Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-13
CAN'T FIND BODIES OF
ELEVEN MISSING MEN

through the heavy esas for the bat.
tleship Minnesota when she was sud
denly struck and sent 10 the bottom
in several fnthoms of water.
Crash Must Have Been Sudden.
The only SNmg In the canvas
canopy whl1 8 s sd the launch is
s 5asf oo sn in the @6o front
steering the onn TO see ahead. The
crash is snppf.annad to have been 81
s sadaf time sha5 ey fsro the 9aSswan
Ing.
No information Is yet obtalnable as
to the identity of the tug and coal
barge which are said to have struck
the Minnesota's launch and caused
the accident.
1t Is not yet positively known
whether the tug aud barge were ont
ward or inward bound, or that tho
tug knew what she had struck.
The only harges that reached New.
port News Monday night after having
passed through Hampton Roads, were
the Annie and Gwennie, which arrly.
ed In tow OF the tug Eureka. The of.
Ulcers and crew of the Eureka say
positively that their boat was not tho
one that struck the Minnesota's
launch and that they knew absolute.
ly nothing about the affair.
From the jamestown Exposition
grounds 1t was announced that off.
GERS coming ashore from the fleet
reported that an excursion boat with
passengers out to Witness the jllum-
ination of the warships In Hampton
Roads Monday night had on returning
from Norfolk struck an unknown oh.
1ect in the Roads, the object having
no light of any kind upon 1t. 1t is
believed that it was the Minnesota's
launch that was cut down and sunk.
Supervising Inspector of Steam Yes
sells CAST said today that all the ex-
cursion steamers which went out from
this port Monday night to view the
illumination of the fleet in Hampton
Roads had gotten out OF the Roads
before the Minnesota's launch left
Discovery Landing at the jamestown
J Exposition pier and he therefore does
not believe that anyone of them
could have run down the Minneso.
ta's launch.
Inspector CAST expressed the bei:e
that the launch was not in collision,
but probably was overturned by q
heavy sea and the occupants thus
drowned. The battleship Minnesota
will not sail tomorrow with the res.
of the fleet which is scheduled to
leave then, but will remain in Hamp-
ton Roads for some little time.
At the Exposition GROUNDS il was
said that Rear Admiral Evans and
his aide Lieutenant Woodward both
announced that they had no official
| Information concerning the cause of
J the disaster.
Throughout the day and up to a
late hour tonight under the direction
of the officers OF the fleet the lot.
tom of Hampton Roads was dredgel
by the sailors in the hope OF bring,
ing UP additional evidence of the
launch disaster Beyond the canvas
canopy, and coat and caps already
reported there were no results.
| While 1t is understood that an in
yestigaticn has been ordered no ar
engagements have been perfected for
1t and no statement has been made
as to its trend. In fact. it is admit
ted that unless some clue is secured
indicating who was responsible for
the accident. that the investigation
will be useless.
In maritime circles it is believed
that any steamer or vessel that fouled
the launch is aware of 1t.
Admiral Evans today ADMITTED that
there could be no further question
that the disaster occurred The find
ing of the portion OF the canopy of
the launch and the cont and hats has
confirmed to him the superstition that
the launch went down and all on
board were lost. While Virginia Day
was participated in, in order not to
break the program arranged in nd.
vance, the navy officers nave declin-
ed all invitations to participate in
festivities and celebrations and tho
hall game between the army and
navy, scheduled for this afternoon
was called off
Wants Relatives Notified.
A dispatch from Rear Admiral
Evans requested that the next of kin
: be informed that the six midshipmen
and five enlisted men of the warship
Minnesota, previously reported as
missing, were undoubtedly drowned,
was made public at the Navy Depart.
ment In Washington today, the dis
patch adds that the uniform capes
of Midshipmen Stevenson and Ulrich
have been picked up. Admiral Evans
also telegraphed the Navy Depart
ment that the boats OF the fleet were
dragging the waters for the missing
and the nodies of the eleven victims
and that board Is investigating the
catastrophe. The admiral also stated
that the general opinion was that the
launch had been run down by n
steamer.
A telegram expressing the shock
and grief OF President and Mrs.
Rnnuaunlf o. tl,, r,n,At nf fhr, rIirn r,,