The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-23
is SHE TOP HEAVY?
Naval Board Instructed to Investigate the
Machias's seaworthiness-

Washington, October 22.-Commodore
| Walker. president of the board which
will make the final trial of the United
States steamship Machias, left Washing
ton tonight for New York city, where he
will begin to put that vessel through the
trial. Reports have reached the Navy
Department from Portsmouth, N. H..
where the Machias has been for the past
few months, that she is thought to be
unsafe to cross the ocean, being top
heavy. her guns being more than vessel
of her size should carry and the small
boats adding extra weight In heavy
sea. it is said, it would be difficult for her
to become righted should she lean over.
The board has been instructed to pay
particular attention to this matter during
the trial.
As Told at Portsmouth
Boston, Mass. ? October 21.-The Globe
prints a despatch from Portsmouth, N.
H., concerning the gunboat Machias.
The despatch says:
It is well known fact that both the
officers and crew have a well established
dread of crossing the ''pond" in the frail
craft, and those who are connected with
| the vessel and have followed the sea for
years are pronounced in their opinion as
| to the gunboat's unseaworthiness. The
vessel is small at the best and her draft
| is only 70 feet Her batteries, heavy for
| so small vessel, are perched high in the
air. Her half-dozen boats, still higher
up from the deck, are large for small
craft to carry and it is reported that her
coal bunkers are wholly above water.
Her boilers and engines are well up in
the hull and the general construction of
the craft brings her heaviest parts above
water.
| Another incident which expresses the
| feelings of the officers and crew in refer
ence to the ability of the vessel to stand
DAYS before she sailed. At low water
the vessel was well secured to the wharf
in such a manner as would cause her to
list with the rise of the tide. When the
vessel had become well listed, her moor
ings were cut and she was allowed to
right herself. The result of this test
was not very satisfactory. And it can
safely be said that the vessel would not
behave in the calm waters beside the
| wharf as it would in turbulent and bois-
ferrous waters.
The Machias Aground.
Chatham, October 21.-The United
States gunboat Machias, now on a cruise
from Portsmouth to New York, ran
aground on Chatham bars shortly af ter
O'Clock last night It was bright moon
light She soon foated and proceeded,
apparently uninjured.
Washington, October 81. The expense
of the accident to the gunboat Machias
will fall on the government, as the ship
is in commission and under the command
of a naval officer. The fact of the
grounding on Chatham bars during the
final trial trip last night has been re-
ported briefly to the department by Com
mander G. J. Train. Nothing has been
learned of the extent of the damage, but
the press reports have been very reassur-
ing.
As matter of form, there may be a.
court Of inquiry on the disaster, unless
the full report of Commander Train es
taplishes beyond question the causes of
the accident. Commander Train, who
must account to the department for the
accident, is one of the best known men of
the navy. He is popular man and stands
we'll in the estimation of the department
authorities. He is Massachusetts, man,
who entered the navy in 1861.
Quarantine, Staten .dIsland, N. Y,
October 22-An United States steamer,
supposed to be the Maehias, passed in at
noon today.