The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-22
UNITED STATES
TAKES HAND IN
SEA MYSTERY
Starts Search For Miss
ing Crew Of Schooner
Deering

of the schooner Carroll A Deer
ing, of Bath, Maine, which piled
up on the North Carolina beach
las. January with all sails set, but
not living soul aboard has been
started by the state department
through American consulS.
The mystery ia being investi-
gated by the department Of justice
and the department Of commerce
as is also the unexplained disap-
pearance Of the American steel
! freighter Hewitt, out of Sabine
! Pass, Texas. for Boston. This craft
disappeared at about the same
time that the Deering came ashore;
The summary OF the history Of
the Deering case as sent 20 consuls
| by the state department discloses
that when the Deering passed
Cape Lookout Lightship, \. c.. on
January %, while bound from Rio
De Janeiro for Norfolk, a man
! other than the maaer reported
! that the vessel had lost both an
chors and asked to be reported to
| it's owners.
Two days later the vessel was
| found on the beach in which at
the stare department described as
in such condition that there is
every suspicion OF foul play having
occurred
The departments summary also
says that short time after the
Deering passed the lightship. a
steamer. the name OF which has
nor been ascertained. passed the
light vessel and was asked to stop
and take a message for forward
ing. but no response was received
to the numerous attempts on the
part Of the master OF the light
ship to attract the vessels atten-
ton
The departments summary then
says that on April II. the follow
ing message was picked up in &
bottle near Cape HatteIas.
"Deering captured by oil burn
ing boat something like chaser
taking off eeyrything, Handwriting
crew. Crew hiding all over ship
No chance 20 make escape Finder
please notify headquartera OF
Deering
The schooner carried a motor
life boat and a dory "tfe state de-
l)dI tIllSEI COIllIu
but neither OF them has beer
picked up and no wreckage found
Most OF the provisions, clothing
, and supplies OF the vessel nat
been removed
Government agents investigat
,, ing the Hewitt and Dering case
! said they are baTled and that thu
far they had not found singl,
clue that might lead to a solution
of the mysteries. Equally as haf
, fling they say. are the cases of tn
, British steamer Albyn and tn
Russian bark Yute. which disap
peared list fall off the North Caro-
lina coast.
The Albvn sailed from Norfoll
\ last October and never was hear,
, from again, while the Yute whe1
off Cape Hatteraa sent radl
message asking for aid. but whe!
steamers reached The position civ
en- in the message an hour late
no trace Of the vessel was foun
and it is said she has never bee,
. heard from since. Reports to tn
. government are that the weathe
was perfectly calm.
. After the Hewitt. disapppeare
= and the Deering came ashore with
8 out a crew, a British insuranc
$ company suggested that the wv
o vessels probably had collided an
. and that the Deering's crew Wen
down with the Hewitt. An inves
tigation by coast guard officers
= however, convinced them that tn
, Deering was not damaged suffj
fn n In cIO n
:. that she had been in a collisio
: with any other craft.
= Investigators here say that the
. do not take seriously suggestion
of Bolshevik raiders Or deep Sc
pirates. but they add that on
{, guess is as good as another. The
{ are inclined to the opinion tha
. the two cases will 90 down in his
: tory with the other unsolve
| mysteries Of the sea- the creates
: of which on record. they declar
, is that of the American bark Ma
RE Celeste, which was found OF
the Azores three months after sh
left Europe. in 1872. with all sail
set, undamaged, in calm weather
\ but with the crew missing.
J A boarding party from the shl
which sighted the bark found tn
J., table set for dinner with not cot
) fee in the pot and everything
aboard the ship in the same condl
ton it would have been had tn
G crew left only a few minutes be
g fore. On a sewing machine was
: waist which the captain S wife ha
been making, while toys used b
lr:he captains son we're on TN
flor. In the fo'castle was a tabl
o with playing cards distribute
y around as though members OF tn
! crew had leisurely left game o
6 cards.
. Besides the captain. his wifi
and son there were ten men /
! i the ships crew The vessel wa
: towed to port and again put i
~ service. but aboW; six years late
y y she disappeared completely wit
q her crew and no word has eve
y come from her.
> Another mystery Of the Sc
g g pointed to is that OF the America
. frigate Wasp. which. after de
. . feating British frigate in tn
war of 1912. sailed away from III
lNN Ia N.N