Evening journal., 1889-08-05
THE BOSTON BADLY HURT
She Strikes a Rock on Rose
Island.
AN UGLY HOLE IN HER IRON SIDE.

She Was Only Saved from sinking by
Her Double Bottom-was the Accidens
Caused by CareIessnsss7--The Atalanta
60 the Rescue.
NEWPORT, Aug 5.--The new steel cruiser
Boston, one Of the finest Of the new ships Of
the United States navy, ran on a rock on
Rose Island and was considerably damaged
The utmost secrecy is being maintained ON
board the cruiser regarding the accident.
Capt James O'Kane. the commanding Off
Ger, gave orders that not word was to ba
said about the accident, and be is being
oheyed. Nevertheless some information
has been received which goes to prove
that there was gross carelessness some
where The Boston had been up the
bay making her runs over the measured
mile course, and these proved 70 be satisfac-
tory. She had made her last trip and had
come back as far as Rose Island whore she
had been in the habit of anchoring. Prepara-
tious were made to anchor, but it is evident
that the vessel was allowed 20 get in too near
the rocks She struck fourteen foot rock.
whose ex stence should have been known.
The wind was fresh, and when the helm was
put a-port 10 head the WIND the vessels stern
wns sw pt on 10 the rock The pumps were
Immediately put 70 work. and The vessel was
easily kept free. Her otliress say she could
even now make a cruise o. 5000 miles
Her Form Alone Saved Her.
The Bos'on's structural form alone saved
her. Had she but a single bottom the chances
would have been about one IN a thousand
that she could have kept anoat As It was,
the manhole plate, opening into the inner
bottom, was, by the greaiest good fortunes
| closed, otherwise there would have been q
stream Of water thrown into the engine room
large enough 10 have sent the Boston to the
bottom in five minutes after striking. Unless
something gives way, by reason Of the great
strain on the inner bottom, there is every
/ hope of getting the Boston safe to New York.
| even in her present condition.
Ten Foot Break.
Very early IN the morning divers wera
/ sent down 10 examine tie Boston's bottom,
and they found matters even worse than was
at first supposed A ragged break was dis
covered IN the third streak below the bilga
keel on the port side. extending for a distance
Of ten feet along The bottom and having
throughout It's entire length an average
width Of three and one-haf inches The
plate was not found broken where It crosses
the ribs, but only between them. The ribs
are four feet apart Immediately after some
idea was had q the damage, the Divers got
70 work trying 70 stop the holes roughly with
great wooden wedges the pumps working
hard All the time, No idea was enterte.aed
: for a moment that the main break could be
stopped by the placing Of these wedges, the
only hope being that the strain on the inner
bottom could 10 relieved in measure.
! The Afnlanta 20 the Rescue.
The Atalanta the sister ship TO the Boston.
has arrived under a full head Of steam, and
her coming Is most cpportune. There ia
little doubt Of the Atalanta being detailed &c
convey the Boston 70 the Brooklyn navy
yard, should there be any signs Of the
disabled cruiser sinking, she must be gotten
on to the beach with the greatest possible
! speed, and this she may not be able 70 do Of
herself AS she lies at anchor in the harbor
, she sits ia an awkward, unnatural way on
the water, and it quires hardly an expert
| enced eye 70 detect that the proud war shiF
is in distress
Everybody sympathizes with Capt. Kane
I who, when called upon officially, as he will
be, win meet the issue like a man. He do
clines 10 talk at present as be sees the impro
prety Of making anything but an ofiicia
statement
The Cost Of the Boston
The tests in which the Boston wai
engaged at the time Of her mishaT
! were intended to show what the navy
could do with a new vess. after it hac
( left the hands Of the builders Her triah
4 began on Friday forenoon, and during the two
i runs over a course OF measured mile shl
h maintained a speed Of y knots. Her Lowest
a attanable speed was found 10 DO between 4
r and knots On Saturday she reached
3 speed 81 Is 55 knots an hour
The Boston is one OF the four cruiser
built by Roach She is go feet long. AZ fee
beam, aud with a mean draught OF Ia feet
! Her hull aud machinery cost s6i9,0OO, aud
! her battery about $780, more.