Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-06-13
TWELVE! MEN LOST!
Young Naval 0ticers Attached Bat
tlsship Minnesota Believed
to Have Been Drowned.
HAD GONE ASHORElN LAUNCH
Occurred In Hampton RoadO Near
Jamestown Exposltlon-Prcb- \
ably Run Down by \
Steamer.

washington, June 12.-The loss at
one time of six bright young midsnip-
men fresh from the academy at An
napolIs, a young marine officer very
recently appointed, and q boatswain
and four enlisted men attached 70
the big battleship Minnesota--tweive
men all together, as reported briefly
to the Navy department Tuesday,
was 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. ar
At midnight the following informa-
ton was received from the flagship
Connecticut bearing on the disaster
In Hampton Roads Monday night;
Launch from the Minnesota lost
last night about 1880 a, m. while ri
turning from the exposition pier. SIX
midshipmen and the launch's crew OF
five enlisted men are thought to have
been drowned. Caps Of two midship-
men were found floating in the hnrDor
Monday night. No survivor to give
absolute details. Opinion Is that
launch was run down BY a steamer"
In the opinion Of the officials Of the
department Admiral Evans had de-
layed sending this sad message unrl
he had exhausted every means 81
finding trace Of the missing men.
Sailors at the navy department said
there was always O chance that the
launch had merely broken her ma
chinery and going adrlft without con-
troll In the very strong ebb tides tnat
swept through the roads had perhaps
gone out to sea with her crew ana
passengers stiIl safe. The depart
ment sent q wireless message to a.
miral evans requesting him to furnish
the names Of the five enlisted men
who made up the crew Of the missing
launch.
Because Of their youth and very re-
cent entry into the naval service the
young officers who were lost were
not widely known outside Of the ma
val academy Midshipman Henry Q.
Murfin, IT,, was a native Of Ohio ana
a member Of the second class ~
the naval academy. Like the others
he had been sent aboard the battle
ship Minnesota for summer course
Of instruction, to afford the practical
education necessary to supplement
the theoretical work at the naval
academy. Philip H. Field was a MD
shipman from Colorado who belonged
to the first class Of the academy
Midshipman Walter G. Ulrich OF the
second class was from Wisconsin.
Midshipman w. H. Stevenson Of Cali
fornla was member Of the second
class and Henry L. Holden Of Wiscon-
sin was q member Of the same class.
Naval officers at the department.
recalled many perilous passages be-
tween ship and shore In these little
steam launches. But the general
oponlon was that with careful man
agement the launches would weather
almost any kind Of a storm.
The conclusion was reached at the
navy department that either on ac-
count Of the lateness Of the hour Of
the return trip, the Minnesota's
launch In her haste had been driven
hard into the heavy sea that pre-
vailed in Hampton Roads Monday
night, or that the little boat had been
run down by some of the giant tramp
steamers that make use Of the roads
as a refuge In time of storm.