Evening star., 1961-11-23
HARVEY
Continued From Page Al

Star. One OF Harold Godwin's
brothers was the late Earl God
win, a well-known radio COM
nnentator.
Mr.. Goodwin was among
many who found it hard to
reconcile the horror of the
Bluebelle with his recollection
OF Julian Harvey.
Il knew the boy as a model
student an uprght and
fine boy" Mr. Goodwin said.
When Julian was in his
middle teens. Mr. Godwin said,
ne moved to Scarsdale, N. Y,
to live with his aunt, Mrs.
Percy WeiSenauer. the wife of
2. Scarsdale banker. The move
vas made because the Weise-
nauers were in a position Lc
offer the youth a better edQca-
zion. Mr.. Goodwin said.
Capt. Harvey and his STEP
father kept in contact with
each other. however, and in
1855. in Washington. saw each
other frequently. They met
for the last time. Mr.. Goodwin
said, at about the time Capt.
Harvey began another Inflated
cTuise-aboard the 68-foot
yawl TorbatroSS.
FOundered in Bay
The Torbatross foundsred
and sank on October 81. 1855,
in Chesapeake Bay after run
ming onto the sunien hulk Of
the battleship Texas near
Eangier Island. Capt. Harvey,
his 7-year-old son Lance, and
three other men were rescued
by a Navy helicopter.
One Of the survivors of that
sinking, David P. Harrison. a
Southern Railway System en-
ploye here, remembers Harvey
well.
Both lived in the Hunting
Towers apartment at Alexan-
dria in 1855. Mr.. Harrison,
who graduated from George
town University in the fall Of
that year, helped Capt. Harvey
refit the Torbatross. then
berthed in the Hunting Towers
marina.
Mr.. Harrison recalled that
Julian Harvey's wife in 1855
was an extremely attractive
blond. Court records in Ar
lington disclosed that she was
the former Georgiana Cotton,
Of Washington. They were
married on January 26, 1855.
Mr.. Harrison said he lost
over $4,000 in personal belong
irgs when the Torbatross went
down. He had taken mcst Of
MS personal effects aboard for
the Florida trip.
A year later, Capt. Harvey
was awarded $4,000 in Alex
ahdria Federal Court after fill
ing suit against the Govern
ment. He claimed that the buoy
marking the wreck of the
"Texas" was too far from the
underwater hazard.
Mr.. Harrison said that after
the trial, Capt. Harvey wrote
to him offering $500 - less
$3.50 for lawyers fees-as COM
pensation for his losses. Mr..
Harrison said that at about
that time, he had a "nutty sus-
p:cion" that Capt. Harvey had
sunk the Torbatross on pur-
pose.
Landon 6. Dowdey, the at
torney who handled Capt. Har-
vey's Torbatross claim, said his
former client was lone of the
last Of the great adventurers.
Il cannot believe that he
would act other than honorably
in any situation, Mr.. Dowdey
said.
Filed 100000 Suit
Mr.. Dowdey also represented
Capt. Harvey and his wife
Georgiana, in a 100000 dam
age suit against the Govern
ment filed in 1859 and still un-
tried. The suit claimed that
in February, 1855. Mrs. Harvey
underwent a "carelessly per-
formed surgical operation" BY
doctors at Boiling Air Force
Base. AS a result of the sur.
gerry, the suit contended, Mrs
Harvey was obliged to undergo
a. hysterectomy.
Court documents indicated
that Capt. Harvey and Geor'
giana we're divorced in October
1858, remarked shortly there
after, but we're divorced again
in 1859. Before this marriage
Arlington County Court record