The Republican journal., 1910-05-26

was shown, and | sent a boat with an Of
ficer on board to learn what the trouble
was. When the officer returned, he
! stated that the vessel was filling rapidly
and the water had flooded the engine
! room, putting the fires out, so the pumps
were of no further use to aid in freeing
THE hold of the water.
! l manned another boat, and with the
two boats crews. went on board the
''Florida," and finding no further use of
i the steam pumps, and the hand pumps
not being in working order. | started a
bailing gang, but all to no purpose.
teegraphed Admiral Porter at 2 a. m.
Florida in sinking condition, no hope
of saving her." had steam up on the
ATLANTA and could have beached the
/ "Florida' had it appeared desirable to
save her, so, finding nothing could be
done, remained on board until the water
began to flow into the gun ports on the
spar deck, SO gave orders for all to shove
off clear. She soon commenced to ca
reen, and went down, stern foremost, at
a. M, on the morning of the 2Sth of
November, 1864.
| Immediately telegraphed Admiral
Porter that the "Florida" had sunk, as
above stated, in nine fathoms of water
The Admiral telegraphed Immediately to
Washington, stating that the Confeder-
ate Cruiser FLORIDA having been run
into, sank this a. m. off Newport News,
| Va. This telegram was something of an
enigma. Where was she run into? No.
nevertheless had its effect on those who
did not know the difference. The deed
was done. The FLORIDA" was readily
disposed of without obeying the mandate
of the foreign ministers, lying safely at
the bottom of the Roadsted in deep
water
Then came the investigation at the in
stance of the foreign ministers. | ap-
peared before the Naval Committee on
board the U. S. "Susquehanna' at Hamp-
ton Roads. with the officer and engineer
who were on board of the FLORIDA" at
the time Of sinking. The investigation
was made and reported to Washington,
but, as the ''Forida" was in the hands
OF the Navy, and the investigation was
made by naval officers alone, the foreign
ministers protested against the report,
so Military and Naval Board was order
ed by the Secretary of State which met
! In the custom house at Norfolk, in full
array. OF course the whole matter of
the sinking was only known to few of US
in the navy, who were present on the oc-
casion, SO the investigation of the Mill
tary and Naval Court, which was held
with Brigadier General Negley from the
State of Maine, as President of the
Court, was apparently a farce, as the
members of the Military Committee
knew nothing about the occurrence other
than to know that the ''Florida" had
been sunk off Newport News. Conse-
quently, the members of the naval COM
mittee present were able to hold the
Court in about the same condition as it
left the Naval Committee, which had
already been held.
This settled the question so far as the
foreign ministers were concerned.
During the war, commanded the U. S.
S. "Shawsheen," Commodore Perry"
Miami" and in the last 16 months the
U. S. Ironclad ATLANTA" and resigned
from her when the war was over. Dur
ing the time | was in command of the
''Shawsheen" captured the Confederate
gunboat "Fanny," off Plymouth, N. c.,