.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2o.-One gunboat
and two tugs ave been sunk, two other
KunboatS, a tug and a GOAL barge are
beached, q gunboat Is leaking. a dry
dock and wharves have been destroyed
and incalculable damage to other Govern
ment property at the Pensacola Navy Yard
has been done by the West India hurricane.
The Runboat Machias sank at her moor
inRs. The converted ~gunboaLs Gloucester
and Vixen, the smallest vessels which took
part In the naval battle at Santiago, are
beached high and dry.
The Gloucester was formerly the Corsair.
one Of the yachts Of that name belonging
to Mr.. j. p. Morgan Of New York.
The Vixen was formerly the yacht Joseph
inc, which belonged TO the Mexican estate
Of Philadelphia. The tugs Waban and
Undine were sunk. The former Spanish
Runboat Isla de Luzon, which went down
in the battle OF Manila Bay and was
afterward raised-and repaired, is afoat but
leaking.
Wharves, dredges, coal bins and buildings
were wrecked. Tho sesgoing tug Acco-
mao Of 1877 was beaohed and the d
drydock was destroyed.
ALAo ~ OohAc w NN0
partment late this afternoon in a telegram
from Capt. BickneIl, c~ommandant OF the
Pensacola yard. The message was dated
yesterday. Prior to ito receipt the Depart
ment had a brief telegram from Capt.
Bicknell, dated September ~, indicating
that the yard had suffered heavily. He
said In this the sea covered the navy yard
and that there were 200 refugees in the
- Wha nana - poanf VIVA vaFv
much gratihed, however, over the con-
Guiding sentence In Capt. second
message, which said: mo lives lost In
navy yard This Is Capt. Bicknel's de-
tailed report:
-Machias sunk at moorings In basin.
Waban sunk at wharf. Coal barge No. l,
Accomac, Vixen high on beach at west
end Of yard. Gloucester on beach outside
the yard west. Wooden drydock des-
stroyed. New coal bin almost all gone.
Permanent wharf destroyed. Some coal
saved. Dredge ashore east end OF yard.
Centre wharf destroyed. Piles standing
old coal wharf and the steel drydock wharf
and ammunition wharf damaged; also
Undine sunk. Barge ashore, broken up
Target range house destroyed. lsla de
Luzon anoat In basin leaking. Steel dry
dock apparently unchanged. Much heavy
wreckage in yard, trees uprooted. Wire
less ~topgallant masts gone. All electrical
wires wrecked. Power plant damaged
and not working. Buildings generally
damaged by wind. One house uninhabit-
able, Water damage to machinery on
ground floors. No lives lost In navy yard
The losses to naval vessels and property
ut Pensacola are the severest suffered
by the navy since the Trenton, the Nipsio
and the Vandalia were driven ashore IN
the destructive Samoan hurricane OF 1889.
While the Machias, the Luzon, the Vixen
and tho Gloucester were comparatively
out Of date they were still exceedingly
useful ships and had considerable historic
interest, particularly the Gloucester and
thu Lnzon. on account Of their services
In the Spanish war. It lie not known, how
ever. that any OF these vessels Ia a total
loss. It IL quite probable that the Luzon
win be saved and a. the Maohias went down
at her moorings she may not have been
much battered.
The Luzon was built for the Spanish
Government at Elswick, England, in 1885.
She had a displacement Of LIPS tons. In
the battle Of Manila Bay the Spaniards
nank her in order to prevent her capture
bv Dewey's ships. When she was raised,
abe wa taken to Hongkong and repaired
there.
The Machias, I,I71 tons, was built at
Path. Me-. in 1891. She saw service in
West Indian waters in the Spanish war.
The Navy Department acted promptly
upon Capt. BicknelIs advioes. Acting
SECRETARY Newberry Immediately ordered
| Chief Constructor Caps to proceed to
Pensaoola and assume charge Of the work
Of salvage.
The Luzon, the Machias, the Gloucester
the Vixen and some Of the tugs had been
under repairs, which were practically COM
nIeted. and it was intended to use them In
connection with the expected interview
tion in Cuba. as they are just the character
| of vessels needed for patrolling harbors
| and doink despatch boat work.
Orders were issued also by the Navy
! DEPARTMENT for the tugs Uncas n Her
! o,,Ies. now at Washington, and the tug
1 Oacsola: now at Key West, to proceed
without delay to Pensacola to undertake
She work Of salvage. The Department
estimates the damage at Pensacola at
100000. On account OF the destruction
, without means Of affording sucoor to vessels
which ave been sunk or otherwise injured.
The Gloucester covered herself with
| glory in thS laval battle Of Santiago on
'5uly 3. 1893. She was in command OF Capt.
| Richard Wainwright, then a Lieutenant
| Commander. When Cervera's squadron
! made its mad dash out OF Santiago harbor
, Wainwright, knowing that his little vessel
would be Of no service against the Spanish
armorclads, waited for the thinly protected
and comparatively small destroyers which
brought up the end Of the procession. When
two Of them appeared he engaged them at
~olose auartersS and drove them ashore.
The Vixen, like the Gloucester, was
bought for Spanish war service. How she
got her present name Is a favorite navy
story. Commander Alexander Sharp, Jr.,
now Of the cruiser Chattanooga, was naval
aide to Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant
Secretary Of the Navy at the outbreaks OF
the Spanish war, and he applied for the
command OF a vessel. He was then only a
Lieutenant and was not entitled to q large
vessel. John d. Long, Secretary OF the
! Navy, decided to assign him to command
the Josephine.
sMr. Secretary said Sharp, my wISe's
name IL Josephine and I wish you wouldn't
change the name Of the yacht I'm to COM
mAnd."
And what does Mrs. Sharp say1' asked
Mr.. Long.
sshe said answered Sharp, sthat II you
hart tho nanna n would Ia the onlv .Joaaphina