Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-28
SHIPS OF MYSTERY
is a Pirate Responsible for the Miss.
Ing craft?-some Stories Of Phila.
Ndeiphia's Mystcrlously Missing
Vesseis-Warships Never
Heard OF
BY GEORGE NOX Mccain


PHILADELPHIA Marine Underwriters
are greatly interested in the present dis
cussion over the mysterious disappearance
OF number of ships in the last six months.
Particularly so as British marine insur-
ance companies are talking of raising their
premium rates on this class of risks.
Our home marine insurance companies on
several occasions also seriously have con-
sidered m increase in premiums solely be-
cause of serious losses at sea.
Very many Of these, as in the present
instance, were so called mystery ships.
Vessels that sailed away and we're never
heard Of again among the haunts of sea-
faring men.
DHILADELPHIA underwriters were hard
l. hit in the year 1900. That was the ban
ner year for bad luck in the last quarter
OF the last century.
In that year il was estimated that Phila-
delphia companies alone lost from ship
wrecks and vessels that disappeared, leaving
no trace behind. over 1000 900.
It was a terrible toll of the sea.
When the year 1900 opened the marine
underwriters seriously considered the ad-
visibility of increasing their premium rates.
The supposed kidnapping last January of
the crew of the American schooner Carroll
A. Deering off the coast of South Carolina
has started all the talk of pirate undersea
boat working off these coasts
But the disappearance of other vessels is
by no means conclusive evidence, or cumu-
lativc proof. of piracy.
Philadelphia port alone has furnished
more mystery ships than have been un-
earthed in the last six months to sustain
the piracy theory.
T MENTIONED particularly the fateful
l. year Of 1899 as being especially prolific
Of mystery ships.
Four steamships left this port during the
AlxvA AlaN bat
afterward heard OF:
Two Of them cleared for ports in the
United Kingdom and two were for the nearer
destination of Cuba.
approximating Sfialf million dollars were
Two Philadelphia sailing vessels in that
year were never sighted or heard Of after
they passed the Delaware Capes.
One was the bark Anita Berwind and the
other was the schooner Charles NJ Pat
terson.
Captain Fowler. of the latter vessel. car
ried with him his wife and two little chill
dren.
EVEN were the supposed, or real, pirates
IL to operate against our own naval ves-
sells. there would be ample precedent to
prove that other naval vessels were part of
the great mystery fleet
Strange disappearanCos of our warships
characterized the early history of our navy.
In spite of all the efforts of the Navy
Department to clear up the causes of these
disasters, they arc as absolute mysteries to-
day as when they happened
The recent strange disappearance of
ocean craft have reawakened the ever fasci-
mating story Of the ship that never returns.
1t was n Philadelphia manned warship
that has for over a century now headed
the list of missing ships in the Seven Seas.
1t is the prototype of all the Others that
oil luce To
daddy of all fiction Of shipwreckcd sailors
and uninhabited isles.
OUR first naval sea mystery is that of
" the man of war Saratoga.
She was the vessel after whom one of
our training ships was named a century and
more later the Pennsylvania school ship
Saratoga.
Newer heard from is the legend written
opposite her name. No shred of SAIL no
battered boat, no splinter of wreck was ever
found.
She sailed from Philadelphia in October,
1850. under the command of Captain James
Young.
She was an eighteen gun frigate, and
after cruising around while she captured
three British vessels in quick succession.
Conveying her prizes she started for
Philadelphia Then n seventy four gun
British ship of the line hove into view. Her
eighteen guns were as nothing TO the battery
power of her enemy.
The Saratoga considered it safer to run
away.
Her enemy did not pursue her, but was
content to recapture her prizes.
So the Saratoga sailed down the horizon
and was never heard of again.
THE American warship Constellation,
l. Captain Truxtun. captured the thirty
six gun frigate Insurgent off the Island Of
Nevis.
She was retained as part of our navy and
in July, 1900, sailed out between the Ches-
apcake CapeS.
That was the last. so far as known, that
was ever heard of her.
Whether she foundcred in a storm or was
destroyed by her magazines exploding has
never been known. No wreCkage was ever
discovered to prove the fact of her loss.
LNIVE years after the mysterious disap.
J. pearance of the Insurgent, Gunboat No.
7. as che was known, joined the phantom
feet Of the strangely missing.
At that time this Government was waging
a little six ten war with Tripoh 4
nest Of real pirates had to be cleaned out
over there, and we started out to act as
official scavenger Of North Africa
We began building ships somewhat after
the Hog Island fashion.
Only we didn't wait to name them. As
fast as they were completed they were given
a number, manned and put into commission.
Number sailed from New York on June
90, 1905, under command of Lieutenant
Oglvie.
She signaled and cleared Sandy Hook
and then an eternal silence settled over her
fate.
JOSIAH TATNAII., who for time com
y manded the famous Confederate ram
Mcrrimac in the Civil War, was snatched
from the very deck Of one of these strangely
disappearing ships
II was the Epcrvior, a brig Of war which
carried important papers 10 the President.
When Commodore Decatur. in 1915, die
tatcd to the Bcy Of Algicrs the terms of
treaty with tn" United States, Lieutenant
John Subrick was dispatched to Washington
for its approval.
Tatnall was n watch officer on the Eper-
vicr, which was one Of DeCatur's war ves-
sells designated to carry Subrirk back home
lie induced an officer on another ship to
take his place, as he wanted to hang around
Algicrs, where there were prospects of some
fighting.
Whom thC EDpryirr nossn1 GihroItor