1899 — Apr 22, lifeboat from foundered stmr. General Whitney capsizes ~Cape Canaveral, FL–12

— 12 Blanchard on estimated death toll, date and location.*

— 17 Heyl, Erik. Early American Steamers. Buffalo, NY: 1953, p. 165.
— 17 Singer, S. D. Shipwrecks of Florida: A Comprehensive Listing (2nd Ed.), 1998, p. 181.
— 17 Wikipedia. “Metropolitan Steamship Company.”
— 16 New York Times. “Loss of the Gen. Whitney,” April 24, 1899.
— 12 U.S. Life-Saving Service. “Services of crews.” Annual Report of…1899, p. 175
— 12 U.S. Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report 1900, p. 37.

* Blanchard estimated death toll. We choose to use the death toll numbers provided by both the U.S Life-Saving Service and the U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service (12), both of which are detailed, and the latter providing the names of the fatalities. Speculate that sources noting higher numbers reflect either newspaper reports at the time which proved to be inaccurate, or another source in a later year which based its account on newspaper reporting. Often it is the case that once a number “gets out there” it is simply picked up by others and passed on down through the years.

While the General Whitney appears to have sunk on April 21, the loss of life from the capsizing of one of her two lifeboats in the surf at Mosquito Lagoon, near Cape Canaveral, took place on April 22, according to U.S. Life-Saving Service reporting.

Narrative Information

Heyl: “General Whitney 1873-1899

“Builder: John Roach & Sons, Wilmington, Del.
“Machinery: John Roach & Sons, Wilmington, Del.

“Hull: Iron 227′ x 40′; 1,848 Tons.
“Engine: Two-cylinder compound engine.

“Owners: Metropolitan SS Co., 1873-99.

“The General Whitney was the first iron steamer to be constructed for the Metropolitan SS Co., for their outside run between New York and Boston. Built primarily as a freighter, she nevertheless was given limited accommodations for a few passengers. On her main deck were cribs in which the cotton was stowed. This prevented the cotton from shifting in a heavy sea, so that the bales would not bump together and have the metal bands give off sparks and cause a fire. She generally was in service between New York and the cotton ports during the cotton season.

“In 1898 at the time of the Spanish-American War, the Morgan Line had chartered all of their bottoms to the War Department for troop ships and transports. Needing vessels very badly the General Whitney was chartered by her owners to the Morgan Line for service between New York and New Orleans.

“On April 23, 1899 the General Whitney was north-bound with a heavy cargo of copper billets and molasses. Off St. Augustine she was hit by a violent hurricane, which so wracked the hull that it began to open up. It disintegrated so fast that the crew hardly had time to take to their boats. One of the boats capsized coming thru the breakers and the captain and sixteen men were drowned. The other boats made the land safely. The General Whitney and her cargo were a complete loss.” (Heyl, Erik. Early American Steamers. Buffalo, NY: 1953, p. 165.)

Singer: “General Whitney – Steamer (iron), of the Metropolitan S.S. Co., 1,848 tons, built in 1873 at Wilmington. On April 23, 1899, she was northbound with a heavy cargo of copper billets and molasses. Off St. Augustine she was hit by a severe storm and foundered. The crew barely made it to the boats. One of the boats capsized in the breakers, drowning the captain and 16 of the crew. A total loss.” (Singer 1998, 181; citing: Heyl, Erik. Early American Steamers, Vol. 1. Buffalo, NY: 1953.)

U.S. Life-Saving Service: “Services of Crews – continued.” 1899. Apr. 22…Boat from the Am. Str. General Whitney. Mosquito Lagoon, Florida [station and locality]…Nature of casualty and service rendered. At 11 a.m. this boat full of men tried to land on the beach near the station. (House of refuge, no crew employed.) The keeper and his family were on the beach ready to render assistance. The third breaker capsized the boat and many of the men were caught under it. The keeper tried to reach them by throwing the heaving stick, but the distance was too great. He then went into the surf and watching his chance succeeded in dragging three exhausted men to the shore, where they were cared for by his daughter while he endeavored to save more lives. Another man reached the shore unaided, and assisted the keeper to get two bodies on to the beach, where for two hours the Service method of resuscitation was used upon them. It was unavailing, however, as they were struck and badly injured by the boat when it rolled over.

“No other bodies came ashore at this time in the vicinity of the station. The four survivors reported that there were sixteen men in the boat, and that they were from the American steamer General Whitney, which they abandoned in a sinking condition about 50 miles NE of Cape Canaveral.

“Another boat, containing fifteen men, also left the sinking vessel, and it was afterwards learned that they landed safely near St. Augustine. On the next day nine bodies were found from 10 to 18 miles N. of the station and were turned over to the coroner.

“The survivors were succored at the station until transportation to their homes could be procured for them by the keeper.” (U.S. Life-Saving Service. Annual Report of the United States Life-Serving Service for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1899. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1900. “Services of crews – continued,” p. 175.)

U.S. Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report 1900, p. 37: “April 21. – While steamship General Whitney was on her way from New Orleans to New York she sprang a leak and foundered in latitude 28 [degrees] and 40’ and longitude 79 [degrees] 39’. The crew tried to close leak and keep water out by pumping, but were unable to keep steamer from sinking. The crew of 31, all told, left the ship at 6 p.m. The mate’s boat with 15, all told, arrived at St. Augustine all right, but the captain’s boat, with 16 aboard, capsized off New Smyrna, Fla., and 12 of the crew drowned. They were: Capt. J. W. Hawthorne, S. F. Phillips, L. Langsdale, H. Sullivan, F. Arcias, Ed. Sverson, J. Benjanson, William Lee (colored), Charles Olsen, John O’Brien, Mike Conroy, and John Supple. The estimated value of the steamer is $100,000, and cargo $135,000. Investigated May 19, and evidence showed that the receiver connected with side of the ship for the Kingston valve gave way, and leakage from same was the cause of ship foundering.”

Newspaper

Aug 23, NYT: “Loss of the Gen. Whitney.”
“Fifteen Survivors Reach St. Augustine in an Open Boat.
“Forty-Eight Hours At Sea.”
“Steamer Sprung a Leak Friday Night and Work at the Pumps Proved Without Avail.”

“St. Augustine, April 23 – Considerable excitement was created here early this afternoon by a small boat out at sea, giving signals of distress. Capt. Allen immediately went to its assistance in the yacht Baldwin. Upon nearing the boat he found it to be the missing lifeboat of the steamer General Whitney, which foundered north of Cape Canaveral Friday night. Capt. Allen transferred the sailors from their cramped quarters to his yacht, and brought them in to Corbett’s Dock.

“The story of the disaster was told by Mate Mattson and his men. One of the bulkheads sprung a leak from the heavy seas which were prevailing during the early part of Friday night [21st]. All hands were ordered to the pumps and worked hard, but the holds soon began to fill in spite of their efforts. The officers and men, realizing that the steamer was settling fast and sure to founder, took to the two lifeboats.

“Capt. J. W. Hawthorne and fifteen men went in the first boat and were never again seen by the remaining men. Shortly afterward, Mate Mattson and the remainder of the crew, fourteen men, took to the second boat. This was about midnight. They had a compass and began to row for shore. A strong wind was prevailing, creating a heavy sea, and the men at the oars could make no headway.

“All day Saturday the men tried to approach shore, but could not even get a glimpse of it, and almost despaired when they found they had plenty of provisions but no water. They spent all of Saturday night at the mercy of the sea, which washed over their frail boat frequently. Early this morning they sighted land, and with energy redoubled by desperation, they took their turns at the oars. When near enough to land they improvised a flag with canvas tacked to an oar, and it was then that Capt. Allen went to their assistance.

“The men when they were landed were drenched to the skin and almost famished….” (New York Times. “Loss of the Gen. Whitney,” 4-24-1899, p.1.)

Sources

Heyl, Erik. Early American Steamers. Buffalo, NY: 1953. Accessed 12-28-2020 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015024193131&view=1up&seq=6&q1=%22admiral%20dupont%22

New York Times. “Loss of the Gen. Whitney,” April 24, 1899, p. 1, c7. Accessed 2-19-2021 at:

Singer, Steven D. Shipwrecks of Florida: A Comprehensive Listing (2nd Ed.). Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, Inc., 1998. Partially digitized by Google. Accessed 2-16-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=6j6kjZQReqkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false

United States Life-Saving Service. Annual Report of the United States Life-Serving Service for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1899. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1900. Accessed 2-18-2021 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015020619964&view=1up&seq=7&size=125&q1=%22general%20Whitney%22

United States Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat-Inspection Service for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1900. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1900, 326 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2-18-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=i1YpAAAAYAAJ

Wikipedia. “Metropolitan Steamship Company.” 1-5-2020 edit. Accessed 2-18-2021 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Steamship_Company