Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-13
Cruiser Columbia May Be Seriously
Injured.
DAMAGE DUE TO INEKPERT HANDLING
Much Chagrin Felt by EngIishmen
at Southampton
CAPT. SUMMERS REPORT
copyrighted by the Associated Pre-

Copyrighted by the Associated Press)
| LONDON, July 13.-Much chagrin was
caused at Southampton by the report that
the United States cruiser Columbia was
seriously strained when she was placed
in dry dock there for the purpose of clean
ing and painting her. The vague state
| ments made gave the idea that the affair
was greatly due to the negligence of the
management of the dock. and this impresS
| sion has not been dispelled.
The following is tine statement made
| by competent person who was present
| during the operation.
The Columbia was locked at Southamp-
| ton OIL Monday last in the London and
Southwestern Company's dock by the COM
| parry previous to her speed trial trip across
| the Atlantic. Captain George w, Sumner,
| the commander of the Columbia, had pre-
| viously furnished the company with dock
| ing plans of the vessel. When the water
| was pumped. out of the dock il WAS discov-
eled that no bilge blocks had been fitted
| and the keel itself, from the ram until
| near the stoke hole bulkhead, distance
| Of about 100 feet. was entirely unsup-
| ported. The whole weight of the ship was
thrown upon the rest of the keel.
Captain. Sumner instantly required the
contractors to block up under the bilges
and forward part of the Columbia's- keel
and have an inspection made of the cruiser
| inside and out by the officers of the Co.
| lumbia. This inspection showed that there
| had been a slight indentation of the keel
under the boiler compartment, with a buck
citing of the frames and cracking of the
| cement No other injury was discovered.
| SO the work of scrubbing and cleaning
the ships bottom was proceeded with.
Captain Sumner, however, was not satis-
| fled and made a rigid inspection of the
| cruiser on the following afternoon. Il was
| then discovered that the bucketfng of the
and StripS and under
the boiler compartments was increasing.
The stanchions between. the double bottom
| and the protected deck had begun to bend.
and the Columbia's commander decided
to have her f1oated Immediately. Conse-
quently the work of painting and cleaning
the cruiser was stopped and was not nm
ished when the Columbia left the dock at
the next high tide The stanchions were
| partly Strengthened again after the cruiser
was once more borne up by the water, and
the many boilers and steam pipes have
since been tested with the result that no
further injuries have yet been found.
The News at the Navy Department.
The Navy Department was informed sew
eral days ago of the mishap to the Colum-
bia while In dry dock at Southampton, as
reported in the Associated Press cable dis
patches today: but for some reason has
seen fit to keep the Information from the
public. Capt. Sumner sent two cablegrams
on the subject, the first reporting that the
vessel had been strained, and the second.
made after the examination had been con-
cluded, stating that no serious injury had
been sustained by the vessel He expects
to start homeward today, having almost
completed coaling, which was rather
tedious task.
The Damage Underestimatcd.
Notwithstanding the captains statement
that no serious injury has been sustained
by the Columbia some of the officials here,
~, <hotr xyior oy, ho ful
tanned in the press dispatches, are inclined
to fear that he has underestimated the
real damage. 1t is inconceivable to them
that such a vessel could lie under heavy
strain in a dry dock without receiving sub
stantial injury. and the fact that the
heavy stanchions supporting the protective
deck were bent is an evidence that she
must have been badly strained.
II her bottom plates are buckled and
tent, as reported, 1t will interfere greatly
with the ocean speed trial. which was look
ed forward to with SO much interest by
naval officers, and which was to begin to-
day. However, it Is said that the damage
Is not irreparable. and when the ship re-
turns to New York she will probably be at
once place in dock and egain examined by
the constructors. If 1T is found that she
is badly warped she will be sent to Cramps,
her builders, TO be Strengthened, which will
involve the removal of many of her plates
and frames. and consume much time.
How the Accident Occurred.
The accident is ascribed at the Navy De-
partment to the fact that the dock people
at Southampton are not used to handling
naval vessels. 1t is not necessary in the
case of merchant steamers to pay very
much attention to blocking up in the dock,
but in the case of an extremely long, mar
row ship. like the Columbia, carrying the
heavy weights of great guns and car
nages, and anchors and cables, and the
equipment that goes to make Up a man-of
war. and with the thin hull plates that arc
necessary to the attainment of that light
ness necessary to gain high speed, our con-
structors are extremely careful to sup
port the hull at every point where any
strain may be expected. Hence the Column
bia was supplied with complete set Of
plans for the guidance OF dock hands Id
placing the blocks under her, and the ac-
cident te the ship Is undoubtedly attribut-
able to the failure of the Morkmen to fol-