Posted inDaily News Maritime & Naval History

Steamer is Destroyed

Loss of $350,000 and Traffic to Martha’s Vineyard Interrupted When Steamship Sankaty Burns at Dock

Postcard of the steamer Sankaty

New Bedford, Mass., July 1—The steamship service between this port, Wood’s Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, just beginning its season of greatest traffic with summer vacationists, was rearranged today as a result of the destruction by fire last night of the steamship Sankaty and the dock of the New England Steamship Co. here. The fire which started in a pile of hay on the dock from a cause still undetermined, caused a loss of $350,000. As the dock used by boats on the New York service which is adjacent, was undamaged, it was arranged to use that and to put the other vessels of the fleet on a new schedule.

Posted inDaily News

New Amazonian Animal

New York. June 53—An animal with a body shaped like that of a dachshund, but with webbed feet, with a head like an anteater and with long hair, which sings…
Posted inMaritime & Naval History

Lack Air Pressure Cause of Blast on U.S.S. Mississippi

USS Mississippi (c. 1918-1919)

San Pedro, Calif., June 16.—Evidence given the naval court today pointed at lack of air pressure in the gun mechanism as the cause, or at least one of the causes, explosion aboard the U. S. S. Mississippi, Thursday, when 48 men were killed.

Walter C. Ebell, turret captain of Turret No. 3 of the Mississippi, corroborated the evidence Saturday of Francis Majewski, plug-man in Turret No. 2, when the blast occurred, that the air pressure to clean out the gun barrels between shots and to close the gun breeches was weak.

Posted inAviation

Doisy Ready to Go

French Flyer Leaves China for Japan Tomorrow.

SHANGHAI, May 24.—Capt. Pelletier Doisy, the French aviator, has fixed the time for his departure for Nanking, on his way to Japan, via Peking and Korea, for daylight Monday.

Posted inLocal Histories

Communication Gap

Jujuy, a place of considerable importance in Argentina, presents to the world the edifying spectacle of a city councillor who cannot address his fellow members or understand what they say.…
Posted inAviation

Portuguese Flyers Held Up by Weather

KARACHI, India, May 3.-—Portugal's long distance air effort is held up at Bender Abbas by unfavorable weather, according to reports here today. The two Portuguese flyers, who left Lisbon several…
Posted inLocal Histories

Small Farmers Deserting Bleak Hebrides, See Climate Changing

Life in Moist, Cool Islands Made Harder Than Usual by Frequent Crop Failures of Recent Years.

Large groups of “crofters” or small farmers, emigrating from the Hebrides because they assert the climate there has changed, bringing about crop failures, draw attention to these islands off the west shore of Scotland.

“Life in the Hebrides whether because of climatic or social conditions, has always been rather hard.” says a bulletin in regard to the islands from the headquarters here of the National Geographic Society. “This part of Scotland is bleak, cool, and very moist. Vegetation does not grow luxuriantly, and the annual temperature has only a few degrees to fall in order that the danger point be reached. Turnips and potatoes are the chief standbys among the vegetables, while barley and oats grow fairly well. Pasturage is good, and stock raising is really the industry best adapted to the Islands: but this fact is of small value to the ‘crofters’ or small farmers. The cattle are raised, rather, on large estates.