Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-12
SHIP LAUNCH SINKS;
ELEVEN ARE LOST
Six Midshipmen and Five Seamen
Drowned While Returning From
the Jamestown Fair.

| ABOUT 4:oo CLOCK, just as Acting Secre-
tary Newberry was leaving for the day. 1t
| read as follows:
| Minnesotas steamer, after going to the
exposition last night, is still missing, and
| grave fears are entertained that she was
| run down and sunk. She had a crew of
| five men and, as passengers, Midshipmen
! Field, Stevenson, Holden, Ulrich, Murfn
| and Second Lieut.. Randall. Search has
| been made, but without success"
An hour later the following dispatch came
by telegraph from Admiral Evans, dated at
| Hampton roads at 4:15 O'clock
| "A dttybox belonging to the fireman of
| Minnesota's missing launch has been picked
| up afioat near berth 81 and 1 am forced to
| conclude that the launch, with all on board,
| is lost. The names of the midshipmen are
r. II. Field, w. H. Stevenson, H. L. Holden.
w. c. Ulrch, attached to the Minnesota;
| II. {. Murfin, attached to the Iowa, and F.
+. Holcomb, attached to the Connecticut
| the last named is supposed to have taken
passage in the Minnesotas steamer: Sec
ond Lieut.. of Marine D. NJ. Randall at
tached to the Minnesota. The steamers
crew was composed of r. II. Dodson sea-
man, w. L. Fanhorn, ordinary seaman; F.
II. Plumber, ordinary seaman; G. w. West
phal, fireman (irst class; Jesse Conn,
coal passer Have ordered board of investi-
CATION. The steamer was last seen at the
exposition pier about midnight last night"
w the SIX mldshipren, two-S.evanson
and F1eid-graduated from the Nava! Acsd-
envy In February Of last year. while the
other TOUR were members of this Years
graduating class and We're assigned to their
hrst tour of sea duty. Midshipman IIoI =
comb was son of Judge Holcomb/of this
city, formerly auditor of the navy in the
Treasury Department.
M!dshipman William HOLSTER Stavens IN
was born September 10, 1884, at Nawbern,
N. c., and appointed to the Naval Academy
by Representative c. r. Thomas Of the
| third North Carolina district, and was ad-
| mitted August 20, 1902, class of 1896 He
is the son of prominent lawyer Of New
bern.
Midshpman Philip H. Field was born
January 8, 1885, in Albemarle county, Va,
and appointed to the Naval Academy from
Denver Col, by Senator Patterson, and
was admitted August %, 1902 class of 1906.
M:dshipman Walter Carl Ulrich was born
April 10, 1886, at La Crosse, Wis, and ap-
pointed from milwaukee, Wis, by Repre-
sentative Theobold Otgen, and admitted
June u, 1903, class of 1907
Midshipman Henry Clay Murfin was born
| October l, 1885, at Jackson, Ohio, and ap-
| pointed from that state by Representative
| Stephen Morgan Of the tenth Ohio district,
and admitted June 80. 1903, class of 1907.
Mdshpman Herbert Leander Holden was
born March 6, 1855, in Chicago, and APP
| pointed by Representative H. c. Adams
from the second congressional district of
Minnesota, and admitted June 30, 1903, class
of 1907
iIchir
born December "a, 1884 at New Castle.
Del, and appointed from the state of Della
| ware at large by Representative Henry
Houston, representative at large, and was
admitted June 3d. 1903, class of 1907
Mdshipman Holcombs father. Thomas
Hoicomb, who is at present at the head of
division in the Treasury Department, re-
sides at 1919 10th street, this city.
Deep gloom was cast over the NAVY De-
partment yesterday afternoon by the re-
ceipt of a dispatch from Rear Admiral
Evans announcing a deplorable accident to
shlps launch in Hampton roads Monday
night, by which the lives of an officer of
the Marine Corps, six midshipmen and five
enlisted men were lost.
The accident occurred at midnight Mon
day, while the officers were being conveyed
from the pier at the exposition grounds to
the battleship Minnesota occupying her
place with the Atlantic fleet in Hampton
roads, not more than a mile out A high
sea was running in through the capes at
the time and the roads were dangerously
choppy. 1t was some time afterward be-
fore the ships launch, with her crew and
passengers, was missing, and a continued
search throughout yesterday failed to re-
veal the launch or the bodies of any of the
-ioti-
the Navy Department from Admiral Evans
only ditty box belonging to the fireman
of the crew had been found. Whether the
launch was in reality run down. as Admiral
Evans suggested in his first dispatch, or
was swamped by the choppy seas is not
known at the Navy Department.
Next of Kin Of the Seamen.
The next of kin of the seamen are as fol-
lows:
Seaman Dodson, E. F. Dodson, his father,
15S West Saith street, New York
Seaman Vandorn, c. L. Vandorn, 31S 9th
avenue, West Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Seaman Plumber. Mrs. Eada Kitchin, his
mother, Mobton, Wash
Fireman Westphal, Mrs. c. B. Harding,
Neenah. Wis.
Coal Passer Conn. ]. c. Conn, his father.
1884 Cleveland avenue, Louisville, KY
Worst Blow Since Last War,
The loss at time of the six Young
midshipmen and a coxswain and four other
enlisted men of the big battleship Mime
sota-eleven men altogether-is one of the
most severe blows that has fallen upon the
personnel of the navy since the Spanish
, war in the estimation of the officials.
In the opinion of the officials of the de-
partmeRt Admiral Evans delayed sending
his sad message until he had exhausted
every means of finding a trace of the miss
! ing men. For the sailorS at the Navy De-
| partment said there was always a chance
that the launch had merely broken down
her machinery, and, going adrift without
control in the very strong ebb tides that
sweep through the roads, had perhaps
| gone out to with her crew and passen-
gers still safe. There was also the chance
that having been run down by some big