The San Francisco call., 1896-10-17
Big Guns Break Loose aud
Charge Furiously Over the
Deck During a Gale.
HAwsERs SNAP LIKE THREAD.
Awful Bate With the Cannon While
the Waves Swept Over
the Vessel.

NEW YORK, N. Y, Oct. 16.-The
battle-ship Indiana, which is with the
North Atlantic squadron off Tompkins-
vile, will go to the navy-yard in Brooklyn
as soon as orders come from Washington.
New gearings will be put on the turrets in
place of that which was broken on the
recent trip from Hampton Roads.
The Indiana encountered a fierce gale
between here and Hampton Roads last
March and the gearing was found to be
not strong enough for an emergency.
The department was notified and new
gearing was provided. This has been
lying in the navy-yard for several months
because the Indiana has been so busy with
drilling that she has not had time to stop
and have it fitted.
A reporter saw Captain Evans, COM
mander of the Indiana, aboard his ship.
Captain Evans explained in detail the
trouble the Indiana has just had. He said:
"Soon after we left Hampton Roads,
Monday, all four of the s-inch turrets
broke loose at once from their gearing.
The sea was very rough and the great roll
of the ship made the clamps inadequate
10 stand the strain. That was about
o'clock in the afternoon We went to
work with five-inch hawsers to tie the guns
up. About 2 o'clock the next morning the
forward guns snapped their hawsers and
got loose again. The storm was then very
severe and the ship was rolling at an angle
of So deg The decks were flooded with
water and this. with the pitching of the
ship, made working on deck very danger
Gus. 1t was black as ink and we could not
see how to get about in order to head the
sea. We could only guess.
ITO make matters worse the forward
| 13-inch gun turret got loose and the enor-
nous guns began thrashing about in full
command of the deck. The 13-inch gun
knocked great dents in the scupper pipe,
| broke stanchions and threatened to tear
away the entire superstructure.
at was very dangerous to work in that
storm. I was afraid OF losing two or three
dozen men and if had not the best crew
in the world don't know how we would
| have come out. We fastened five-inch
hawser on the 13 inch gun and it
snapped like a cotton string. Then we
secured five-inch wire cable. The sea
took it and 100 fathoms went overheard.
'.Then was afraid the cable would foul
the propeller, so we had to stop every
thing and recover it. The ship was then
proceeding at about five knots. We got
| it after while and finally caught the big
guns with an eight-inch hawser and tied
them securely to the superstructure. 1t
was an awful job though, and we were in
danger OF being washed overheard every
minute. All during the work the deck
was completely flooded.
"It was 6 o'clock in the morning when
we got through. The whole crew had been
at work all night. The rest of the feet
had gone ahead, but it put about and re-
gained our position"
It will take about three weeks, Captain
Evans said, to have the new gearing
put in.
Ensign Galbraith of the Indiana who
had his left leg crushed by an armor door
Monday night, had his leg amputated
below the knee in the Presbyterian Hos
pital yesterday afternoon.