Evening star., 1896-10-20
GROUNDING Of THE. TEXAS
Curious Chain Of Events Revealed by tho
Court ef1nquiry.
III. oA'ef nns'-ssaIr Assistant En-
sineer and ohtsr Naehini't All
to Be Rspsimanded.

A curious chain Of events led up to the
grounding Of the BATH ship Texas in New
port harbor September 16 last. as revealed
in the findings Of the-court Of inquiry or
dered by Admiral. baace and made public
by the Navy Department today. In the
first place. the dynamo broke down sud
denly. just as the ship was entering the
herbor, and the lights in the engine rooms
went out. This obliged Passed Assistant
Engineer Hall to leave the starboard en-
gine, which was in his charge. to the tenn
porary care of Naval Cadet Bissett, while
he him self went up to obtain and light
some oil lamps to replace the electric
lights: Then, as the signal to reverse the
engines came. the starboard engine stuck,
and Assistant Engineer Kinds, who was in
charge OF the port engine, went over into
the starboard engine room to help the ma
val cadet 10 start the reversing gear there.
he left Chief Machinist ]. L. Hunley in
charge or the port engine, and the latter
operated 1t without observing the workings
or the mechanical telegraph, and mean
Wh1le the elec trio signal system which put
the bridge In communication with the en-
glne room, having given out. was being re-
pared by an electrician, and was at the
moment unServiceabIe
Chief Engineer w. S. Moore was on the
upper platform OF the engine room, where
he could watch the engines and hear the
signals. but it happened that he could not
see the indicator dials and know whether
the signals were being obeyed. In this state
OF aHairs, when the signal came to reverse
the starooard engine Qor some cause which
was not at the time understood) failed to
respond and stuck, running ahead for a
Hihute or so. Then the maehinist in charge
Vi the port engine pulled his lever the
wrong way and reported to the captain on
the bridge that his signal had been under
stood.
The latter had no way to ascertain i'm
hediately that the port engine was not
backing. but ran down from the bridge
10 the quarter deck while the chief eng-
Eeer descended to the engine room, and
hen the port engine was finally stopped
the Texas went aground
Inc court OF inquiry recommended that
capt. Glass be acquitted Of blame as he
dia everything that a careful and prudent
oihcer % could do to avert the grounding.
"nlcn dld no harm beyond scraping off the
pant In spots and securing off some rivet
neads. Bat as to the other officers it was
recommended that further proceedings
Should be had in the case of Chief Engi-
neer Moore. and that he should be CEN
sured by the commander-in-chief of the
North Atlantic station, for the acciden,
might have been averted If he had station
ea nlmseif where he could have watched
the Indicators. The accident being direct
y attributable to the mistakes of Assistant
Engineer Kinds and Chief Machinist Hun
ley the court held that they should be
publicly reprimanded in general orders by
the Secretary of the Navy These findings
We're approved by Admiral Bunce. except
as 10 tne chiet engineer, who. as the senior
same degree as the others, and the depart
ment has therefore decided to close the
case by furnishing all of the PARTICIPANTS
with copy of so much of the findings as
reiates TO them and by giving each Of them
ture. 49,,