Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-06-21
OCEAN DERELICTS.
Abandoned Vessels That Menace Deep
Sea Shippinq.

Abandoned Vessels That Menace Deep
Sea Shipping.
A few months ago the general pub
lie was deeply impressed by the myS-
terious disappearance OF the Waratah
while making a voyage from Austra-
lia to Natal The fact that no wreck
peI of any description has been picked
uD has given rise to various conjec-
t,res The steamer Wakefield, which
ras sent to search for the missing
vessel has reached Kerguelen Lana
after a fruitleSs search in the mel Ign
horhood of Crozet, Marian and Prince
edward. The captain of the wake
field after carefully observing the
currents has expressed the OPINION
that the Waratah, If she is still ahoat'
must nave drifted to the north OF
northeast. On the other mana eN-
merits are of the opinion that the cur
rents off the cape, which are soulli-
cast. may have carried the Waratan
in that direction. AS very lev tah
sels go so far out south the Waratan
,1ay have become a derelict at the
,nercv of the various currents. There
ore similar tragedies of the ocean OF
record. for the HurOnian disappeared
In 1902. the Georgia in 1897 ana the
Waronic in 1898, and no trace OF tneSe
vessels has been discovered to thls
day. oro oon-
tinually menaced by derellcts anu
some terrible disasters have occurred
owing to liners coming IN contact
Nth them. How great has been the
loss on this account will never De
known until the sea gives up heI
dead but it is morally certain that
nanv vessels which have totally uls-
anneared from human ken have met
With disaster through coming into con-
tact with derelicts. A few years ago
The liner st. Paul nearly met with
disaster through running across the
derelict Dunmore, which she discoV-
cred lying right across her pain;
Fortunately the night was clear anu
the liner, sighting the helpless hulk
in time, was enabled TO sWerVe ou.
of her way. Had the night peen
dark or foggy there is little DOUBT
that the st. Paul would have been un-
able to avoid a collision and another
terrible maritime disaster would have
been recorded.
The case Of the DunmOre AFFORDS
striking example Of the vitality OF the
derrlict. The Dunmore was not Woou-
on but a metal, vessel, and after pelng
thirty DAYS out from Cardiff, she was
abandoned by her crew, Who' lear-
ing that she would sink at any mo-
ment as she had become totally uh"
manageable, boarded a passing inner
She continued to drive about the Al
lantic and was sighted by numerous
steamers, several Of which tried TO
take her in tow, but without success.
She became such a menace to Vessels
that the admiralty were at Length
prevailed upon to take action, ana
two British warships were ordered TO
go in quest OF her
The distance which many OF these
vessels cover while drifting about the
ocean is simply astounding. There Is
the case on record Of the Fannie
Wolston, which was drifting about the
ocean for LAOS days, during which
period she covered some 5000 miles
in a comparatively limited area. she
was carried by the current east ana
west and south and north, and lour
wears after being abandoned by her
crew she was sighted off Cape May
She had resolutely refused to go 10
the bottom and many futile attempts
had been made to set her on hre:
Similar attempts were made to deal
with the Siddartha, which was adrift
for several months and which had
eventually to be towed to port by
British warship. Then there was the
case of the Ada Cummings, which was
adrift for $40 days, and during that
time covered 5000 miles. Abandoned
off New Jersey she drifted nearly TO
Ireland, was then carried almost TO
the equator and was eventually
broken up in the Panama Isthmus.
Scores of vessels had sighted her In
wanderings and many efforts were
made to set her on fire, but all to
no purpose.
The recent exploits Of Commander
Peary recall the history of derelict
that played an important part in Arc
tic exploration. In 1855 Buddington,
In charge of the American whaler,
George Henry, sighted in the Davis
Strait some forty miles from cape
Mercy what he took to be phantom
ship. AS he approached not soul
appeared on board, and when ne
boarded her he was astonished to find
that she was the Resolute, one of the
fleet which, under command OF Sir
Edward Belcher, had left England
three years previously to search for
Sir John Franklin and his gallant
band The Resolute was responsible
for discovering and rescuing Capt.
Mcclure, who after a gallant attempt
to solve the northwest passage was
compelled to abandon his ship, the
Investigator, and after hazardous eX-
periences was rescued by Capt. PIN
Of the Resolute. Strange to say, the
Resolute had in turn to be aban-
doned and was left derelict off the
shores of Melville Island. A little
over a year later, when she was board
ed by Capt. Buddington, she had COW
cred over a thousand miles, having
passed through Barrow Straits, Lam
caster Sound and Baffin Bay.
The voyage created such sensa-
ton in America that the government
of the United States purchased the
vessel and totally re-equipped her,
after which she was sent to England
as a present. Her arrival in this
country created as great sensation
as in America. When she cast anchor
at Cowes the queen, accompanied by
the prince conSort, the prince OF
Wales and other members of the royal
family, formally received the Resolute.
When the royal visitors had departed
a banquet was given in the wardroom
at which the single toast was drunk;
"The future success of the Resolute,
and may she be again employed In
prosecuting the search of Sir John
and his companions" Truly a
splendid prospect for a former dere-
lict. But the prospect was never full
filed, for the admiralty for some un-
defined reason dismantled the vessel
and turned her into a hulk.-LOndon