The New York Herald Newspaper, December 31, 1873, Page 3

Bie oh MME LOST VIRGNTR Sinking of the Famous Steamer Off Frying Pan Shoals. “STORY OF HER FINAL VOYAGE. Arrival of Her Consort, the Ossi- pee, in New York Harbor. The Filibuster Ship Rotten ; and Leaky. BER CREW AND OFFICERS SAVED. ‘Days ‘and Nights of Danger and Discomfort Aboard. "The Men Working in Water, Their Beds Drenched and Carried Away and the Fires Extinguished. QFFICIAL REPORT OF HER LOSS. ‘Views of Admiral Rowan—“She Could Not. Be Saved.” ‘The United States war steamer Ossipee, the con- “woy of the surrendered Virginius, arrived in New York Harbor on Monday shortly before midnight, - ag reported in yesterday’s HERALD, and anchored “eff the Battery, and there was no little surprise ‘created by the Jact that she was not accompanied Mpy the famous vessel confided to her company. | It ‘was learned, however, that the Virginius haa , Become unseaworthy and had sunk on the voyage off the North Carolina coast. No one was permitted to board the Ossipee on Monday night, and the restriction was not removed ‘until yesterday afternoon, after her commander fhad communicated officially with Admiral Rowan ‘at the Navy Yard. of the voyage and sinking of the Virginius. THE VIRGINIUS’ LAST VOYAGE. On Boarp THE U. S. STEAMSHIP OssIPEE, New York Hanpor, Dec. 29, 1873. From the time of the arrival of the man-of-war @teamer Ossipee at Key West until the hour of her departure she was kept in constant readiness for #@ea, her destination being as much a matter of ‘conjecture to those on board as it was a matter of ‘@Bncertainty to those on shore, At & moment when least expected the order came for us to leave at once; our anchor was ‘weighed, our sails were set, and by eight o'clock on the morning of December 16 we were sailing Fapidly out towards sea, We took with us the schooner Mattie A. Hand; loaded ‘With coal, and at five o’clock P. M. on the same day, after a rapid and easy sail across.a very moderate sea, we came to anchor directly of Fort Jefferson, which stands on the island of Tor- Yugas, leaving the schooner to come to rest at a short distance ahead, On the 17th inst., at 12:30 P. M., we sighted the steamer Virginius coming in with the steam yacht Despatch, and at one P. M. voth vessels came to anchor—the Virginius directly alongside the coal schooner , Mattie A. Hand and the Despatch upon our Starboard beam. As soon as the two vessels had come to anchor the Virginius began to coal, ‘the Ossipee sending a draft of men on board to assist in the work. This was the first indication ‘we had that our steamer, the Ossipee, was to take charge of the Virginins, and no sooner had the bevy of men been ordered to the ship than Lieu- tenant D. C. Woodrow was sent from the Ossipee to take command of the Virginius, along with Miashipman Fred Tyler and E. B, Underwood as ‘Watch officers, and Second Assistant Engineer A. . Kirby, of the Ossipee’s engineer department. At five o’clock A.M., on the 18th inst., the Vir- , ginius having just finished coaling, the Ossipee took up anchor, steamed alongside of the Mattie .A. Hand and began to take coal for ourselves, While we were engaged at this We ran a hose to the Virginins, in order that we might relieve her ef much of the WATER THAT WAS WEIGHING HER DOWN from numerous leaks. I would state, In this con- ection, that the Virginius was in a terrible condi- tion, reeking in manure and infested witn vermin oi every description, 80 that she was really unfit for.any service whatever, and almost too filthy to be boarded. During the afternoon of this game date we sent water and provisions aboard of her sufficient for ten days’ rations, and imme- Giately made every preparation for going to sea the next morning. as the afternoon gradually ‘Wore away, and before the duskiness of evening came on, your correspondent was aiforded an op- portunity of boarding the Virginius and of ascer- taining for himself what credence should be placed im numerous rumors which had reached all ears concerning her. I never knew the full meaning of the term “abominable” until I saw the condition Of this filthy and stinking ship. In her forward ‘Water-tight compartment I found water to the Gepth of six teet, in her holds to the depth of two and ahalf feet, while in the fire room the food rose almost as high asthe grate bars. The Spaniards had left on board of her a few empty tanks, barrels and casks, whicb, along with stale provisions and * other refuse matter, were floating and knocking against each other in the dirty prine. Filth of very description was seen on all sides, so that a fair and impartial description ot the ship is too dis- gusting to be given. As soon as the actual state of affairs was fully comprehended gangs of men ‘Were sent on board of her with buckets TO BAIL HER ovr, but, though they were steadily working for many hours, the water which came in through her bot- ‘tom seemed to exceed the amount which was “hurled out over her sides. Going below, 1 found «myself in the apartments which were the former quarters of the lamented Captain Fry, along with 4he other officers who with him were made the wictims of Spanish wrath. The condition of these rooms was terrible—slop buckets, broken bottles, portions of mattresses, spittoons, cigar stamps, along with masses of human excrement, Fen#ered the stench unendurable, 80 much so that the strongest disinfectants were resorted to in order to render the Virginius habitable for the officers Placed on board of her. Everything of tne least value, everything that could be utilized for ‘Sby purpose, whatever had been CARRIED AWAY BY THE SPANIARDS, and all that they coulda not remove they had ren- Mered entirely useless. They had defaced the Zurniture, cut holes in the tanks, cleaved all the Wires communicating with the engine room, de- ‘Broyed all time pieces and steam ganges, emptied Human flith and offal upon the engines, and had one all in their power to render the Virginius UMFIT TO NAVIGATE ANY SEA ‘And too loathsome and abominable to be boarded by civilized men, Your correspopdent was eager ‘to quit her deck, as were all the parties who went ‘With him, while the feelings of all who went on board were more ditter to those who had reduced her to such a condition tnan they were when the Rewa of the slaughter was first made known, tor Bere we saw With our own eyes the BRUTALITY Of SPANISH VOLUNTEERS _ @nd the extremity of their hatred toward the United States, Returning on board the Ossipee, a gang of 25 Wen Were found preparing to board the Virginiug Below will be found full details | NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 41, 1873—WITH SUPPLEMENT. and assist in pumping her out. The party returned On the morning of the 19th, and reported that after working all night they had succeeded in reducing the depth of the water by several inches. At three P.M. on the same day, our shtp, the Ossipee, tripped anchor, and, towing the Virginius with a hawser 100 fathoms in length, in a few héurs stood bravely out at sea, the Despatch following in our wake. For a time the engines and pumps of the Virginius worked pretty wel?, and at five o’clock P. M. we parted from the Despatch amid the blow- ing of whistles, the waving of caps and the shout- ing of many Godspeeds. One half hour later we were alone nursing a leaking vessel, which groaned and creaked heavily, even on the breast of the then moderate sea. We saw no OTHER UNITED STATES STEAMER until the morning of the 20th, when, at eight o’clock A. M., We exchanged signals with our frigate, the Colorado, and shortly after with the United States steamer Powhattan, which was con- veying the monitor Manhattan. un the 2ist the morning broke with severe winds and lowering clouds, succeeded by mad squalls and avery heavy sea, The Ossipee and the Virginins both rolled heavily, but the latter was towed quite easily, notwithstanding. This increasingly bad weather continued during the 22d inst,, and the pumps of the Virginius proved eMcient in keeping the water within from gaining in depth. On the 23d inst. the tempest grew wilder, the storm increased, the heavens buygt forth THUNDER AXD LIGHTNING,” and the wind, hauling ahead, banked up an ex- ceedingly heavy sea. At half-past nine A. M. on this day, the 23d, the Virginius signalled to us:— We have seven feet of water in forward compartment, Water still increasing. Mf our fires go out we cannot keep ber clear. Upon *cading this signal all of us on “board the Ossipee became greatly alarmed and momentarily feared the vessel would go down, 80 that our course was changed to northwest half west, At 10 A. M. we received another signal reading :— Are throwing away all heavy articles from forward to lighten her. Again we changed our course and headed di- rectly to the shore, so that before too late we might get the Virginius in comparatively sthooth water. At 3 P. M. the Virginius again signalled us:— Can hold out untilymorning if water-tight bulkhead does not give way. All that dreary afternoon, and duriog the entire of that dull and heavy night, the fated ship rode with great lapor. and towed with the avmostdif ficulty. We could see her lights waving to and fro; we could hear the dull thud and rattle of her pad- dies, we could see her prow rise and sink, and every dip she made we feared would be her last. The night seemed long and dreary, a dull sea, a dark sky, and lable to sink at any moment, Such were the conditions of the evening of Decem- ber 23. <At7A.M., of the 24th, again the Vir- gintus signaled to us:— Our after boiler is disabled, torward boiler nearly so. We at once responded, lowered a boat, and sent our chief engineer, Mr. William King, aboard, in order that he might make an inspection, who upon returning, said that the signal concerning the boilers fully represented the- truth. We at once took in all sail and steamed up along the coast, the Virginius rising easier and the water growing more and more smooth, The 25th inst., Christmas Day, brought TERRIBLY DISAGREEABLE WEATHER, along witn drizzling rain, and at5 A.M. we saw the Frying Pan lightship bearing directly east. Here iv was that our hawser parted and we at once signalled the Virginius to follow us, which she did, but at the same time showed that she was leaking heavily. At 8:30 A.M. we stopped our engines, came to anchor in eight fathoms of water and made signal to the Virginius, which she answered by backing under our stern and receiving the hawser which we put out, At 10 4 M. we received ano- ther signal from the Virginius that her wheel ropes had parted, and at 4 P. M. still another, as follows :— ‘We must keep our engines backing in order to work our pumps. To this signal the Ossipee responded, ‘Very good.” During the aiternoon a heavy rain set in, along with a very stiff wind. At 6 P. M. the Vir- giniussignalied— The water is gaining rapidly upon us, and an hour later she spoke to us in @ way which. we could not interpret. We hauied her up until she labored but 50 tathoms trom us, and made all prepa- Tation in case of disaster, the wind and sea keep- ing up all night. and botn vessels heavily rolling. The morning of December 26, which we all hoped would dawn under better conditions, broke forth in heavy gusts and squalls, and at 3 A, M. the Vir- ginius signalled :— Onr fires are going out. Water gaining rapidly. And at just sixty minutes later she signalled again :— Fires out. Pumps stopped. Must be taken off at once, All hands on board the Ossipee were called ina moment; orders were passed and repassed quick and fast; preparations were mace to rescue those on board the ship we were towing, which, owing to the heavy sea, we did not dare haul any nearer to us. The waves rose and fell, boiling and seething; the wind howled through the rigging; our vessel rolled like a heavy ball in the water, and it was under such circumstances that we Jowerea THE OSSIPEE’S FIRST CUTTER. Happily, in giving the Virginis a tow line the day before, use had been made of a small hawser ‘waich they had used in connection with the other, and which now became of the greatest importance. It was made fast at once to the starboard wheel- house of the Virginius and to the starboard quar- ter of the Ossipee. Here, at, once, in face of the dangerous sea, and without’ a moment's hesita- tion, Lieutenant Rhoades volunteered to go in the little cutter, and FOUR BRAVE SONS OF NEPTUNE followed his example, to rescue those on board the rapidly sinking and ill-fated ship. These men tried invain to reach the Virginius.on the starboard side, for a strong current was running toward the coast and the boats were in danger of heing swamped by the tow line. The order was tnen given to shift the line to the port paddle box of the Virginius, which was done, we at the same time shifting our end to our port quarter. This being accomphshed the little cutter by means of a line from her bow telt her way aud dropped down by the side of the Virginius, and in answer to our hopes . THE FIRST BOAT LOAD OF MEN reached their way back to the Ossipee. It was a diMcult and dangerous task for any man to make the little boat safely in such @ terrible sea, As soon asthe cutter came along each manon the Virginius let himself down over ber rolling and heaving side with arope, and as a high wave wouid lift the cutter away up toward him he would swing himself clear of the Virginius and drop, Uncertain and dangerous as this act was to every one who attempted it, but one accident happened. One man in swinging himself into the cutter FELL OVERBOARD. Lieutenant Rhoades, quick as thought, made a grasp for him, seized him by the leg and hauled him into tne boat. The first boat contained ali the landsmen of the Virginius, and, alter them, the firemen, ordinary seamen, machinists, &c, Some idea of the height of the waves may be formed by the fact that the cutter, in rising upon the top of one of them, de- tached one of the life buoys of the Ossipee, which was made fast at her rails. A block was attached to our spanker boom and @ rope rove through it; in the end of this was made a bowline. As each boat load was hauled over the bowline was low- ered, and a man placing it under his armpits and around his body was quickly landed on deck. THE BOAT MADE FOUR TRIPS to take off the crew and one to take off the officers, who bravely stood by the sinking ship until they were assured o| the safety of the crew entrusted to their charge. These gentlemen were very much exhausted as they were hauled over the side, and received the hearty congratulations of their fellow oMcers upon their narrow escape from death. The men lost all their clothing and the oMcers every- thing except such articles as could be stowed about their persons, such as papers, jewelry, &c. Their losses range all the way irom $300 to $800 cach, At 8:30 A. M., thé last boat leit the Virgining and the Ossipee laid by waiting for the last scene in the life of THR IL-PARED STRAMER, About ¢ P. ML we heard @ rushing noise on deck, and running up saw that the end was at | first, in eight fathoms of water, leaving the cross- hand. This was at 17 minutes past 4 P. M. She sank slowly till her bow was level with the water, then she gave a slight plunge and the force of the water in the forward compartment must have carried away her forward bulkhead, and the water rushing aft tore up her deck over the fore hold. She then sank by the head untii the water was up to the base of her forward smoke- stack; this soon carried away at the base and fell forward, Next the skylight of the engine room floated off and then the after smokestack was car- ried away and sunk. The water now rose fast, and soon broke the maintopmast short off at the cap. This carried down the United States pen- nant, which had been héisted by order of the Cap- tain almost the last thing vefore leaving her. She was now sinking slowly, when there was a sudden explosion or burst of air aft, throwing the water Ingh in the air, and, giving a fnal plange, she sunk FOREVER FROM OUR SIGHT. She sunk upon aneven keel, the water reaching nearly to ler crosstreea. There remained above water her toretopmast, stamp of her maintopmast and the bow of her starboard quarter boat, which was seen projecting about @ foot above the surface, the forward fall evidently having given away and the after one held fast. A large amount of d¢bris now floating away to the southward, the hawser connecting us with the Virginius was cut and buoyed, and a boat sent to ascertain the depth of water in which she sunk. This was found to be seven fathoms. The Ossipee soon after got up steam and sailed for New York. The following is a LIST OF THE OFFICERS who served on board the Virginius:— Theutenant Commander—D. C. Woodrow, com- manding. Mosin--Goorae: A. Calhoun, executive officer and navigator, Midshipmen—Frederick Tyler and E. B. Under- wood, watch ofiicera, Second Assistant Engineers—A. Kirby and N. H. Lamdin. LIST OF OFFICERS OF THE OSSIPEE. Commander—Jonn Walters, commanding. Lieutenant Commanders—Governeur K. Haswell, executive officer, and D. C. Woodiow, navigator, nts—W. W. Rhoades, J. C. Rich, L. V. Housel and ©. T. Forse. siete ent ee W. H. King; Second Assistant, . Kirby. Surgeons—Chief, B, H. Kidder; Assistant, F. B, Stephenson. H. T. Wright, Hidshipmen—Fred, Tyler, E. B, Underwood and J. W. Beane. Boatswain—Jobn Bell, Gunner—James Thayer. Carpenter—John Burke. Captain's Olerk—D. J. Sadlier. Paymaster's Clerk—T. J. B. Frank. THE OFFICIAL REPORT. a U. S. STBAMER OssIPEE (THIRD ra AT SEA, LAT. 34 18 N.., Lon. 78 46 W., Doc. 29, 1878. Srr—I have t6 report that I took command of the steamer Virginius on the.evening of December 17, of Dry Tortugas, relieving Lieutenant Marix. Ensign George A. Caltroner and Second Assistant Engineer W. H. Lambden, together with three machinists, two boiler makers, six seamen (effective), six ordinary seamen, eight sea- men and fourtecn landsmen composed her complement, Second Assistant Engineer Kirby and Midshipmen Underwood and Tyler subse- quently joined the ship. Iiound about 70 tons of coal on the ship and over 20 tons of dirt and ashes in her firerooms. The bilge was very dirty, and she was leaking in her. forward compartment and bad water in the other compartments, Dur- ing the evening we Yeceived stores on board and a working party from the Ossipee, who coaled the ship all night frem the schooner Mattie A. Hand, The crew of the Virginius was exhansted by constant work from the time of leaving Bahia Honda. Next morning I stopped coaling snd put all hands at work pumping and bailing out the ship, the water having gained two feet during the night, At 8 A. M. the water was up to the grate bars in both firerooms; the forward com- partment had adepth of four feet and the after compartment had a depth of two feet six inches of water. During the day I received assistance from the Ossipee in tne way of working parties to help clear ship of water, repack stuffing boxes, overhaul pipes about engine, and also a party to repair breaks in forecastle and caboose. Captain Whiting was on board during the day and ex- amined the leak around her forefoot with Chief Engineer King and myself. This latier was the only one of any consequence that I could find in the ship. At 4 P.M, the water was so much re- duced that I was able to start fires in the forward boilers and at 8:15 o’clock in the after boiler, As soon as steam was reported I commenced back- img the engines to clear the ship of water by her bilge pumps. At 1:30 A. M. Captain Whiting expressed himself as satisfied that the Virginius was in a fit condition to go North, and left the ship. Shortly after we went to sea in tow of the Ossipee. During the day, and as long as the sea was the main engine pumps. As we proceeded North and the sea rose the working of the ship greatly loosened the rivets of one of her bow plates, and an old patch on her bow became loose, and she leaked so badly that I had to fill up her limber holes in the forward bulkhead to keep the flreroom clear During the forenoon of the 22d inst. I threw overboard her port bower anchor andall the heavy weights inthe fore hold. consisting of old tron rigging, chain cables, old iron, &c., and shifted the coal from her fore hold aft in order to lighten her forward. On the afternoon of the 23d we had from 8 to 10 feet of water in the forward compartment and so much water in the freroom as to endanger putting out the fires; andJ signalled you not to go further north, and that there was a dock at Charleston, knowing it would be dangerous to risk the carrying away of her for- ward bulkhead, and having no reliance in any of her pumps, which had been constantiy breaking down ever since starting. Besides this, my men were worn ont, their bunks were drenched and they had no place to sleep. Her bows were working so much that the bunks in the forecastie came adrift from the ship's sides, At 3 A. M., December 24, the crown sheet of the middie furnace of the after boiler caved in, and I hauled the fires from that boiler. Shortly after- ward several blisters were reported in the torward boiler, At daylight I signalled the condition of the botlers and water, and you sent Chief Engineer King on board. He inspected tne boilers, and I understood that, in his opinion, they were not safe, and I gave orders not to carry more than five pounds of steam unless in extreme necessity. With this low pressure one of the furnaces gave out in the afternoon, having a blister on the crown sheets three feet long. From this time until we made fast to you again, on the 25th inst., we had about the same amount of water in the ship; but when we stopped our engines the water gained on us, and I asked your permission to back my engines. Owing to having but three serviceable furnaces tn the forward boiler we could not carry steam to work the engines fast enough to throw much water; and as the sea in- creased so did the water, and I asked you to- wards night to haul up close and take us off. Half an hour afterward I got a donkey pump to work, and as we were keeping the water ata stand I signalied that I could hold on tili daylight, The water, however, gained on us greatly during the night, until it pnt the fires out at 5 o’clock A. M. on the 26th inst., when the donkey pump stopped. The after pump Was broken, and coula not be re- paired with anything at our command, so I sig- nalled for you to take us of immediately. The forward compartment was full of water up to within @ foot anda half ofthe spar deck, there were five feet of water in the fore hold, water over grate bars in the firerooms and the alter com- partment dry. The sea was very rough, and it was blowlug @ gale of wind trom north and east, and I did not think it safe to remain on board @ minute longer than necessary, When your boat came tinder the Virginius’ bow } put the landsmen in her first, and only then stopped work passing water out of ‘the ship. It took five trips to take us ali off, the oMicers going in the last boat, Asit turned out! might have been able to save the men’s bags and hammocks; but, under the circumstances, I decmed it imprudent to at- Sempt it, At 4:17 A, M. the Virginius sunk, bows smooth, we managed to keep the water down with | | | | | | | | | day trees above water. Enclosed herewith please find list of officers and men at the time of abandoning the ship and a list Of articles lost belonging to the several depart- ments of the vessel. Also Second Assistant Engi- neer Kirby's report of condition of boilers and en- gines, Very respectfully, DAVID C. WOODROW, Lieutenant Commander United States Navy, To Commander JoHN WaLTeRs, United States Navy, commanding United States steamer Ussipec. THE ENGINEER'S REPORT, alluded to in the above communication, contains little of new or interesting facts. Engineer Kirby states that .when he got steam up he found it would be imprudent to get up a pressure of more than 18 pounds of steam on account of the defective condition of the fur- naces and boilers; the bilge water was ouly a loot below the grate bars, and the bilge was full of dirt and ashes, The only way to keep the vessel up was by keeping the bilge pumps going. When the engines were stopped it was considered best, as the ship was leaking so fast, to start the engines again, to keep the water out, and be‘ore quitting their posts the men in the frerooms were work- ing in water three feet deep, AT THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD. ‘The chief topic of conversation upon all sides in the Brooklyn Navy Yard yesterday was, of eourse, the information published in the HERALD concern- ing the logs of the far-iamed but ill-fated Virginius. The general opinion expressed was that her descent to “Davy Jones’ locker’? was purely acci- dental, thougn there were a few sceptics who boldly asserted that it was “a put up job” that she should go down just where and when she did. No substantial reason was adduced by the “sea lawyers,” however, tor this process of reasoning, other than the very slender idea that the questions under negotiation would be sunk irom the surface of popular senti- ment, and ail possibilty of future “unpleasant- ness’? between the Republic of Spain and the United States would be obviated. Between ten and eleven o’clock in the forenoon the executive officer of the United States steam sloop- of-war Ossipee, Licutenant § Commander @. K. Haswell (Captain John Watters, the commandant of the ship, being sick), visited the Naval Lyceum at the yard, and there made a report to Vice Admiral Rowan con- cerning the loss of the Virginius under the lee of Frying Pan shoals, near Cape Fear, N. C. The fact was telegraphed from the Lyceum to the Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary Robeson at once sent back for the oficial report, giving par- ticulars. The request was complied with. Lieu- tenant Commander Hasewell, having concluded his conference with the Admiral, proceeded to the office of Unitea States District Attorney Bliss, No. 41 Chambers street, New York, there to fill the hecessary sworn statement relative to the lost ship. All communication betwedn the Ossipee and the outside world was forbidden, and she is in a measure under the control of the District Attorney until the latter oMctal has satisfied himself upon the manner of the sinking of that notorious ship, and shall have gleaned information not even sec- ond to that of the immortal authority upon all Marine subjects, “Jack Bunsby.”” On Monday night the tugboat Catalpa, under command of Lieu- tenant West, and the Grant, in charge of Lieuten- ant Blake, were on the lookont, with sealed orders for the Captain of the Ossipee, below Quar- antine. Their business was to intercept and board her had she had the Virginius in tow. About eleven o'clock the Ossipee, without a tow, passed the tugs, whose commandants yelled until they grew hoarse in the vain effort to attract the attention of the sloop-oi-war, which kept steadily on her way. Of Governor's Island, however, the com- mandant of the Catalpa managed to get on board and delivered his orders, but as the Virginius was Not there all instructions relative to her were a mere matter of useless form. INTERVIEW WITH ADMIRAL ROWAN, A representative of the HERALD visited Vice Admiral Rowan tn the Lyceum yesterday afternoon and had an interesting interview with that distin- guished officer touching the loss of the Virginius:— “Admiral, a8 @ reporter of the HERALD I have called jor the purpose of obtaining such informa- tion concerning the fate of tne Virginius as you may jeel disposed to give.” | “Well, sir, the only intormation I have to give is that she was unseaworthy. she leaked from the first, encountered severe weather, the leaks in- creased, and she went down,” Where ana when did she sink, Admiral f’’ “She sunk off Frying Pan Shoals, near Cape Fear, about jour o’clock on the afternoon of the 26th inst.—the day aiter Obristmas—tnat was Friday last, She leit Tortugas, in tow of the Ossipee, on the 19th inst., and theretore had been seven days out at sea. An officer of the Ossipee was over here to see me to-day about the vessel. The Virgin- ius was ina very bad condition from the time she was surrendered to us, and had been leaking.” “Do you suppose that the Spaniards impaired her strength in any way designedly? May tuey not have bored a tew holes in her before giving her ¥ “No, I don’t think they tampered with her; but she sustained very severe straining during the chase given herby the Spanish guuboat Tornado. Her engines were almost useless,,and two of the boilers were of no service whatever. The other one was kept going, and managed to keep steerage way on her and work the pumps. The weather continued bad ali through. You know the stormy weather we have been having here. The leaks grew larger a8 the strain daily and hourly increased upon the vessel, which was in tow of the Ossipee. At all events, she was littie better than anold rat trap. Her doors, lockers and other movable timvers had been wrenched oi by the crew during the chase, when everything was sac- rificed to speed—to get up the highest speed possi- bie—to out-distance her fleet footed pursuer. She had on bvard two excellent engineers ana a picked crew of 30 men, among whom were the best ma- chinists obtainable. The men worked with the most persistent energy, during the passage from the Tortugas to’ the point at which she sunk, to keep her afloat. The pumps were kept going constantly. It was found that the water gained until her bulkhead was iull, and Captain Watters very judiciously made his Way out Of the Gulf Stream, where the sea was very heavy, in round Cape Romain to a point near Cape Fear. ‘The water increased in depth in the hold of the vessel, and, getting up to a Jevel with the furnaces, put out the fires. The pumps could then no longer be kept at work, and safety. requirea that the Virginius should be abandoned. ‘he position of those on board at any time was unenviable, as the danger was considerable, owing to her unsea- worthiness. Great difficulty was experienced by the Ossipee in rescuing those on board the Virgin- iuson Friday. Rovoats and lines had to be brought into requisition and other expedients, which could not have been used with equal certainty of success nad she been in the Gulf Stream instead of the position she then occupied. It is more than provable that several lives would have been lost had the rescue been attempted outside before rounding in under the shelter of the Cape. As it ‘was, the poor men lost ali their effects—nothing ‘was saved by them.” “Adintral, will you peri.it me to ask whether the sinking of the Virgiuius may not be miscon- sirued as being far irom accidental by the Spaniards?” “That may be; I suppose they will say that it was other than as represented. I am periectly satisfied, however, that everything was done that was possible on the part of the officers on both vessels to keep her afloat and to carry out their instructions in good faith. She has gone down and we could not help it, while it is regretted that she did not reach her destination in saiety. Every arrangement had been perfected, as it was, to ony, out instructions upon her arrival here.’ “When will the Ossipee come up to the Navy Yard ? Communication with her is now forbidden, is it not y”? “No communication is permitted with her to- She will not be ready to take out her powder beore to-morrow, and, as Thursday will not be a oe day, the Ossipee will not come up belore friday. Thanking the Admiral for his courtesy the writer withdrew, WORK AT THE NAVY YARD, Work on the Florida is being pushed forward night andday, About 1,000 men will, 1t is expected, “be discharged from the several departments at the Navy Yard to-day. There remains a vast amount of work to be done meanwhile. Three large ves- sels, the Colossus, Java and New York, lie rotting, unfinished, on the stocks, while the Susquehanna, Delaware and Nipsic are also decaying tn ordinary. The labor of raising the Upland, in jront ot the dry dock, is completed and the Spanish frigate Arapiles will be floated out of the dock to- day at high tide. The officers and men ot the Arapiles are delighted over the prospect o1 an carly release irom the hated dry dock, The owner of the now famous “Upland” coal barge was aiso the subject of felicitous congratulation yesterday upon the successiui raising of his crart, THE WRECKED STEAMER. Carolina PilotseThey Heads and Whisper “All's Not Right,” WILMINGTON, N, C., Dec. 30, 1873, There ts nothing absolu‘ely new in the way of details about the sinking of the Virginius beyond what has already been reported in the HBRALD, -OXcevt that tho opinion is gain. Se eh AL Col 2 Lines . ing ground here that all was not right fn the matter. [t is certain that the two Vessels were seen together on Thursday afternoon at the spot at which the Virginius now lies, close together, hove to and anchored. It would also appear that the Virginius could have been easily brought into the river that afternoon or night; at least there was no apparent reason why it could not have been done. At two o’clock that night a terrible gale sprung up from the northwest and continued for about two hours, It was the most severe known here for many years, and yet the Virginius was still seen above water the next morning, probably 8 or 10 hours after the gale had abated. She was seen from Smithville and thought to bea bark, and the pilot boat Robert A. Cowan went to her assistance on Friday afternoon, put there was no trace of her. The boat remained out all night, returning on Saturday morning from unsuccessful search. On Saturday alternoon the Cowan again Went out, but again returned without any trace of her, On Sunday morping the steamship Tonawanda, from Philadelphia for this port, passed in and re- ported at Smithville thatshe had found a sunken vessel at sea, equidistant about nine or ten miles from Cape Fear and from the coast of Oak island. There was nothing visible but about three feet of her mizzen topmast. The Cowan went out again on Sunday afternoon and found the sunken ship. They made soundings and got five fathoms on her deck and elght fathoms around her. Spars attached to the ship were floating about, and they hauied up stmps of planking, braced with iron, which induced them to think that it was an iron ship. They returned to Smithville and reported thar, in their opinion, the sunken ship was the Virginius, I re- ported last night that the two vessels,were seen together both on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning by the pilots at Baldhead. This was, probably, an error, as the indications would seem to point to the fact that the Virginius must have been abandoned by the Ossipee either late on Thursday evening or early on Fri- day morning. The pilots scem to think that if she was too much disabled on Thursday aiternoon to be towed nine miles into port that she would have given way and gone down with the first blast of the terrible storm which swept over this section during the night; and they shake their heads when they speak of her having lain at anchor within sight of port so long Thursday alternoon, and then going down so many hours after the storm had abated. The Virginius is said to have oeen a blockader, running to this port during the war. She now lics somewhat east of south of Cape Fear, and is evi- dently perfectly upright on the bottom, as the few feet of topmast now out of water points directly ‘ton, Long Island, paper last Saturday, to the zenith. THE VIRGINIUS PRISONERS. Their Levee Yesterday—Provision Being Made for Their Wants—Reception of the News of the Virginius Sinking— The Condition of the Vessel. The passengers and crew of the Virginius, brought to this city by the Juniata, neld an informal ievee yesterday at the restaurant of Sefior Trujillo, No. 76 Pine street, where they were visited by a large number of Cubans and those interested in the cause of Cuba Libre. Among the survivors are Sefior Trujillo’s two younger brothers, Indalecio and Ricardo. The number present gradually decreased during the day, such of them as have friends in the city being taken off by them to be entertained and provided for elsewhere. Sefiors Fillegas, President of the Amigos de Cuba, Cisneros and Artraga were in attendance as a committee to receive contributions in aid of the men. Some $10u in money were collected, and a quantity of shirts and blankets, which were distributed late in the aiternoon, The number to be provided tor by the committee of Cubans having them in charge will be about 50, These will receive such aid us the ma! require until they are thorougniy recuperated, and will then be placed position to take care ‘of themselves. There are several who reside in Jamaica, and such will be sent thither, ‘The relatives of those who were shot in Santiago were present in considerable numbers, naturally anxious to learn any details concerning their iriends. Among them was @ young son of General Jesus del Sol, who moved about among the men, receiving much attention from them. The news of the sinking of the Virginius was brought in at an early hour, but excited little attention, and was thought to be very natural. A young Cuban of much intelligence, on being questioned concerning her, ‘she was very weak at the bows and was constantly Jeaking ther Sbe was repaired many times at Martinique and other places, put never thoroughly, and the usual strain upon her when at sea wouid start the leak again. She had seven feet of water in her hold when the Tornado overtook us. Had it not been for this we could easily have escaped. ‘We were all exhaustea, too, with constant work- ing at the pumps.” “It was not possible for her to reach New York,” said another. “That is so,” continued the Cuban; “and if the government orderea ner here it was evidently for the purpose of aliowing her to sink.’ Those desiring TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS, either of money or clothing, were requested to send them to the headquarters of Los Amigos de Guba, No. 52 Exchange place and at No. 76 Pine street. HONOR TO A GALLANT ENGLISHMAN, “Raw Youre, Dec. 29, 1873, To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:— Permit me to make a suggestion through your journal regarding the sarvivors of the Virginius, and I think you will coincide with my views when 1 Bay that these survivors should now endeavor to show their gratitude for their safe deliverance to to Sir Lambton Loraine, the gallant commander of Her Britannic Majesty's steamer Niobe, by present- ing him with some testimonial as an aw: jor his bravery in detying the Spaniards, backed by his four guns and the cutlasses of his crew, and de- manding in the name of England and humanity that fuer should be spared. To him they are in- debted for their lives, and therefore, by investin; him with some token of their gratitude, it woul doubtiess be something, at least, which he could ever look upon with pride and as long a8 his little ship “full charged with England’s thunder shall plough the distant main.” En LL THE FILIBUSTER STEAMER EDGAR STUART, {From the Baltimore American, Dec. 29.] The steamer Edgar Stuart, which has been in this port since February last, has recently been alluded toby acity paper in such a way as to leaa many persons to suppose she is about to start upon an- other Cuban tpn expedition, The curios- ity to see the little craft has lately been considera- ble, and those on board of her have added to the mystery surrounding the vessel by putting up placards that no one will be admitted. Coionel Agirero, her reputed owner, and four other Cubans, denominated as aides-de-camp, have been with the steamer since her stay at Baltimore. ‘The visitor can find no signs of preparations for departure oing On, and appearances indicate that the vessel, icawber-like, is ‘waiting for something to turn up.” The Coionel and his aids are doubtiess will- ing to do everything in tieir power to aid the Cuban cause, but the recent statement that large sums of money have been received vo aid in fitting out an expedition does not seem to be correct, as Colonel Agirero asserts that money has been re- ceived from but one Cuban gentieman since the vessel has been here, ‘those on board are evi- dently pot displeased with the notoriety that has recently arisen in connection with their ship, but they are prepared to deny that she cannot be bought by any person who will pay the price asked by ber owner, There are some repairs to her going on, the iorward cabin being repainted at this time. Colonel Agirero is absent in Albany, N. Y., visiting the former owner of the steamer. THE KELSEY CASE, a z He is Said to Have Been Seen in New York—A Card from Sanford Brown. + The following card was published in a Hunting. It best ex- plains its@.f:— On the :0th day of October last, at five olclock P, M., while passing through Duane street, between West Broadway and Hudson street, with a horse and cart, I saw Charles G. Kelsey standing on the sidewaik in con, versation with a man and woman. { passed within four feet of them, In fact so near’ that I could almost have reached him or put my hand on him. (1 tully recox- nized hin, I knew the man Csaw to be ©, G. Kelsey whom i have known in Huntington during the last 23 years, He also saw me, and I am satistied fully recog- nized me, judging trom ‘his manner and appearance. I kept my ¢ye on him, and as soon as J could possibly leave ty horse and cart [ started to go to him; bit when he saw my movements he immediately ran tor a door, leading to & stairway, at No. 161 Duane street, and, although. immediately followed, 1 could "gain rther trace of him, having evaded my pursuit, The oman whom 1 saw with him_ and conversing with himh eniered the next door, No. 159 Duane street, but L could get no further trace of him: have seen hum’ before in Huntington and New York, ‘and should recognize him were Ito see him again, but do not know his name. The above is a simple statewent of the facts, which { am willng to substantiate under al ime. n fo that I fully Delleved that ove ed a RES eS Meeting to Ask for Extra Compensa- tion—The Petition To Be Sent to Cone gress. A meeting of the survivors of the Polaris, who, were rescued after floating on the ice for 196 days, was held last night to petition Congress to grant them extra compensation for the very great hard- ships which they endured, Present were W. J. Morrison, G. W. ©. Kruger, Frederick Anting, Frederick Janke, William Lindeman, Gustave Lind- quist and others, ail seamen on the Polaris. Es- quimaux Joe Enerling was prevented by sicknes@? from attending, Mr. W. J. MORRISON presided and called the meeting to order. Mr. J. W. C. Krvaer presented an address from Captain Hall to the crew while lying in Thank God Harbor, a precious document which he had carried under his shirt while on the ice. The following is the letter, which is written in @ peculiarly heavy hand :— Unrrep Srarng Sreaxsirir Pouanis, } C. ¥. Haut, Commanding. Sirs—The reception of your letter of thanks to me of this date I acknowiedge with a heart that a feels aud fully appreciates the kindly feeling that bas prompted you to this act. 1 need not assure you thas is acl Your commander has and ever will have ‘A LIVELY INTEREST IN YOUR WHLFARE, You have lett your homes, friends and country ; indeed, yen have bid a long farewell for @ time to the whole etv- lized world, tor the purpose of aiding me in alscovering the mysterious hidden pacts of the earth, J. therefore, must ‘and shall care for you asa prudent father cares for his faithtul children, Your Dommeanaars F. HALL. United States North Polar Expedition, in winter quar- ters, ‘hank God Harbor, latitude 81 38 N, longitude W., "Sept. 24, 1571. The following letter of sympathy from Captain Buddington to Captain John Morrison, the chair- mun, was also read :— Gnrortor, Dec. 11, 1873, Dear Friexp—I received your letter of December 1, and was glad to hear you were making efforts to have the crew of the Polaris justly compensated for the labors and hardships they underwent while on the ice. I think they deserve it, for better officers and crew | never sailed. with, including those on the ice and those who remained on tte ship. very man did his duty (aitnfully, and my best wishes will always be with thei, and whatever N DO TOWARD DELPING 1 cal THM I shall do with the greatest pleasure, Lam glad Mr. en able yk ithtully of Joe, who has not me meer how you wogoeed. Wy reeheni an all the “ar elo aah 7°R 0. BUDDINGTON, Mr. Frederick Meyer, meteorologist of the ‘expe- dition, sent a letter from the Dudley Observatory im Albany, in which he said:—“I shall be under many obligations if you will kindly deliver my greetings and express my sincere wish of success in all undertakings to the heroes of the ice drift.” Mr, MORRISON, the chairman, said they nad rea- son for being proud of their record during the last expedition. A petition had been prepared by Mr. Hewett, of Hewett & Newell, lawyers, of No. 5 Wall street, which would be sent to CBS. Mr. Morrison then questioned the seamen Te- ard to various matters and Mr. Kruger’'sait be jad never seen Captain Buddington drunk, although he had no doubt he took a glass of wine once in a while. Captain Tyson had said that he was engaged as sailing master, and ‘WAS PROBABLY PROMPTED BY JEALOUSY to speak ill of Captain Buddington. Mr. Morrison said (addressing the reporters) that Tyson was first asked by Buddington to join the expedition, and the latter spoke to Captain Hall on the subject. If Tyson said that he was engaged as sailing master he uttered a falsehcod. Mr. een apsed that he did not think Captain Hall was poisoned. Mr. MORRISON (to the men)—Was Captain Hall poisoned ? ALL THE MEN—NO, no, no, Mr. Morrison—Was Captain Hall sick ? ALL THE MEN- Yes, ye! One of the survivors had done them a great wrong. who was offered a reward of $1,000 b; Buddington if he would make an anchor fast to am iceberg, and did so by climbing 80 teet up the berg and cutting the steps out with a hatchet, corrobo- rated these statements. They all denied the state- ment that Captain Buddington ,had wiliully sepa- rated irom them, and said he would certainly have remained with them if it had been possible. Mr. HEWETT, a lawyer, of No. § Wall street, asked the seamen to state if any one of them thought Captain Hall was poisoned, and requested the re- porters to note the same, which was “No,” of course. Mr. MorRIsoN (to the reporters) —I rejected some 2,000 men who applied to join the expedition BEFORE 1 ACCEPTED THESE MEN, and what they say is as true as holy writ. Mr. HEweEtY then addressed the reporters, who were seated around the table (the seamen occu- pied a sofa in a corner), stating that he pel Be pared a petition to Congress and he had pledged the services of his firm without any compensation whatever, (To the men)—Your presence here to- night is the very best evidence of the success of the last Arctic expedition, Mr. MORRISON Said the German government had made a present of 1,000 thalers to every survivor ofthe German Hansa expedition, although they had suffered much less tuan these men. These men had to drink seals blood and eat sealsking sometimes, while some of the German sailors had a bottle of wine occasionally while floating on the: _ raft. (To Mr. Hewett)—You are only fulfilling Oap- tain Hall’s desires py doing what you do. Mr. HEwErT—The gentiemen of the press under- stand that our services are ree gratis, The petition was then read. 1t recites that survivors were on the ice 190 days, in imi Ca danger and peril of their tives, and suffering si agonies as no person could describe, and that oe ) were still greatly suffering from the effects of those” tut hardships. The survivors pi Congress to- EE them just relief, and particularly to remem- — r Esquimau Joe, to whom they were indebted for the preservation of their lives, The meeting then adjourned with a vote of thanks to Mr. Hewett. stitution in Charge of the Protest ‘ Episcopal Church—Annual Re; : Election of Trustees and Managers. | The twenty-second anniversary of the Orphal Home an@ Asylum of the Protestant Episco a Charch was held yesterday morning at the institu.” tion, Forty-ninth street and Lexington avenue. The attendance of friends was very large, all of whom were greatly pleased with the appeai of the children, who were grouped together in 01 portion of the room, looking full of contentme! and happiness. Rev, Dr. Thomas Gallaudet, rect of St. Ann’s, opened the ee Hie tot and the Rev. John M. Gailaher, church, read an appropriate lesson. The of the Secretary, gs Anna L. Peck, was i presented and read by Mr. William Kerkers, Grace church, The following are extracts:— : ‘The one thought that comes to the officers of the i ation, as they stand on the threshold ofa new year, viewing the solemn responsib! trials and les it us ia ve re agit cording to The Orphans’ Home and Asylum is an institati provides for the care, maintenance and religious‘ ing. of children who, in consequence of the death or both of their parents, have been rendered hon and destitute, Candidates tor admission are nD harily, received under three nor over eight years Those adsitted are retained in the institution until have reached the age ot 12 or 14 years, unless, of co « change in their circumstances makes it nect y they should be removed younger. Sueh friends as they may. have are exoected to contrib a week toward their supportin all cases in they are able todo 80. ‘To the institution this sum: small one, notin any wa: sufficient tor the support of chiid; but to the contributors it is of imp: ce a8 § means of keeping up the interest in their younger rel tives and their own pies Children are instructed in spelling, bree oth arithmetle, geography and sewing, and brane! mestic employment are taught them accot respective capacities. The religious instruction formity with the doctrines of the Protestant Bj Charch. Those children who are given up to th Lo have at their proper age situations procured for them By | the Receiving and Dismissing Committee, who spare no | pains in their endeavors to place them under oe persons who will conscieatously perform the dui master or mistress, y ‘There are employed in the institution the m housemother, who has filled the responsible positi 20 years, three teachers and six domestics. Thi now contains /47 children, During the past year boen received, 28 have been returned to friend circumstances have enabled them to them, and 21 have been placed out. None: The garments completed this year are 6M; Dal stockings knitted, 41, and quilts knitted, 22, The current expenses ot the year have and the receipts from church collections a) bad tions and donations $14,110. There has been appro tion trom the Legis ure, y ¥ there has been a falling off of supp! sources, Our permanent fund, that gives ton ‘sons the impression that “the Home. 9 ch fuiure endowment of the institution, and cannot be until it is suftleient for its support. Mean att ends, as it has always‘done, upol ‘subscriptio Bits Feceived from ‘month wo month: ay ‘The report of the committee having permanent tund showed that im $20,580, and that the interest rece! year from various sources amounted to ‘The Medical Board reported that the nesltl the children has been and is most satisfactoy Twelve trustees, a Board of Mani ing of 60 ladies, and a Committee of Ac then elected. ‘the trustees were Mrs. lith, Mrs, Fanny ©. Tucker, Mrs, Arnest | ‘Thomas J. Owen, Miss Anna Potter, Miss. Barnes, Mrs. Frances Rogers, lent} Mrs. John Warren, Miss Julia nelan¢ Joseph Gratton and Mrs, Henry B. Renwic ‘The Committee of Advice consists o | Rev. Horatio Potter, UD. D., LL. Dy D. Gy] Join Henry Hobart, D. D. (honor Rev. Isaac K, Tutuie, D. D.; laudet, D. D.; Rev. Henry E, AM ¢ Rev, Theodore A. Eaton, D. D.; A tat Nani Atexander Smith, Stephen P, Nash erick W. Stevens, During the exercises the children carols very Gyn and alter closit escorted to. bo hy ‘ovided they were provided with ail the go nerous hearts so love to bestow his season of the year. past with its ne, ta -*4 ie) cents x Aes re thes ‘ee of ¢]