The record-union., 1896-11-10
Allowing Water to Rush in and Flood
the Engine Rooms.
The Big Vessel Sinks in the Mud, But
Luckily the Water Was Shallow,
and Comparatively Little Damage
Was DOne-The Accident Occurs
at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Dock.

NEW YORK, Nov. 9.-The battle
ship Texas met with an accident this
morning while lying in the dock at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard waiting repairs
A sea cock blew out in a mysterious
manner causing a rush of water into
the ships hold. The Texas settled con-
siderably in the water and listed to the
starboard
Divers sent down to investigate the
damage came up after a thorough in
spection Of the battle-ship at noon.
They report that the accident was due
to the breaking of the yoke which holds
in place the bonnet of the main injec-
ton valve, situated in the engine-room
Engineer Higgins was in the engine
room when the accident occurred, and
bad a narrow escape. He sounded the
alarm Immediately. In less than three
minutes every compartment in the ship
was closed, preventing the water from
flooding the entire man of war.
The ship had a narrow escape. Fad
she been in deep water she would GER
tainly have gone clear to the bottom
and possibly every soul on board would
have been lost.
All the water has been pumped out
of her and the work of putting in new
yoke on the broken valve will be an
easy matter.
The battle-ship Texas was f1oated this
evening. She will be docked tomorrow.
AN INQUIRY TO BE MADE.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9-Secretary
Herbert ordered the following Court of
Inquiry into the accident to the battle
now Commandant of the Boston Navy
Yard; Chief Engineer w. w. DUNCAN,
the senior officer of his corps, now In
spector of Machinery at Cramps, and
Naval Constructor J. F. Hanscom
with Lieutenant 3. T. Walling as Judge
Advocate The court will meet at the
Navy Yard, New York, at l p. m
Wednesday.
The only additional information the
Navy Department has received is con-
tanned in - following official telegram
Fl ON Commodore Sicard: "a section of
Texas starboard main injection pipe
was removed for repairs and the pipe
to seaward was blanketed off just H.
side of the main injection valve, just
above the floor plates. This morning
about 6 o'clock the yoke through which
the stem to the injection valve passed
broke under the pressure of the water
outside, and the sea water filed the
sfarboard engine compartment, and
Thence leaked through the closed water
tight doors, and gradually flooded the
Tort engine compartment. The ship is
not flooded in other parts. The ship
settled down upon the soft bottom
heading south, and now lies easily at
high water in twenty-five feet of water
port side, and twenty-nine starboard
side, secured to Cob Dock, just south
Of the Vermont's stern, and listed about
six degrees to starboard. Two tugs of
the Chapman Wrecking Company are
alongside pumping, and diver is down
in the starboard engine-room endeavcr-
ing to stop the leak. The Narkeeta is
in attendance; Nina's boilers repairing
SO cannot be used. Dry dock number
two is being prepared to receive the
Texas as soon as the leak is stopped
Futher details will be wired as soon as
cbtainable SICARD."
1t appears from this that the usual
precautions prescribed by the regula-
tons were observed by those in charge
of the work, which involved "blanket-
ing off, the connections, and as the
Workmen had left the valve all right
Saturday the accident early this morn
ing before work was resumed indicates
that the yoke gave way to the one ton
pressure that had been upon it for
about thirty-six hours. The reference
to the naval tugs Narkeeta and Nina
is taken as explaining why outside tugs
were called upon in the emergency.