New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-17
4 HOLE IN HER HULL.
THE CRUISER CINCINNATI RUNS INTO
SUBMERGED WRECK.
SHE STRIKES 1T OFF EXECUTION LIGHT ON HER
WAY TO NEw-LONDON. AND HAS TO PUT
BACK TO THE NAVY YARD-THE
DAMAGE NOT SERIOUS
DAMAGE NOT SERIOUS.


BACK TO THE NAVY YARD-THE
DAMAGE NOT SERIOUS.
The cruiser Cincinnati, which left the Navy
Yard yesterday morning for NewLondon put
back later in the day with a hole in her outer
hull. The Cincinnati steamed away at $50
o'clock in the morning and went slowly up the
East River At O'Clock, just after she had got
past Execution Light and was about to Increase
her speed. she came in collision with a sub
merged wreck. She was going at only half speed
at the time. but the force Of the collision was
sufficient to make the Cincinnati keel sharply to
starboard The shock brought every on
deck and Captain Glass ordered an investigation
OF the hold Of the cruiser to If she had sus-
tanned serious damage
For some time nothing serious discovered,
and the Captain had about decided to con-
tinue on to New-LondOn when it was reported
that water making in the compartment be-
tween her inner and outer hulls. Further in
vestigation showed that hole had been punched
in the outer hull on the port side, little for
ward Of amdships. and just under her boilers.
The inner skin had not, fortunately. been punct-
ured The cruiser was at once headed back to
the Navy Yard.
She will be placed in drydock there and the
full extent OF her injuries learned. 1t is feared
that they are more serious than was at first sup
posed. One report at the Navy Yard last night
that there were two holes In the vessels port
side and that blade Of one Of her propellers
Was gone. The space between the outer and
inner hulls Of the Cincinnati Is simply an air
chamber. One Of the officers of the cruiser said
yesterday:
when we struck were in eight fathoms. or
forty eight feet OF water. We could not have
struck rock because there Is no rock there TO
strike. My opinion is that 1t was a sunken coal
barge SOM wreck Of that nature. sunken
coal barge Ia one Of the worst OF obstacles TOT
ship to encounter"
It is probable that the submerged wreck
which the Cincinnati encountered Is the same
ON" which has twice been reported In the last
two weeks. Two tugs with schooners In 10"
ran into the obstruction. At first ii was re-
ported off the Sunken Meadows. When en-,
countered again. few days later, II had worked
its way to the northeast. and was evidently
bound for the open Sound 1t Is supposed 10
be "A coal barg- which went down off Ward S
Island about month ago Both the tug gooat
captains vino reported the submerged oDstruc-
tion declared that it directly In the chan
nell and that Sound steamers were likely 10
strike IT with disastrous results.
II IS now probab that attempt Will be
made to locate the wreck and destroy 1t. The
double hull Of the Cincinnati was all that pre-
vented the accident to her being a serious one
Her water-tight compartments would probably
hav" saved her from sinking, however Inc
officers of the cruiser can tell just about the
location OF the obstruction when their vessel
struck II. but II seems 10 ne constantly IN
motion to the eastward there may be some ar
ncuty I'm finding IT.
When one considers tie great fleet OF steamers
crowded with people which every night pass up
ard down the Sound. the necessity Of findlng the
wreck and destroying II is emphatcahy apparent.
one Of the officers Of the Cincinnati said last
night that a submerged coal barge was more
DANGEROUS thing to strike than rock.
when the Cincinnati struck the obstruction
Yesterday morning there was no panic on board.
but every one immensely surprised, anu
looked eagerly over the port rail- TO see wnat
IL was that was trying 10 tip the ship over.
Nothing was visible above the surface or the
water however. All the damages to the cruiser
were below the water-lire.
The Cincinnati - n protected cruiser or 3lo5
tons and Is a twin-sCrew vessel. If either OF
her pr)paers turn out II be damaged II Will
probahy be- the port one. which would he likely
~ strike the submerged wreck The Cincinnati
recently returned from New-London. where she
had zone Ia be Il markboat at the speed trial Of
the torpedo-bo Ericsson. The trial did not
take place and she returned to the Navy Yard
she vas then ordered again to New-London.
Now she will be ordered into drydock.