Sloop Empress Burnt
The packet sloop Empress, Capt. Mason, of Providence, on her passage to New-York, about 70 miles this side of that port, on Tuesday night last, about 12 o’clk, took fire and was totally lost.
Bark Harvest Queen Ashore and Six Lives Lost
The bark Harvest Queen, Captain James Wheeler, from Buenos Ayres for Boston, with a cargo of wool, went ashore, at an early hour yesterday morning, at Scituate, at the South…
April 29, 1861 – Burning of the Gosport Navy Yard—A Thrilling Scene
Destruction of the United States Navy-Yard at Norfolk, Virginia, by Fire, by the United States Troops, on April 20, 1861
A correspondent of the New York Times thus describes the scenes presented by the destruction of the vessels and other U. S. property at Gosport Navy Yard, on the night of the 20th :
It is impossible to describe the-scene of destruction that was exhibited. Unweariedly it was continued from 9 o’clock to 12 during which time the moon gave light to direct the operations. But when the moon sank behind the horizon, the barracks near the centre of the yard were set on fire, that, by its illumination the work might be continued. The crackling flames and the glare of light inspired with new energies the destroying marines and havoc was carried everywhere, within the limits of orders. But time was not left to complete the work. Four o’clock of Sunday morning came, and the Pawnee was passing down from Gosport harbor, with the Cumberland, the coveted prize of the secessionists, in tow – every soul from the other ships and yard being aboard them save two. Just as they left their moorings, a rocket was sent up from the deck of the Pawnee. It sped high in air, paused a second and burst in shivers of many colored lights. As it did so, the well set trains at the ship-houses, and on the decks of the fated, vessels left behind, went off as if lit simultaneously by the rocket. One of the ship-houses contained the old New York, a ship thirty years on the stocks and yet unfinished. The other was vacant. The vessels fired were the Pennsylvania the Merrimac, the Germantown, the Plymouth, the Raritan, the Columbia, the Dolphin. The old Delaware and Columbus, worn out and dismantled seventy fours, were scuttled and sunk at the upper docks on Friday.
Posted inMaritime & Naval History Ship Histories
Largest Ship In The World Sinks
This country and all Europe are at this writing shrouded in sorrow over the sinking of the Titanic, which took to a watery grave hundreds of her passengers last Sunday night. The boat was bound for New York on her maiden voyage and had as passengers many people prominent both in this and foreign countries. The most notable passengers for whom much anxiety is felt in Vermont and New England are Charles M. Hays, Mrs. Hays and their daughter. Mr. Hays is the president of the Grand Trunk Railway and a man deeply interested in the development of the Central Vermont Railway.
Posted inMaritime & Naval History Ship Histories
New Floating City
Imperator, Largest of Ocean Craft, Soon to Be Launched.
Ship Will Be 900 Feet Long Monster of the Seas, With 50,000 Ton Capacity, to Have Many Luxurious Features.
Berlin.—Records for size in the ocean steamship world are not held long nowadays. We find a new “Goliath of the Ocean” of German construction. The new ship now building for the Hamburg-American line is to be called Imperator, and will be launched on the Elbe, Mr. Kerns tells us, in a few months—”such a vessel,” he says, “as hitherto man’s eye has not beheld,” ‘ The Imperator will have a gross tonnage of 50,000, outdoing the Olympic and Titantic (45,324 and 45,000). The length of the Imperator over all will be about 900 feet. Says Mr. Kern, according to Land und Meer:
“It would be impossible for a man at the bow of the Imperator to recognize with the naked eye another standing in the stern. If we think of the Imperator set up on end beside the cathedral of Cologne, the heavens reaching lower would come only to the second funnel of the steamship. To get a still better idea of the size of the vessel, it may be compared with one of the largest warehouses in the world the new store of Tietz on the Alexanderplatz in Berlin, which, although forty houses were demolished to make room for it, could be placed entirely inside of the Imperator. The steamship, when complete and fully laden, will displace 50,000 tons. The following figures show how much larger she is than the vessels which once held the world’s record for size:
Pawnee Log, April 23, 1861
Lightboat still burning. At 10 a. m. passed Mount Vernon; went through the usual ceremonies. At 10:30 the Keystone State informed us that there were batteries planted at Alexandria. Went…
Pawnee Log, April 22, 1861
From 4 to 6 p. m.: Standing up the Potomac River. At 9 anchored. A lightboat on fire up the river.
Pawnee Log, April 21, 1861
Commences and till 4 a. m.; making preparations for setting fire to the ship houses, ships, and storehouses, and destroying the dry dock. Landed all the turpentine, powder, and waste…
Cassin, in Fight, Fought Off Boat
Submarine Bettered in Battle With American Vessel
Washington, Oct. 23.—Coolness and quick maneuvering by Commander Walter H. Vernon saved the American destroyer Cassin from possible destruction in an encounter with a German submarine in the war zone on October 16, the Navy department was advised yesterday by Vice-Admiral Sims in his full report of the fight. Meagre details of the incident were received last week, but the destroyer’s name was withheld until yesterday.
Before she had an opportunity to fire a shot, the destroyer was hit on the stern by a torpedo, which killed Gunner’s Mate Osmond Kelly Ingram, slightly wounded five others of the crew, and put one engine out of commission.
The Cassin had been searching half an hour for a submarine first sighted five miles away when Commander Vernon suddenly saw a torpedo 400 yards distant and making for the ship at great speed. He ordered full speed ahead and the wheel hard over. The patrol boat was just clear of the torpedo’s path when the projectile broached on the surface, turned sharply, and hit its objective.
Posted inShip Histories
Dreadnaught Leaves Ways
Event That May Mark New Era in Naval Construction.
Portsmouth, England, Feb. 10.—An immense throng, including many prominent and distinguished persons, witnessed the launching of England’s latest contribution to the world’s fighting ships, the Dreadnaught.
The launch of the Dreadnaught, the largest and most powerful battleship of the world’s navies, marks the first stage in what the British admiralty claim as the greatest achievement in naval construction. October 2, 1905, only a few days over four months ago, work was commenced at Portsmouth on the vessel, the first of what is to be known as the Dreadnaught class. The promise was made then that she would be launched with in six months. The admiralty have more than made good their boast and Britishers have another cause of pride in their navy. Another 12 months, all going well, the Dreadnaught will be commissioned and join the Atlantic fleet, thus beating all previous records in battleship building by six months.
There are two reasons why work is being rushed on the Dreadnaught. One is the great saving in cost, but the chief reason is that the ship is to some extent an experiment and it is desired to give her a good trial before commencing construction on any more or her class.