Navy Yard, Charleston S.C.
July 17, 1916.
From: First Lieutenant R.E. Adams, M.C.
To: Major General Commandant M.C., (Through Commanding Officer Marine
Barracks, and Commandant, Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
Subject: Report of detachment of marines enroute to Guantanamo,
Via U.S.S. HECTOR
1. In obedience to telegraphic orders I took charge of a detachment of marines from
the Marine Barracks, Norfolk, Va., consisting of one sergeant and one corporal, on
the tenth of July, 1916., and proceeded by tug to Hampton Roads and there joined
the U.S.S. HECTOR which immediately set to sea, and proceeded to Charleston Light Ship,
and was there joined by fifty privates from Port Royal, S.C.
2. The HECTOR at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, 1916, put to sea with destination Guantanamo,
and at ten o'clock that evening suddenly ran into a terrific hurricane and on the
following day was badly crippled, being unable to keep up steam and having no steerage way, on thursday the ship began to leak and take water in through the hatches
and at the time of running aground the sea was even with the well decks, the barometer
being at 28.20, and the wind velocity being 115 miles per hour ?
3. Thursday afternoon the entire marine detachment was put to work in the fire room
and it is the opinion of the officers of the ship that they were in a great measure
responsible for the ship being kept afloat as long as it was, since with their assistance the steam pressure was raised to one hundred pounds from forty, the propeller and
pumps were able to be both worked at once. At the time of striking on the ground
forty seven marines were aft in the engine room and five forward on the bridge assisting
in re-rigging the wireless.
4. The men aft were taken off by the U.S.S. WELLINGTON of Phildelphia, Pa., and the
men forward by the S.S. CYPRESS, a Light House Tender.
5. On going aboard the HECTOR on monday, July 10, 1916. I found that there was no
place to put the men except the open decks and that there was likewise no place to
stow the equipment where it would be accessable to the men, a rifle rack was made
which was stood on deck and the knapsacks were stowed in the forward ships locker the haversacks
which had to be stowed where they would be accessable to the men on account of no
mess gear being furnished by the ship were strung on a line on the poop, in a protected spot. When the sea became rough and the wind so strong the haversacks were lost
overboard, the rifles were then placed in the officers mess room and when the ship
struck ground the seas washed the places in which the knapsacks and rifles were stowed,
full of water to the depth of several feet completely ruining them. I visited the ship
Sunday and secured several rifles but found them to be in such a condition that they
are useless. The knapsacks were so far under water that I was unable to examine any.
The bayonets and belts packed away with the knapsacks are likewise lost. My own personal
equipment with the exception of a few pairs of khaki breeches has been totally lost.
6. The detachment was met upon its arrival at Charleston, by First Lieutenant Kingsbury,
to whom I turned over the men and their staff returns which were saved.
7. That there was no loss of life was due entirely I believe to the skill and great
effort made by Captain Thierwald Nelson of the tug WELLINGTON, who happened to sight
the HECTOR just as she was breaking up, and I believe as does every officer of the
HECTOR that he should receive some recognition of his services. I did not see the rescue
made of the men forward by the tug CYPRESS but I believe that this has been made
the subject of a report by the Captain of the HECTOR.
R.E. ADAMS
(from Court of Inquiry, File #6610 RG125)
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