The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-02-24
.GALATEA, BOAT
Of MYSTERIES
WRECK
Pounding to Pieces on
Dauphin Island, Off
Mobile,
FATE OF CREW
NOT KNOWN
Was She Driven Ashore to-
Escape U. S. Neutrality
Patrol?

Lying half buried in the sand on
the outer beach of Dauphin Island,
filled with water and slowly beating
to pieces, is a schooner believed to
be the Galatea, which, since her dis
appearance from the navy yard
Sunday night, February II, has been
the center of speculation, and the
belief that somehow she was connect
ed with the Cuban rebellion and Ger
man U-boat base.
Report reaching Pensacola yester-
day morning states that the vessel
has been positively identified, though
no sign of life has been found, nor
any member of the crew located to
explain the wreck. The boat has the
number 1888 under the starboard
bow, has two-cylinder Clay engine
of about Is horsepower, and in other
details corresponds exactly to the
missing schooner, owned by the War
rem Fish Company, of Pensacola.
The engine is under water, the beat
lying on her side on the beach, par
TALLY buried in sand, up to her hatch
combing. One anchor lying on deck,
and cables are hanging overheard,
showing they have been cut, or
broken. At low tide the deck is above
water.
By the incessant pounding of the
surf. the beat is slowly breaking up,
her spars Ioosening, and a sand bar
forming over her. While no time is
specified in the report, dated Febru-
airy 81, the wreck apparently occurred
about Sunday last, or the time that
the destroyer Macdonough slipped
from her berth at Commandments
wharf on its mysterious errand.
As it is not known who took the
vessel from her anchorage off the navy
yard, when fully provisioned and
ready for a three week fishing trip,
survivors of the wreck cannot be-
found, and no one has enlightened the
company on this phase of the matter.
Whether she was run aground, and
deliberately wrecked, after making
practically certain, however, that she
| did not break from her mooring at
| Pensacola and drift to her present
position.
When the wreck was first discov-
cred, it was thought that this might
be the case, but when it is remem-
bered that the night was clear, with
brilliant moonlight, the sea calm, and
practically impossible for the boat to
break away, it is felt that the boat
must have been stolen. Again, it is
pointed out, that had the boat parted
| her cables, and drifted out, her I'M
certain course, directed by the tide,
would have attracted the attention of
the watch at the forts, just below,
The statement of the captain, who
lives at Warrington. in full view Of
the spot where the boat was anchor
ed, further tends to disprove the be-
lief that she could have escaped ac-
cidentally.
According to the captain, who is
understood to claim that he saw the
boat, her riding lights and black hulk
were plainly visible, shortly after 10
o'clock on Sunday night, February IL.
| At 1920. when he started TO board
the boat to make ready for the trip,
she was gone.
The disappearance Of the boat
equipped for a three-week trip, gave
rise to rumors of all kinds, and both
the navy department and the civil
authorities had started searching in
vestigations into her disappearance.
Nothing could be found of her until
Sunday, week after she was missed,
a report came from Galveston that
she was engaging in a filibustering
expedition, and that search was be-
ing made by naval vessels.
That same night the destroyer
Macdonough, at Commandments
wharf for the carnival celebration,
slipped from her berth, after hur-
riedly calling her crew aboard. She
was back the next morning. What
was done on the yovare. where tina