Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-21
THE ATLANTA'S CONDITION.
Report of the Court of Inquiry That Er-
amined Her.
How the Fire Occurred and where fhe
Responsibility Re.ts--Pre.ent
In d Ca dftfon

The report of the court Of INQUIRY IN ere
case of the United States steamer Atlanta
has been made public and shows rather
oiscreditable state of affairs ON board Of Thar
vessel during and since her last cruise. rhe
court was composed of Capt. Selfridge Carn-
mander Taylor and Chief Engineer Farmer,
with Ensign Washington as recorder. These
officers were charged with a thorough tn
Vestigation of the fire on the Atlanta willie
IN dock at Norfolk on the 18th " July md
also TO look into the general condition Of
the vessel From their report IN regard 10
the IRE II appears that when the AtlaRta
was put out Of commission. July Is there
were on board in the forward fire room a
auahuty OF ashes piled up aGalns; the fsr-
ward transverse bulkhead. these ashes hay-
ing been hauled that morning about &
O'Clock and were the Accommodations of ..-v-
eral Gays previous. Among them were uuan-
between the CRATE bars.
Ashes Not Removed
The fact that. these ashes were on boar1-
the report states, was known TO the c,sfn-
handing officer Capt. John II. Bartlett, snd
by him reported to the commandment, Cam.
L. l.. Potter
The report then says: But with a vas,e
understanding that these lsl1es. as well Hs
ONE twenty tons OF coal stiil IN the BURNERS
and other articles belonging TO the efset-
neers force but not I'm charge, would be -
moved later by the engineers department a
the Atlanta, then transferred TO she Fr.Itl,-
hne the receiving ship at The yard. at fhe
request OF capt Bartlett. the commander.
contrary TO the provisions Of article 42S &C.
CT the navy acquisitions. directed the at
lanta 10 be placed out Of commission az
noon July Is, lSS3, and turned over 20 the
captain OF the yard. There being no app5e-
hensicn OF danger in regard to the ashes
and there being no officer Of the ysrd
charged to that they were speedily re-
moved, they remained on board until fhe
fire broke out in them, about 40 pm. July
rrvhn oh fTA l.N# .sW.rr III
red heat. igniteJ the wooden lining IN The
after bulkhead OF the forward magazine AID
by burning and charring Of the same caused
a damage to the amount Of about S05.'
The danger the ship was in when the fire.
reached the magazine and burned the linlAg
of the bulkhead was probably leesened by
the removal of the greater part Of the pow
der, which, according TO regulations, has 70
be hoisted out before ship is placed out OF
commission. The probability is howesef.
that some few charges were left
Cause of the Fire.
The report continuing. states: The court
is Of opinion that the immediate cause Of
the fire was the lighting of The fine coal
either from unquenched coal or the spon-
taneous combustion of oily waste mlzed
with ashes. The pile of ashes was inspected
by Chief Engineer Cline on tie evening OF
the 18th, by ship keeper who visited the
rre room hourly from noon July is 10 8 pm.
on the evening OF the fire on July q, and ny
Passed Assistant Engineer Parks at pm.
on the 2lst, and none Of these persons had
any idea that fire was smolderinz within
The court is of opinion that there was n
proper inspection OF the ship before aud
after she was turned over 10 the yard su-
thortties excepting the required inspection
of the vessel by the officer in charge of the
steam engineering department OF the yard
Where the Responsibility Rests.
The court places the responsibility for tins
fire upon Chief Engineer II. III. Cline in al
lowing this accumulation Of ashes in the
fire room: upon Capt John r. Bartlett for
reporting the ship ready for going out II
commission under these circumstances, and
upon the commandant, Capt. E. f. Potter.
IN allowing the Atlanta TO be put out NJ
commission before all the regula tons COW
eTtng the putting OF ships out of commits
sion had been complied with.
The court is also of opinion further that
Chief Engineer Philip Inch failed TO comply
with the requirements of the navy regulA-
the heads OF the departments were Quh e
sufficient for him to have kept himself In
mission: that also he should have then made
personal inspection OF the engineers de-
partment OF the Atlanta, now under his
charge and given such directions for tts
preservation as may have been deemed
necessary.
Regarding the responsibility Of the cap
tain OF the yard in the matter the court. n
view of the absence of anything in the req
ulations giving him charge OF vessels N
any, OF his responsibility for this accident.
Dfscreiftable Condition.
The report says that the condition OF the
Atlanta under the control of the chief en-
gineer was discreditable. The continued
practice OF piling hot ashes against the bulk
head has eaten a hole completely through
this important partition. The constant
dripping from steam pipes. which pass
through the extreme after-bulkhead In tbs
shaft alley has worn a hole and weakened
this important bulkhead upon which the
safety Of the engine room depends. This
condition of the ship. in the opinion OF the
board. should be changed before the vessel
is recommissioned. The constant dripping
from a drain pipe in the starboard w,nf
the hull to such a degree as TO reduce the
original thickness one half.
The court regards the condition of the
water-tight doors m the engineer depart
ment as the most serious defect in the Ate
lanta's condition when plac placed on, OF com.
was the exception when one would. The
causes Of this were numerous-hinges too
tight. rust in the hinges. loss OF dogs. warp
ing of doors and frames. and other less irn-
The court found 1t difficult to keep in or.
der these doors In the engineers depart
nent especially those in the coal bunkers,
and attributes the defect IN part 70 the
court finds also on the part OF the officers
an ignorance of the condition OF these DOORS
which is to be regretted
The Chief Engineer.
Concluding the report has this 10 say: The
chief engineer did not know. knowing.
did not inform the commanding officer: and
the commanding officer appears to have
failed TO make personally such rigid inspec-
lions as the importance of these doors would
Justify As a result of these circumstances
the court is convinced that the water-ught
doors in the engineers department would
not have served the purpose for which they
are intended in case OF collision The boil0e
hearings are much corroded
The court believes that after a due allow
aace has been made that Chief Engineer
Cline has failed to carry out the provisioae
of the regulations for the proper care OF
his ship. and is responsible for much OF the
poor condition I'm which his department was
found by the inspection board. His failure
to make a written report TO his command
ing officer of the defects which affected 50
seriously the safety of the Atlanta was also
inexcusable.
-Four Officers Responsible
The report thus finds that four officers,
Capt. Potter. commandment of the yard at
the time the Atlanta placed out OF
commission: Capt Bartl,tt, commanding
the vessel; Chief Engineer Cline and Chief
Engineer Inch all in measure either re-
sponsibe for the fire. which might have
caused greater damage. or the condition OF
the ship. which Is TO be regretted. consid-
ering that she is one Of the first cruisers
of the new navy. The most serious dam
age has been done to the hull. which, the
report states. has been reduced to ono
half Of its original thickness in one place
by the constant drippings from drain
pipe in the starboard wing bunker abreast
the engine, which has SO corroded the hull
TO damage IL to the extent mentioned