Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-28
ADMIRAL BUNCE's REPORT.
He Describes the Extent of the Column
bias Injuries.

bias Injuries.
The officials at the Navy Department
were much disquieted this morning by the
report that the L. s. S. Columbia had been
IN collision near Norfolk last night. Eff
forts We're made to secure some news
through official sources of the accident, but
it was not until some time after 10 O'Clock
that a Geographic reporl came from Ad-
miral Bunce, commanding the North At
lantic squadron, to which the Columbia is
attached. This telegram, which was sent
from Fort Munroe, the nearest telegraph
station to the admiraI's flagship, the New
York, read as follows:
ITO the Secretary of the Navy, Washing
ton, ID. G..
Sands reports that the Old Dominion
steamer Wyanoke last night fouled the
Columbia anchored at Newport News, ami
So nix under her forefoot. The passengers
were all saved. Several of the crew were
Injured and are being attended by the
Columbia 5 surgeons. The damage to the
Columbia is one hole two feet in diameter
on port side, ten feet above the water line;
heavy indentations two feet above the
water lire on the same side and indenta-
ton of one plate on the starboard side, op-
pnSite the hole, opening a seam for about
six feet. Temporary loss of one anchor
and forty-five fathoms of chain. l shall
send her to the Norfolk navy yard as soon
as the requirements of paragraph 400, naval
The regulation referred to by Admiral
Bunce is that requiring a survey to be
made by special board cf officers i'm
mediately after an accident to ascertain
the extent of the injuries sustained by the
naval vessel and what repairs are neces-
sary. This board does not usually under
take to fix the responsibility for the acci-
dent although in this case there can be
little doubt that the blame must rest on the
officers of the Wyanoke, unless it can be
shown that the Columbia was anchored in
dangerous position and failed to exhibit
the lights indicating that she lay at anchor.
A Lucky Escape.
The naval vessel was undoubtedly very
lucky in coming out Of the collision as
well she did. She Is a triple screw
cruiser of 1875 tons burden, next to the
Minneapolis, her sister ship, the fleetest
cruiser in the United States navy, or, in
deed, in the world, and as it was neces-
sary to construct her hull very lightly in
order to accommodate the weight of the
tremendous machinery of 1900 horse
power, her frames and skin are not as
heavy as is usual in all vessels of her ton
mage. Fortunately for her, the Columbia is
fitted with big steel ram, and the addi-
tional strength given to her bow by this
undoubtedly saved the vessel from more
serious and perhaps vital injury.
1t is not yet clear whether the force of
the blow dealt by the Wyanoke was re-
celved upon the steel ram, but even If
the upper portion of the Columbias bow
received the impact by reason of the over
hang Of the Wyanoke's side, the stiffening
of the cruisers bow by the addition of
the ram must have greatly assisted in the
resistance to the blow.
Not Seriously Injured.
From the hasty account of the Colum-
bias injuries furnished by Admiral Bunce
in his telegram it is apparent that the
ship has not suffered severely, and a cou-
pie of weeks at the navy yard should suf-
flee to make all needed repairs. The ad-
miral refers to the loss of the anchor and
chain as temporary, by which he means
that the anchor which held the Columbia
and was carried away in the collision, now
lies with its cable at the bottom of the
harbor, whence it may be easily recovered
by dragging.
This accident coming so soon after the
serious injury of merchant steamer
which ran into the L. S. S. Monterey i1
Puget Sound and the damaging of another
American merChsn tman by running into
the U. S. S. Alert in a Colombian port all
happening when the naval vessels were
under the disadvantage of lying at anchor.
causes naval officials to remark that il is
not as safe now to ram naval vessels rs
1t was In the time CT the old Tallapoosa.