Roumania (Propeller), struck bottom, 29 Jun 1899

In September last Capt. Henry Stone, sailing one of the steamers of the Bessemer fleet, found a shoal spot near Raspberry island in the channel leading into Ashland. The U.S.S. MICHIGAN, making surveys for the hydrographic office, navy department, also located in this vicinity some time previous two shallow spots that were not on the charts. Now Capt. L.W. Stone of the wooden steamer ROUMANIA reports that he struck bottom in the same locality, and he is evidently of the opinion that the spot he found is still another new one, although it seems very close to the obstruction on which Capt. Henry Stone's steamer fetched up. Capt. I.W. Stone gives bearings that would appear sufficiently clear to enable the government officials to locate the spot to which he refers. He says:
"The shoal on which the ROUMANIA struck on the 21st inst. lies nearly four miles N. W. by N. from Raspberry island light-house. The location on the chart is as follows: Draw a line from Sand island light-house to the northern extremity of Bear island, prick just half the distance between these two points and the spot on which we struck will be N. E. from that prick mark and inside of a mile. When this spot is marked I think it will be found very near these bearings Our time and courses were as follows: From abreast of Raspberry island light-house heading north we steered north for eleven minutes (two miles); then changed to N. W. and ran ten minutes (nearly two miles), to where we struck. These courses (true) would be N. ½ E. and N. W. ½ N. The apparent overaccuracy of the time and courses is not a guess or an after thought, but an effort to go as far as possible from the Bear and Sand island shoals which the officers of the U.S.S. MICHIGAN found in 1897. Just before we struck I had noted that we passed the range of the north end of Bear island and Sand island light-house and was about to change the course to WNW I do not believe there was less than 17 feet when we struck and the bottom was probably not rock, although shoals on both sides which were located by the MICHIGAN in 1897, were rocky."
      The Marine Review
      June 29, 1899