Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-19
ACCIDENT TO THE COLUMBIA,
The Findings of the Board and Seoretary's
Letter.
The Captain Should Have Been ON the
Bridge-N0 Further Action
to BE Taken.

The record Of the proceedings Of the court
of inquiry In the case Of the cruiser Column
bia, together with the action of Secretary
| Herbert thereon, were made public today.
Admiral o. F. Stanton, president Of the
court, reported the finding and opinion of
the court in the following words:
THE court. after diligently and thor
oughly inquiring into all the circumstances
| attending the injuries to the United States
ship Columbia. do find the following facts
established by the evidence adduced and its
personal examination Of the bottom Of the
ship before any repairs were commenced
I'VE find that the ship touched an un-
known obstruction in the channel on the
Bulkhead shoals. Delaware river about 1
pm, May the 18th, 1894, and near the time
the helm was put to 3tarboard to make the
turn in the channel a,
The damages to the vessel occurred at
this time This Is confirmed by the fact
that the line of the scoring and the indenta-
tions on the keel plate tends to show that
the ships stern was swinging to starboard
We ma the extent OF the damage on the
kell plate between frames No. 4Ol-2 and
No. W. distance Of eighty feet and con-
ssts of the bending upward of the keel
plates. the maximum indentation being
We also found the tip end Of one Of the
blades of the middle propeller broken Off.
but this damage. which may have been done
at the same time. is so slight as to be Of
no consequence.
''On the inside below the inner bottom (
the ship. within the limits above mentioned,
the bracket plates. the frame bars, the angle
irons or frame bars and the angle irons ON
the vertical keel in several places are bent
in and broken away from the riveting some
sixty-five rivets being sheared off, and the
cement broken away. as described H. the
evidence and in the exhibit l. Enclosures 3
and 4.
In the opinion of the court notwithstand-
Ing the Columbia while passing Bulkhead
shoals in Delaware river was in charge of a
competent pilot. II was the duty of her COM
mandng officer to have been on the bridge
at that time. and considering the shallow
water on the shoals with reference to the
draft OF the ship. the speed of the vessel
should have been slow.
I'm the opinion Of the court Capt George
w. Sumner. United States navy, command
ing the United States ship Columbia had
reason to believe that the pilot could take
that vessel. about 1 D. m. May IL 1894
across Bulkhead shoals in Delaware river
without dificulty. Therefore In view of all
the facts established by the evidence, the
court recommends no further proceedings In
the case"
The secretary's Letter.
The action of the Navy Department is
shown in a letter written by Secretary Her
bert yesterday to Capt George w. Summer,
commanding tne SolumDia, IN Wnlch ne
says:
Il transmit herewith for your informat tion
copy of the findings and opinion Of the
court of inquiry which convened at the
navy yard, League Island, Pa. on the eth
instant, in pursuance Of the department s
order Of the 4th idem, for the purpose of
inqutring into certain damage to the bottom
of the L. =. 8. Columbia by grounding,
the extent of such damage, and the time
and place Of the grounding of said vessel
by which the damage referred to was
caused. Thss proceedings. findings and
opinion Of the court have today been ap-
proved
! Your attention is especially called to the
seventh finding Of the court, which il as
follows:
In the opinion Of the court notwith-
standing the Columbia. while passing
Bulkhead shoals, in Delaware river. was In
charge Of a competent pilot, II was the
been on the bridge at that time. and, con-
sidering the shallow water on the shoals
with reference to the draft of the ship, the
speed of the vessel should have been slow.
The department regrets that ii is COM
PEELED to fully concur In the opinion Of the
court. above quoted. that II was the duty of
the commanding officer to have been on the
bridge when the vessel was passing Bulk
head shoals, and that 1t was also his duty
to have caused the speed Of the vessel to be
reduced at that time. The speed over the
bar, where the injury Is found to have oc-
CURED, ought to have been slower especial
ly when the fact is considered that with the
water she carried in her double bottom at
the time there was very small margin of
safety.
In view. however. OF the recommenda-
tion OF the court that no further proceed
ings be had. the matter will be regarded as
closed with your acknowledgment Of the
receipt OF this communication"