Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-12
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
Vessel of Drowned officers and Midshipmen Run Down By
 a Tug and Coal Barge.

ported to-day that the disaster in Hampton Roads Monday night which resulted in the sinking of a launch from the United States battleship Minnesota and the drowning of eleven men, including six midshipmen, who were returning from the army and navy ball at the Jamestown exposl- tion that night, and five seamen who made up the crew of the launch, re- suited from the Minnesota's launch being run down by tug and coal barge which the former was towing,
 The report which, it was stated, had been made officially on board the battleship Minnesota did not give the name of the tug or the barge. It was said, however, that the tug stopped in the roads immediately fol- lowing the accident, but finding no trace of of the object which had been struck or any sign of life or any thing in the water, resumed It's course with the coal barge in tow.
 The presumption is that the launch, a small craft, sank immedi- ately in the darkness of the stormy night, the eleven occupants being caught in the canvas covered craft with no possible way of escape and carried to the bottom, drowning like rats in trap.
 It was raining and the choppy seas were sending spray to such an extent that 1t became necessary for those in the launch to have the canvas covering buttoned tightly to the sides of the little vessel.
 There was an opening on each side of the canvas for the passengers to enter and leave the launch, but both of these, 1t is believed, had been but toned down immediately upon the launch leaving Discovery landing at the Jamestown exposition pier, short ly after midnight. and the little launch was making rapidly through the heavy seas for the battleship Minnesota when she was suddenly struck and sent to the bottom in sew eral fathoms of water.
 The only opening in the canvas canopy which covered the launch is supposed to have been in the front. just enough for the coxswain who was steering the craft to see ahead.
 The crash is supposed to have been so sudden that not even the coxswain had time to jump through the open ing.
 Torpedo boats have been continu- ally searching Hampton Roads for some trace of the bodies of the miss ing eleven, or objects of some kind, from the lost launch, but the only things reported found so far are one cap supposed to have belonged to one of the lost men, and fireman's s ditty box, supposed to be from the Minnesota launch. These were found by the fleet tug Potomac.
 The weather continues stormy in the roads and the waters are too choppy to attempt to drag for the missing launch as yet, but this will be begun as soon as the elements will permit. No information is yet obtainable in Norfolk as to the iden- tity of the tug and coal barges which are said to have struck the Minne- sota's launch and caused the acci- dent. It is not yet positively known whether the tug and barge were out ward or inward bound, or that the tug knew what she had struck. It is believed that when the launch is found the bodies of all of the eleven men will be found in it. as 1t would be almost impossible for any of the bodies to get out of the canvas cov- cred craft through the small opening in the front. though smaller objects might float out.
 It may be days before the sunken launch is located and raised, and the bodies of the drowned recovered. It 6 possible that strong undercurrent may move the sunken launch from where it went down and carry it sea- ward. Lieutenant Randall of the marine corps. who came ashore with the midshipmen. missed the launch on the return trip and remained in Norfolk over night.