The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-23
MYSTERIES OF SEA
NEVER TO Be SOLVED
Vessels Abandoned Without
Apparent Reason
A RECENT INSTANCE
Remittent Found With Plentiful
Supply of Water and Food, the
Craft in Good Condition But
With No Trace of Crew

From the Detroit Free Press
The British tank steamer Roumanian
put into Newport News, Va, the other
day with another chapter for nys-
terry serial of the sea, which has con-
tinued now for more than 100 years
Any one fond of brain puzzles is in
vited to set himself the task of work
ing out plausible explanation OF the
various situations herewith set forth
The Roumanian's story was that on
January 10, 10 days out from Port Ar
thur, she picked up the Norwegian
bark Remittent, seaworthy, provisioned
and fully rugged. but without a soul
aboard and no indication of the crews
fate. After towing her to within 10
miles of Cape Henry the tank steamer
lost the Remittent in a violent gale.
When first sighted the bark's tiller
was banging to and fro and the ves-
sci was veerlng from one point to an
other of the compass without a guild
ing hand After some difficulty she
was boarded from a small boat.
The boarding crew found the Remit
tents breaker full of sweet water and a
good store of salt beef and biscuit
aboard. A mainsail and two jibs were
snuglv furled. Her lifeboats swung at
the davits.
No hint as to the reason for her
abandonment was found. If there ex-
listed any cause for not navigating her
to port the Investigators were unable
to see it
Finally she was taken In tow by the
Roumanian. A few hours later the
steamer and bark ran into a gale, dur
ing which the tow was lost. Twice the
Roumanian launched boats to carry a
new line but both times they were
smashed against her sides by heavy
seas their crews narrowly escaping
drowning.
At last Captain Claridge OF the Rou-
manian gave UP the task and headed
for port. leaving the Remittent to the
reported her since. and it is not un-
likely that she foundered.
Shipping registers showed that the
Remittent was commanded by Captain
Torgersf She sailed from Rio Grande
do Sui on October 25 last for Liver
pool Later it appeared that the cap
tain and crew had been taken off by
a Norwegian steamer bound for Ge-
noa
The last previous incident of a sim
liar sort involved the British bark In
vernesshire,; which sailed from Ham
burg of Santa Rosalia, Cal, on March
2. 1910
Weeks stretched into months with
out word from the vessel or her crew.
No other craft had spoken her; no
port had reported her arrival. She was
an able vessel, officered by experienced
seamen, and with seasoned crew. 1t
was hard to believe that she had gone
to the bottom with all hands leaving
not so much as a bit of wreckage be-
hind to tell the story.
Finally, however. the owners were
about ready to count her In with the
innumerable navy of the unexplain-
ably missing. And just then the In
vernesslire was heard from.
In August. five months after the
bark had weighed anchor. a singular
story was transmitted from one of the
worlds outposts of communication. 1t
was to the effect that the missing
vessel had been discovered lying at
anchor and abandoned off the Falkland
Islands, seldom visited group east
of the lower extremity of South Amer
lea. Her condition was excellent. There
was no discernable cause for her aban-
donment, and there was NO clew to the
direction in which the crew had fled
IT, indeed, 1t had fled. Nor has any
adequate explanation of the plight of
the Invernesshire been advanced since
the first. story was given out.
One hundred and sixty years have
passed since the first sea mystery of this
sort arose. In the summer of 1850 a small
- ac"p " iishciIiiSn gathered at l.SSiuH :
BEACH at Newport. r. T.. that long strip
of sand which In later years became the
popular bathing place at society's sum
mer capital, saw an amazing spectacle
Close inshore. headed for the beach with
all sails standing, was good sized brig
Outlying rocks flank either end OF E,as-
TONS beach, and at its eastward limit the
famous Newport cliffs begin. While the
fishermen watched the approaching yes
sci she altered her course slightly as
though to avoid the boulders. Then they
drew near and after careful survey
mounted to her decks. They had seen nc
human being on her while they stood on
the beach. they found none after they had
entered the vessel. She had been aban-
| 6oned. af
But why? The fishermen recognized
her as a brig belonging to Isaac steele,
prominent eighteenth century merchant
N Newport, who had been hourly expect
Ing her return form cruise to Honduras
bay. Only a day or two earlier she had
been spoken by another Newport vessel
which had reported that the brig was
near port Apparently she had had q sue
tessful cruise and was speeding honewaid
under favorable conditions,
1 M -