Morning journal and courier., 1894-06-01
COLUMBIA BADLY INJURED.

On Her Final Trial Trip She Struck
 Something in Delaware Bay-A
 Secret Well Guarded.
 WASHINGTON, May 31.-Oficials at the navy department were treated to @ sensa- ton about the new crack cruiser Columbia today when the Selfridgeinspection board finally banded in It's voluminous report of the condition and performance of that ves- sel on the recent official trial trip. The secret has been we'll guarded by the few who had any knowledge of the facts, but the action of Acting Secretary McAdoo to- day in ordering the vessel into the dry dock at League Island, shows that the au- thorities are going to lose no time in in- vestigating the extent to which the ves- ssPs hull has been damaged. It is under stood that upon the result of the examina- tion ordered by MT. AcAdoo Q naval court martial will be ordered to fix tho responsi- bility for no less an offense than than of running the magnificent racer aground and smashing 6 great dent in her side below the water line, destroying her fine lines and probably straining many of her ribs.
 No one on board during the trial report ed the shook that must have been felt by thoss on watch when the Columbia struck an obstruction so forcibly ss to do the damage which probably occurred at night, and no one knows now the full extent of the accident, although the inspectors found one compartment greatly distorted and one expert declared 1t wonder that the plates the affected part of the ship.
 PHILADELPHIA, May 31.-Captain Sum- mer and Lieutenant Commander Alibone, the executive officer of the Columbis, were non-communioative this afternoon on the subject of the mishap to the cruiser Co., lumbia. Captain Summer refused abso- lutely to talk upon the matter and Lieu tenant Commander Alibone declared his inability to give any details because of the course his superior officer had taken. It was learned, however, that the accident occurred about noon on Thureday, May F, and in the wash of the Reedy Island, in the upper Delaware.
 The Columbia left Philadelphia on her final trial, which was of forty.eight hours' duration at seq, at Il @. m. on the above date, and was in charge of Lewis Chambers, a veteran Delaware river and bay pilot. While running at the rate of eighteen knots, persons felt two successive shocks as though the vessel had run over some obstruction. But little was thought of the matter, and 1t was finally dismissed from the minds of the officers and the members of the governmental inspection board. The cruiser has a double bottom, and between the inner and outer plstes water can be admitted to serve as ballast. On the day of the mishap, however, the spacs between the two bottoms was empty Several days ago, and after the return oi | the cruiser to the League leland navy yard l in this city, an engineer discovered that considerable cement around the boiler room was cracked, and closer investigation revealed that the tops of rivets on the in ner plate of the vessel had been sheared and the inner plate itself was slightly raised.
 An official investigation was made and i showed that amidships and on the star
 board eide near the keel the outer plate o
 the ship had large dent in it where som' piece of hidden wreckags hsd struck. Tn, girdera between the inner and outer plate
 were forced upward as was also the innel plate, but the vessel has not leaked a droI at the injured spot since the mishsp oc
 cured, and 1t is stated she would be sea
 worthy If the plates should not b
 straightened. When the cruiser shs)
 be placed in the League Island dr.
 dock the plates will probably b
 strengthened by being hammered from tn
 inside, although 1t may be necessary t
 take them out and run them through
 roll at Cramps yard. The Columbia ha not been docked fer about five months
 and the mishsp will give an opportunit.
 to clean her bottom which, 1t is said,
 needed. The cost of the repairs win fsl
 entirely upon the government, the vssse
 now being the sole property of Uncle Sam
 uel.
 Among the officers on League Island
 Is said that when the Columbia stsrte down the river Pilot Chambers informe
 the ehip's officers that there was nc
 water enough in the river to carry th cruiser over . bar below Rsedy Island. B
 is aid to have been told to go ahead, wit
 the result of scrsping about ninety feet C the Oolumbia's bottom.