The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-09
The Atlanta Scandal.

The severe reprimands administered by
Secretary HERBERT to those officers whom
he considers chiefly responsible for the dis
graceful condition in which the cruiser
Atlanta was recently found on going out of
commission. must have salutary effect
throughout the navy. Slipshod perform
ances OF routine tasks will not DO tolerated
hereafter. and the signing Of inspection re-
ports In which some Of the details specified
have been neglected must stop.
The fire on the Atlanta resulted from
leaving ashes aboard which ought to have
been cleared away. in accordance with the
strict rules established for vessels going
out Of commission. The explanation OF the
neglect seems to be undue eagerness to get
rid OF duty on the ship by turning her over
to the Navy Yard authorities. The latter.
on their part should have been more alert
in taking charge OF the vessel. there
by warding Off the results Of the miscon-
duct OF the ships officers. The Secretary
names Chief Engineer CLINE OF the Atlanta
and Chief Engineer INCH Of the Navy Yard
in his criticisms. while Capt. BARTLETT
was commander OF the vessel. and thus
finally responsible for her. and Capt. Pot
TER was commandment OF the yard.
The fire. however. proved to be only the
smaller part Of the scandal. Investigation
by a Board disclosed that the ship In
other respects had fallen into a disgraceful
condition. And no one even now can say
how long this state OF things had been
going on. Is the Atlanta the only vessel In
which neglect Of wise precautions has
become customary? Probably since the
findings OF the Court Of Inquiry have been
made public there has been lively stir
ring up wherever any Of it's censures might
apply Indeed. one OF the reasons why the
Secretary contents himself with O reprl-
mand instead OF trial by court martial for
the officers he mentions. Is the difficulty of
tracing the blame back to all those who
might properly share 1t. But the condition
OF the bulkheads In certain portions OF the
Atlanta's hull. and especially Of the water
tight subdivisions In the engine and fire
rooms. with the doors and slides. Is de-
clared by the Secretary to be nothing less
than dlsgraceful The testimony, in fact.
showed that the rust had 30 accumulated
that some OF these doors would have been
useless In sudden emergency.
The Secretary's indignation was stirred
up still more by finding. from the report
OF the Court OF Inquiry. that for months i'm
mediately preceding its examination OF the
Atlanta. her inspection and drill reports
had represented the water-tight doors to
be in good condition and fully tested for
closing by routine exercises. Thus one OF
these reports. made last May. says that
the doors "were closed and opened In
40 seconds each way" while another
In June declared that "all compart-
ments. water-tlght doors. and double
bottoms were examined and found in
order" These are only examples OF
long series OF such drill and inspection
memoranda; and yet the Court OF Inquiry.
shortly after the last of them. found that
some collision doors and protective deck
matches were "corroded in places SO that
they have not been closed for many
mouths" while as to those in the epgi-
neer's department. "as a rule they would