DERELICTS & SHIPWRECKS

HISTORY OF SHIPWRECKS

DESTROYING DERELICTS ON THE OCEAN 1897

The Hydrography Department of the United States Navy for the Port of Philadelphia

is awaiting the arrival of it's commander , Lieutenant William E. Gill , is under the

advice of James L. McGoldrick, a civilian hydrographer, is the branch of the Navy

in charge of clearing derelicts from the ocean steamers channels. Here are some interesting

stories of their endeavors.

The schooner Fannie E. Wolston, wrecked October 15, 1891, in latitude 36.13,

longitude 74, when last seen , October 21, 194, was in latitude 39.10, longitude 61.55,

six hundred miles distant from the place of abandonment, and will again turn up in the Atlantic , a barnacle covered derelict . Last seen the Wolston was less crew, less captain,

less sails and had traveled near 8000 miles of the watery waste between the old world and

new world. The history of the Wolston is interesting. When abandoned she drifted into the

tract of trans Atlantic steamers and after an erratic course fell into the current of the southern rim of Sargasso Sea and doubled back passing within a few miles of the point where she was abandoned. She has been reported 34 times by passing vessels in the past three years.

Once in mid ocean the Wolston met a fellow derelict , the Wyer G. Sargent which was abandoned March 31, 1891, latitude 34.53, longitude 74.10 , also on an aimless trip

across the Atlantic. Five days after Wolston's abandonment they were 2000 mile apart.

In April and May 1892 the two hulks were in mid ocean only 50 miles apart and drifting

toward each other. The Navy thinks the Sergeant has gone to the bottom.

The three masted schooner, W. L. Wright, lumber laden, abandoned during the

1888 blizzard 80 miles southeast of Absecon Light went ashore the 23 January on Lewes Island , Herbrides, off the Scotland coast. She has sailed north by northeast 32 miles a day or more that 5000 miles in 10 months and 10 days and reported 45 times.

The derelict career of the Itialian barque, Vincenzo Perrotta, also lumber laden,

abandoned September 17, 1887, is another interesting one. In 536 days she drifted 2950 miles, falling into equatorial currents, finally going ashore on Waking Island, Bahamas.

She was spoken 27 times. Her sails were set moving at 6 knots and answered no hails.

November 28, 1888 the schooner Ethel M. Davis was abandoned and the next day

day the schooner David W. Hunt was turned adrift. A year later the Hunt was picked up

off Maderia and towed to port In 347 days she traveled 4800 miles . The Davis, in 370

days covered 44000 miles. The James B. Drury, abandoned 29 January 1889 , latitude 35,

longitude 75, went across the Atlantic, tuned back, float 367 days, traveled 1700 miles.

One of the longest voyages is that of a lumber laden schooner left Charleston to a

northern port, was thought to have foundered during a storm and gone to the bottom, went

ashore 16 yeas later on Greenland.

June 22, 1892, ship Fred B. Taylor, in ballast from Nova Scotia to New York

Was run into by a North German Lloyd Line steamer at latitude 40.18 longitude 68.33

and cut her in half , the stern and prow drifted apart.. august 7, 1895, the stern of the Taylor,

after drifting 350 miles went ashore at Well's Beach on the Bay of Fundyy. The bow last heard of in latitude 37.37 , longitude 74.10, was afloat 93 days and drifted 340 miles.

Some derelicts made very short voyages, February 24, 1892, four masted schooner,

Agnes Manning with a cargo of of 1577 tons of coal was abandoned. The crew of negroes

had suffered hardship and were taken off by a passing ship because of frostbite. The big schooner drifted into the trans Atlantic steamship lanes and reported everyday. Heavy laden she was a menace and measures were taken to overhaul her. Fortunately and ocean tug made fast to her and March 10 she was towed to the port of New York by the British Exeter City.

The schooner , The Twentyone Friends, collided with The John H May, , March 24

1885, latitude 36.45, longitude 72.42 , drifted for 8 months and 10 days 3525 miles, last

reported off Cape Finisterre, the northern point of Spain. She was loaded with yellow pine

lumber and her hull was in excellent condition. An inquiry was made but none of the Cape

Fnisterre fishermen along the Bay of Biscay admitted to seeing a wreck , nor was she

reported as going ashore. One of the investigators said later that many of the fishermen of the

Bay of Biscay had built new houses of Michigan yellow pine lumber that year.

Another one of the greatest derelicts that ever went adrift in the Atlantic was a lumber

raft which left Port Joggins , Nova Scotia , 8 December 1888, for New York under tow and after 10 days out broke adrift. It was 556 feet long 65 feet wide, 38 foot depth, and had a draw of 19-1/2 feet. With its cargo of 27,000 logs it's weight was 11000 tons. The

news that the barge was adrift caused great concern in New York and December 21, 1888

the Nave ship Enterprise set sail to find the derelict with the tug B. W. Moris, and a cutter ,

the Grant. They found the raft broken up and the logs afloat in Sargasso Bay.

Sometimes a derelict will tell a story of crime. A brig, the O. B. Stillman, headed

south with lumber and abandoned off Cape Hatteras , all hands saved. A passing ship, lay to, sent a crew aboard and found she had been set afire in several deck spots but the ocean had

put the fire out before much damage occurred. Off the Island of Bermuda a British Man of War made fast and towed her to port and found to have been scuttled for insurance .

Another remarkable case was the schooner Minnie & Gussie, reported missing in

1891, when a passing ship picked up a broken mast with a name carved on it, and traced the data to Brooklyn, New York, identified and found off the coast of Cape Henlopen. She was

blown up and rendered harmless to navigation.

Smetime the wrecks and derelicts are so battered by waves and rocks they are

impossible to identify. The Joseph Souther was identified by the Captain of the Navy

steamer Despatch, Lt. Crowles. In 1889 he located a derelict , bottom up, 35 mile off

the Virginia Capesm and tried to blow it up but could not due to her cargo of lumber. There

was no name on the hull but after the explosion of a torpedo a piece of debris floated

to surface and had the ships numbers upon it which made the identification.

The Hydrographic Office is a branch of of the Navigation Bureau of the Navy,

collects and publishes bulletins of menaces to navigation.

Abstract: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday , 16 May 1897.