New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-07
THE ACCIDENT TO THE BOSTON.
HER PUMPS STILL AT WORK - REICENCE OF
THOSE ON THE CRUISER.

HER PUMPS STILL AT WORK - RETlCENCE VI
THOSE ON THE CRUISER.
The new cruiser Boston lay in a bed of mud moored
outside the monitor Puritan at the Navy Yard yester
day. her duplex force pumps working at half-power
constantly upon the compartments between the
outer and inner hul, where one of her ten eet steel
plates was punctured in several places by striking on
the sunken rock at Newport Saturday evening.
One of the statements made in excuse for the acct
dent at Newport that the pasimonious action OF
Congress prohibited the employment of pilots, except
ing in rare cases where harbOr not thoroughly
charted by survey; but in this case the rock was
| shown on the chart. The Boston, however, TOOK a
pilot on board Just before passing through He'll Gate
and after all the Boston bumped against the receiving
ship Vermont, smashing one Of her own boats ard
carrying away the port end OF the quarter gallery OF
the Vermont The for this is said to be that the
Bostons nose ran into the mud and the tide carried
her round against the Vermont
A further examination of the BoSton's hull yester
day showed that the rock upon which she struck
punched through in several places along the enure
length Of one Of the bottom plates near the Keel on
the port side and directly under the engine ROOM The
officers were not inclined to speak of the accident In
antcipaton of the evidence they will be expected TO
give before court of inquiry, and the
little that was said uttered with
great reserve. One Of the officers said: The most
remarkable thing about this accident that the rocks
not rock did not break cl6an through the inner hull
There is only about eighteen inches of space between
the two huls and If the inner one had been pierced
she would have sunk 1t has proved, must provo
10 all doubling minds that this of the four Of the
much ualgned Roach vessels Is, well the Atlanta
and Dolphin, not structurally weak vessel to
strike as hard as did, and sustain 50 little damage
is made Of good metal. II it had been an English
vessel she would have gone down. We were ap
preaching anchorage at slow speed when the crash
| l.oIv hD gd
ing that some accident had happened TO the engines
rushed 10 the en- neroom, when the roar of water
startled them, and soon known what the trouble
was The compartment doors were all closed in all
Instant the engines stopped and reversed. and
the cruiser slid OF into deep water 4 hasty examL
nation showed that the inner huh was not damaged.
But the pumps have been working ever since. Our
trip down from Newport made quicker than IL
ordinarily would have been, because wanted 10
come through in the daytime and quickly pos
sible. Our engines made an average OF hity-Onc
revolutions minute giving US an average speed Of
II o knots an hour. We also determined to be
able 10 run harbor quickly in case OF necessity.
We will not 20 into drydock un.il the Yorktown comes
out and that won't be before the end Of the week.
1t is likely that the injured plate will have 20 come
out and possibly some of the ribs will have TO be
readjusted"
The report of the trial board will not be known for
several weeks, as :he officers will have to work up
the data and then send IT 10 tho Navy Department be-
fore II is made public The trials which had taken
place up Saturday night in every way success
ful The only thing interfere with the trials was
the force Of the wind, and Friday and saturday the
minimum speed trial could not be made 1t was In
tended make the slow trial four knots hour, on
Friday afternoon but the wind was blowing at 30
miles, or 10 miles hour greater than che extreme
limit prescribed by the rules BY the time the board
ready TO begin work the next morning the wind
had blown up too strong again. Then the full speed
trial under forced draft made with success. The
steam was raised 10 90 pounds pressure The first
run over the measured mile at 1927 revolutions
per minute with the engines the second rum 725 :;
third run. $50; fourth run, 7347 revolutions. Tho
trials were with and against the tide. The maximum
speed 1913 knots. the minimum 10 knots, and the
mean Is. &c knots. She also ruin over the course
the intermediate steam. one-half and tWO-thrls
power Under half power she made IL Knots, and
at two-thrls power - knots The preliminary
tactical diameter will probably be found sufficient
for practical purposes. and II the board report,
other is likely 10 be made.