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Show HISTORIC M0N0NGAHELA BURNED TO WATER'S EDGE WASHINGTON. March IS. The Navy department today received word that tho old warship Monongahela had burned lo t lie water's edge at her station at Guan-tanamo Guan-tanamo bny. News of the destruction of the vessel, which occurred last night, came in a dispatch dated Caimonera, from Lleut,-Commander Lleut,-Commander Clark D. Stearns, her commander com-mander and also commandant of f ho naval station at Guantanamo. This dispatch dis-patch said the firo started on the aft gun deck, apparently by the Ignition of signal rockets, which set tho ship afiro in numerous places. Tho ship burned like tinder, the fiamos soon driving the men from tho pumps. The men who aro stationed sta-tioned at Guantanamo, of whom there aro 130 In number, and who were quartered aboard the ship, found shelter In the house on tho target range. Originally tho Monongahela was built as a sloop of war at the League Island navy yards, at a cosL of S37S.G7S. She was of 173S tons and had a length of 227 feet. She took a prominent part In the oporatlons on the Mississippi during 1SU3, and at various times during- that period was commanded by the then Lieut. George Dewey and Lieut. Wlnfield Scott Schley, and was for a time Admiral Farragut's flagship. Following the Civil war, the Monongahela was used as a training ship for midshipmen and apprentice appren-tice seamen. |