The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

dIu SIAitht op
The Roads Outside the
Additional Evidence TO Convince
Naval Officers That the Launch
Was Run Down by a Float OF Some
Kind-Derricks Will Raise the
Launch at an Early Hour Ihls
Morning.
Washington, June 1.-The oficlal
notice 81 the finding Of the il'-fatrl
launch of the battleship Minnesota.
which went to the bottom Of Hampton
Roads with it's eleven occupants Or
Tuesday night was receiver By 7ht
commander of the Atlantic fleet The
dispatch says the launch was grappleu
by the dragging party, and that tbs
launch of the battleship Minnesota
night. Several bodies were found but
on account of the confined space
their number could not be counted
The location of the discovery Of the
launch is thus described in the dis
patch:
Right angle flagstaff Of Fort Wool
to right tangent OF Chamberlain 70
degrees. Left angle, right tangent,
Chamberlain to left tangent of eft
elevator at Newport News 104 degrees
thirty minutes"
Newport News, Va. June 14.-Witb
canopy frame crushed, but canvaS still
tightly fastened down, the missing
lounch of the battleship Minnesota
was located in II feet OF water about
1,600 yards west by south of Fort Wool
this afternoon about 5 o'clock. Across
the little craft was a tell tale piece OF
towing line, serving to convince TIE
naval officers that they were right in
their theory that the launch was tu,,
down by a float of some kind in tow
OF a tug. The diver who went down
to examine the launch, reported that
n heads and arms Of three men were
protruding from beneath the canvas
covering; the men having made a des-
perate fight for life when they wee,
carried down like rats in a trap. It
will be five o'clock tomorrow morning
before the launch can be raised, and at
the present time no one knows how
many bodies will be found. 1t is be-
heved that certainly nine of the bodies
Will be under the canory. but the fact
that the uniform caps of Midsbinnen
Ulr1ch and Stevenson Were picked I'D
In the Roads indicates that these two
must have succeeded in getting free
from the boat before they were drown.
ed. Aboard the battleship Indiana
tonight Captain Mahan confirmed for
the Associated Press the report of the
finding of the launch. He said that
all the facts had been wired to WASH
1ngton. and that an official report
would be given u tomorrow.
S~earchlights from all the American
oattleships are playing upon the SPOT
around which two floating derricks.
the naval tug Potomac and half a doz-
en- launches and cutters are anchored.
A diver is at the bottom of the Roads
h cables with which the der
rlcks will raise the launch. Officers
ana me on board the Atlantic feet ale
waiting anxiously for the raising of the
boat.
The Inflated boat was found by the
launches of the batt1eships Ohio and
which were dragging over q
course laid out by officers. A diver
was sent down from the Indiana &c
o as possible, and before darkness
had settled over the Roads ~sieno,.
from ship to ship announced that the
search was at an end. In looking for
Inc boat, the officers proceeded On The
theory that the launch. when if loet
eApcslt1on grounds at midnight
NCnday. started for the battIeship Con-
nectIcut to put Midshipman Holcom,
aboard that vessel. to which he "a.
-onged. It was that the ho.+
was run down somewhere between q
)olht where she would have stared
across the main channel and the bat
Lleshlp Connecticut. There the find
vas made the spot being several hum
lred yards from where the Connecticut
vas anchored. and a short distapcs
rom the squadron.
1t is learned here tonight that a New
York, Philadelphia and Norfolk car
loaf passed through the Roads short
y after midnight Tuesday morning.
from Cape Charles for Norfolk
The float arrived at Norfolk about ,
o'clock Tuesday morning and is be-
leVed to have been directly Off the ex-
grounds at the time the launch
vent down in the same place.
AS far as the diver could tell, the
ull of the launch was not DAMAGED.
my the canopy frame being crushed.
MS indicates that the launch was net