Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-06-13

eQS6 OF the identity OF the steamer
which ran down the launch of the bat
tleship Minnesota in Hampton Roads
Tuesday night and that the arrest of
! the crew Of the steamer is expected
TO follow.
Norfolk, Va, June 12.-Five mid
shipmen and an officer, VINO came
ashore Monday night in a small boat
from. the United States battIeship
Minnesota, lying in hampton Roads
to attend a ball at the Jamestown eX-
pos, ton grounds, together with five
seamel- are missing.
The Minne5ota's launch is known. to
have left Discovery landing at the
exposition grounds shortly after -
O'Clock at night and the theory OF Off
GERS Of the feet now in the roads is
that the launch struck something and
went down and that all were drowned
Washington, June 1.-THE loss at
one time Of six bright young midship-
men, fresh from the academy at An
napOlis, young marine officer very
recently appointed, and a bOatswanl
and four enlisted men attached to the
battIeship Minnesota-11 men alto
gether, as reported briefly to the
navy department yesterday, was one
OF the seVereSt blows that has fallen
upon the personnel of the navy
since the Spanish war, in the estima-
ton of officials.
The first news of the calamity
reached the department through the
Associated Press dispatch from Nor
folk. Acting ~ecretary Newberry and
Admiral BrOwnsOn. chief Of the navi-
cation bureau, and the naval officers
who make up the staff hoped that
there had been a mistake because
they received no word from Admiral
Evans, commandments of the Al
lantic fleet present in Hampton
Roads. A wireless message was dis
patched from the station at the Wash
mgtOn navy yard directed to the fleet
lying in the road, 1nquiring into the
accuracy of the report. Within half
an hour an answer came from Ad-
miral Evans and it dissipated the last
hopes that had been cherished.
In the opinion of the officials of the
department, Admiral Evans had de
layed sending the message until he
had eXhaused every means of finding
trace of the missing men. Undoubt-
eddy he had swept the nearby waters
with the small boats Of his fleet and
no ho+
captain of a merchant vessel would
be glad to land so many involuntary
passengers as made up the crew and
passengers of the launch before 60
ing into deep water.
Because Of their youth and very re-
cent entry into the naval service, the
officers lost were not widely known
outside the naval academy. Midship-
man Henry G. Murfin, Jr. was a ma
tive of ohio and a member of the sec
Ond class at the naval academy. Like
the others he had been sent aboard
the Minnesota for q summer course
Of instruction. to afford the practical
education necessary to supplement
the theoretical work of the naval
academy.
Philip H. Field was a midshipman
from Colorado. who belonged to the
first class of the academy.
Midshipman Walter c. UIrich of
the second class was from Wisconsin.
Midshipman F. P. Holcomb of Del
aware. was a MEMBER Of the second
class.
Midshipman F. P. Holcomb was at
tached to the Connecticut and is sup
posed to have taken passage on the
MinnesOta's missing launch. He was
a member of the second class and APP
pointed to tn naval academy from
Newcastle, delaware. His father,
Thomas Holcomb. Is employed as
clerk in the comptroller's office of the
treasury department of this city.
Midsnipman W. H. Stevenson of
North Carolina, was a member of the
second class. Henry L. Holden OF
Wisconsin was a member OF the same
class.
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 launch
in her haste had oeen driven hard
into the heavy sea that prevailed in
Hampton Roads Monday night or the
little boat had been run down by
some of the giant tramp steamers
that make use of the roads as a ref
uge in time of storm
Last night Admiral Evans teIe-
graphed that the five missing seamen
are: R. H Dodson. seaman: H. L.
Vanden. ordinary seaman: F. r.
Plummer, ordinary seaman: G. W.
Westphal, fireman. first class, and
Jesse Conn, coal passer.
Victims Cap Found.
Ear'y last night the Monitor Florida
found a cap afloat in the roads, which
has been identified as that worn by
Midshipman Urich Monday night
Lieutenant Randall. who was included
IN the first list of missing, has ar
rived safely in norfolk He did not
take passage on the Minnesota s
launch as had been supposed.
While the launch carried a good
sized party, no one has been found
who can say exactly how many occu-
pants the launch contained. One the
=,