The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-14
The Story Of Her Being Injured in
Docking Contradicted.
The Pride of the Navy Nearly Ready
Il for Her Race Across the Ocean.
"Boss" Shepherd Visits the
National Capital. Corbett-
Fitzsimmons Fight.
By Southern Assocls.el Press.

that the vessel in the dry dock ap
speared to be straiping and that he
ordered the water admitted. Upon
floating the vessel all evidences Of
strain disappeared, and the vessel is
apparontly unipjured.
When the purport of Secretary Her
sbert's cablebram from Capt. Sumner
became known about the Navy De-
partment as it rapidly did the gravity
of the matter became exaggerated and
rumors we're circulated that the famous
cruiser had been maliciousy injured
7in this dock, and that surreptitious
attempt had been made to ruin her.
Officers familiar with the docking Of
big ships and who are informed as to
strength OF the cruiser declare that
unusual settling on the supporting
blocks of such heavy vessel IL com
mon, and though attended with some
danger, is readily avoided 10y exactly
the precsntion observed by Captain
Summer that OF filling the dock and
floating the ship. The Columbia
weighs over 1000 tons, confined in
breadth of fifty eight feet, and dis
5tributed over q length Of Alp feet. It
has been repeatedly demonstrated that
ship is never subjected to such great
)
the latter case where the waves are
long, ship being sometimes supported
only nj the extreme ends.
The Columbia was placed in the
dock under Secretary Herbert's order,
to clean her hull for the race against
time across the ocean. IL will be easy
to determine whether she has been
permanently strained by running her
engines and seeing if their alignment
has been affected. The Columbia has
already cost the government over
So 600, 900.
Referring to the sensational alleged
cable dispatches of the Chicago Asso.
sated Press, dated Southampton, July
IL, to the effect that the Columbia bud
sustained serious injuries in dry dock,
the Secretary of the Navy authorizes
the statement that his dispatch of July
9th from Captain Sumner stated that
the docking was not we'll done; that the
ship was being strained and that he
&(Captain Sumner) would therefore
leave the dock, but Captain Sumner
said the damages were not serious.
On July 1lth Capt. Summer tele.
ernphed his opinion that oil was right
and that the ship was coaling.
The Department, relying npon the
judgment and statementa of Capt.
Summer has not changed it's original
order for the Columbia to come home
at full speed, natural draught. Neither
she nor the New York has yet sailed.
Ex.Gov. Shepperd ("Boss Shepperd,
as he has been called for many years,
who made Washington the beautiful
city it is by his comprehensive plans of
public improvement, arrived here to.
day with his family, after an absence
of twenty years. He has left his i'm
mense mining property ct Batapolis,
Mexico, for n years rest. 4 portion
of that time he will spend in the city,
but it lie his intentions to leave the last
of this month for two months trip
through Europe. Returning, he will
apend the fall months here, and then
probably make trip to Japan, return.
ing again to this city to put in the bal
ance of his years vacation. There
was great throng of visitors at the
Arlington this morning to see the Gov
ernor. He received sincere and cor.
dial welcome.
A special from Austin, Texas, says:
Attorney. General Crane, in an opinion
which will be sent to County Attorney
Gillespie, at Dalln,t to night or Monday,
will hold the Cor bett Fitzsimmons fight
illegal, and that the law must be en-
forced until declared void and mop
eratiye by the Supreme Court.
A special from Clifton Forge, Va,
says: This morning the Ford build
,ng was burned and j. A. Ford, the
owner, snffocated before help could
reach him. He was on the second
story and was awakened by the crack
ling OF the flames and attempted to
reach window, but was overcome by
the smoke. MIR. Ford was an OK.
councilman and one of the most promi.
nent citizens of the town, Il. NJ,
Motley, who has store in the bnild.
ing, escaped by jumping from q second
story window. The loss was about
So. 200 with only $500 insurance.
~
Secretary Herbert received report
this morning OF the tests of the Am
phitrite, that vessel having returned to
Fortress Monroe from trip at sea
last night. She hsd been ordered to
go out and fire her big ten-inch rifles
directly fore and aft over deck to see
If any damage would be done to the
vessel.
The report from the inspection
board shows that nothing was injured
and thereby settles one of the vexed
disputes among naval officers about
ehis class of ships. many high officers
having declared that no one conld live