The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-08-30
j. SC. memphis
. TOTAL Loss AT
. SANT0 DOMINGO
Boat Party browns in Har.
Dor; Steam Explosion
on Board.
STORM CAUSED II ALL
Lost Vessel Has Had a Rath.
er Notable Ca
reer.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30-One en-
listed man was killed, two officers and
five men seriously injured and 81 9TH
er men slightly hurt aboard the arm
ored cruiser Memphis in addition to
those lost by drowning when the ship
was wrecked in storm yesterday at
San Domingo city.
Rear Admiral Ponds dispatch today
said steam main burst causing ad.
ditional casualties. Admiral Pond
said all hands had been removed from
the ship which It is reported would be
a total loss.
Today's message did not summar.
ize the total casualties merely add
ing several men missing believed
drowned" to the itemized casualties
Of the engineroom accident which oc-
Cured while the cruised was endea-
yoring to make her way to sea IN the
face Of sudden storm.
Admiral Ponds first dispatch re-
gardins the accident was as follows:
Memphis. driven ashore BY heavy
sea, San Domingo City, westSo Sof light
house, at 1890 p. m. She Is lying
close under bluff; has lines ashore
and Is getting crew of. Heavy sea
came up suddenly and ship was un-
able to get up, steam in time to save
herself. Twenty men Of liberty pafky
drowned ON way back TO ship. cas-
tine (gunboat) dragged close IN but
did not strike and got out to sea. No
other casualties known. Memphis
will be total loss. Expect TO save
everybody on board"
The United States Cruiser Memphis
formerly was the Armored cruiser
Tennessee. Her name was changed
May 25, last. Recently she has been
doing duty In San Domingo waters N
connection with the revolution.
The Memphis is OF 1850 tons and
has horse power Of $4,000. Her com.
plement is $50 men. She Is the flag
ship OF the cruiser force ofithe United
States. Atlantic fleet.
Captain E. L. Beach Commands tbe
Memphis. Other officers on board In.
,clude Vdeutenant.C Commander l.. q.
Williams, Lieutenant 7. Withers, jr..
Lieutenant G. A. Jones and Junior
Lieutenants Fl. s. Shonerd, w. j. Car.
yer. F. L. Shea, J. L. Kerleys ana ii. l..
Pierce. Ensigns D. M. Steece. j. II.
Rockwell, N. j. Walker, r. II. OAR
row, D. D. Dupree and II. M. Meyers.
Passed Assistant Surgeon5J ID. Mears,
Passed Assistant Surgeon g. 3. Rob
ertson, Dental Surgeon r., BARBER,
Passed Assistant Paymasterl K. G. Nc
Intosh, Acting Chaplain q. ". Ellis.
and First Lieutenant Of Marines r. L.
Shepard. =
Remarkable Career
The Memphis was lunched In 1904
at the Cramp Shipbuilding company's
plant in Philadelphia. She had
speed of over 20 knots an hour. She
is armed with four 10.inch, is 6-inch
20 3.inch and four 6.pounder guns and
carried four torpedo tubes. She was
500 feet long on the water line. as
feet beam and ha da maximum draft
OF 261s feet. In 1908 the cruiser, then
the Tennessee, had a boiler explosion
on board off Port Hueneme, Cal, III
which seven men were killed. AT the
outbreak of the present European
war, the cruiser, still the Tennessee.
acted as a relief ship for Americans
stranded as result OF theFwar. She
carried $5,S67,000 to Europe for this
purpose and later acted as a ferry for
Americans between Havre, France.
and English ports, bringing thousands
Of them from the war zone.
Later the cruiser sailed forth Med
iterranean where she was also used
for relief work, again acting as !.
ferry for Syrians and Armenians from
Turkish ports in Asia to Egypt. While
engaged at this work at Smyrna. the
forts OF that city fired on a lunch from
the cruiser, which was the cause Of
considerable diplomatic correspon.
denee between the United States and
Turkey.