New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-01
THE CRUISER COLUMBIA INJURED.
SHE STRUCK AN OBSTRUCTION AND DENIED
SOME OF HER PLATES ON HER RE-
CENT TRIAL TRIP.

SOME OF HER PLATES ON HER RE-
CENT TRIAL TRIP.
Washington. May S1.-Actng Secretary OF the
Navy McAdoo made public the official report OF the
selfrIdge Inspection Board on the trial OF the CO.
lumb!a IN afternoon. In regard to the damage doae
to the hull Of the cruiser. which is now peing OIL
caIly Investigated. he said:
lowing to food In the Delaware River. when the
Columbia started from League Island on her trial
trlp she was put In charge Of a local plot taIlar
with the channel but in spite OF this precautioh Il
seems that In going down the river she struck some
obstruction which, according TO report dented sew
eral of her plates. We not Informed of the ful
extent of this mshap. but we do know that she has
NOT leaked n drop AS the tides not normal.
the river being flooded IL Is possible the plot got
out OF his course and the ship touched bottom al
though there were many logs and much rubbish Ia
the river and this may have caused the damage
The matter may be trivial but we cannot tell un'll
we hear the result of her inspection In the drydock
The report created sensation among naVal OIL
clas The secret had been well guarded, but the
action of Acting Secretary McAdoo this morning IN
ordering the Columbia into the drydock AT leasue
island shows that no time Will be lost IN nVest;ed
Ing the extent to which the vessels hull has been
damaged. II Is understood that upon me result "
the ON 9rdersa SS 10 Hg Ak the RESPONSIBILITY
for the injury.
Philadelphia May sl.-From statements made by
the Cramps this afternoon 1t would appear that the
|
injury the cruiser Columbia has, sustained Inc
| firm gave out this statement on the subject
| "It is believed that the Columbia IN going down
the bay for her final official trial last week touchea
at some point and dented in several OF her bottom
| plates The damage Is trivial She does not leak
drop. For the sake OF having everything eor h
| the vessel viii be put in the drydock and the pent
plates will be Strengthened out. She cannot get INTO
! the drydock however. before tomorrow or Satur-
| day. and che Will remain there -FOUR or nVe uaays
The job of strengthening the plates Is neither d.n
| After the extent OF the damage has been mlnutey
| determined all the powder which is on board VIII
be removed. This must be done In compliance WIN ~
Navy regulations requiring that no sucn "oIh ~ ~
repair shall be undertaken while explosives are IA
ship Portable furnaces and redhot boHs are not
the safest things to have in propinquity WIN pow
der. There Is doubt that the reports OF me GAM
! age current In the capital are exaggerated CT,
IL has been learned that the accident & th- Column
! ba occurred about noon on Thursday. May II. and
| In the neghborhOod Of Reedy Island. In the PIPER
| Delaware Bay. While running al the rate OF apout
successive shocks az though the vessel had run
! over some obstruction The cruiser mas a2 2
water can be admitted 10 serve az Daiast. On we
! day Of the mshap, however. the space between tne
| cruiser to the League Island Navy Yard an en-,
gneer discovered that considerable cement arouni
| the boler-room was cracked. ard closer invesuga-
ton revealed that the tops Of rvets on the inner
plate OF the vessel had been sheared and the inner
plate Itself was slightly raised. An official investi,
cation showed that amldshlps ana on the Starpoard
side near the keel. the outer plate OF the snip had a
| large dent In Il, whore some pieces OF wreckage
! had struck IT, The Orders between the inner and
| outer Plates were forced upward, as was $50 the
inner plate. but the damage was no. 50 serious as
70 cause Leak The cost Of the repairs VIII iai'
Among the officers az League Island It Is said
that when the Columbia started down ne river
officers that there not water enough In he river
70 carry the cruiser a bar below Reedy Island.
resml, of scrapng abou, ninety feet Of the Coum-
! bias bottom along the bed OF the river.