The sun., 1908-03-19
OLD MONONGGHVLG BURNED
ONCE FARRAGUTS FLAGSHIP
RAN THE MOBILE BATTERIES.

Dewey and schley Commanded HeF-Great
stunts IN the Mississippi During War
Tidal wave swept Her = Mile Inland
At santa CFuZ-End at Guantanamo.
WASHINGTON, March is.-The old Mo-
nongahela sloop Of war has gone at last.
after many hairbreadth escapes and eI-
traordlnary experiences. A brief tele-
gram which came to the Navy Department
this afternoon from Lieutenant Commander
Stearns, commandant Of the United States
naval station at Guantanamo, Cuba. told
the story:
"Monongahe totally destroyed by fire
night Of 18th. Started aft gun deck, ap-
parently by ignition Of signal rockets and
star, setting ship on fire in numerous places.
Ship burned like tinder box, driving men
from pumps No lives lost. Men now
housed on target range. Full report Of
investigation follows
A fine old battle SCARED veteran Of the
civil war was the Monongahela. She
was hammered by the Confederate forts
on the Mississippi and hammered them
In return. She was Admiral Farraguts
flagship and she was commanded during
the period Of con let by Lieut.. George
Dewey, now the Admiral Of the Navy, and
Lieut.. Winfield Scott Sohley, now Rear
Admiral on the retired list, Her war ad-
ventures we're full Of interest. but still
more interesting was the marvellous thing
that happened to her after the war had
ended.
II was at Saint CroiI, or Santa Cruz, in
the Danish West Indies in the late 'eOe,
that this marvellous thing occurred. The
Monongahela was struck by a gigantic
tidal wave, and when the wave was through
with her the sloop that had fought her
way past the Mississippi forts, was high and
dry more than a mile inland, and likely to
stay there until she rotted or was destroyed.
But Yankee ingenuity overcame the
difficulty. Ways were built from ship 70
shore-a reversal Of the usual meaning
Of that e1pression-and down these the
Monongahela was pushed and hauled until
at last she glided back into the sea.
The overland trip Of the Monongahela
occurred on November IS, 1897. The tidal
wave was caused by great earthquake.
Naval Constructor Thomas Davidson Of the
United States Navy, a brother OF George
Davidson, the astronomer, had charge Of
the work Of moving the'vesseI back to the
sea. He took with him TO Santa Cruz a
sufficient number Of mechanics picked from
American navy yards. In little more than
three months he moved the stranded hulk
sidewise 10 the waters edge and then over
2,5OO feet Of coral into deep water.
Two years ago when the Monongahela
was at Guantanamo she had another ex-
perience in some respects notable. She
caught fire and to save her from total
destruction she was scuttled and sunk.
Then she was raised and fixed up for quar-
ters for enlisted men at the training sta
ton, and she was serving in that capacity
when the end came last night.
The Monongahela was built by the Gov
ernment at the League Island Navy Yard,
near Philadelphia, in 1852. She cost S37s,-
87s She was a sloop Of war Of 1873 tons,
with a length Of 227 feet and a beam Of Ss
feet. She was needed urgently in the
operations on the Mississippi and the Gulf.
Sohley commanded her for a brief period
In several unsuccessful attempts OF the
Union feet TO take Fort Hudson. After
ward she participated in the successful
attack on that stronghold and got battered
up considerably.
Dewey commanded her in July, 1883,
when she was on blockade duty Of Mobile.
In August, 1884. she was with Farragut's
feet when it got past the Mobile batteries.
On that occasion she was lashed to the
Kennebec The two ships ran the gantlet
Of the forts and then proceeded to ram the
Tennessee and 60 aground.
In 1885 the Monongahela was placed out
Of commission at the Brooklyn navy yard.
For many years, in fact until comparatively
recent times, she was practice ship for
naval cadets and training ship for APP
prentices. Three years ago she was sent
to the Guantanamo naval station as a sta
| ton ship,