Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-02-05
A HOLE IN HER HULL
CRUISER BROOKLYN MET WITH Sc
RIOUS INJURY.
Lower Double Compartments For
ward Shattered, but Inner COM
partments Kept Her Up.

Philadelphia, Jan. 91.-The United States
steamer Brooklyn, the latest pride of a
peerless navy, calculated to withstand
the fiercest onslaughts Of shot and SHELL
today lies almost utterly helpless be-
cause Of a narrow ieoge of sunken rock
in the Delaware river, near Marcus
| Hook, Pa, on wnlcn sne struck heavily
yesterday afternoon. Her lower double
| compartments forward were completely
stove in, and 1t was only by the merest
| good fortune that the big vessel did not
| sink
This would undoubtedly have been the
| result had not her inner compartments
| successfully withStood the shock. AS 1t
was she was pulled clear of the rocks,
and is now tied to the big stone ice
| breakers at Marcus Hook protected from
the ice gorges in mid-river.
The big vessel Is seriously damaged, and
it Is impossible to say when she will be
| able to go into active service. AT pres
ent she Is in no danger of further dam
age, being fully protected in the safe
anchorage afforded by the ice breakers.
How the accident occurred can only be
established by a court of inquiry, and
this Captain Cook Of the Brooklyn has
already asked.
The exact place where the vessel struck
was on Schooner Ledge rock, between
Chester and Marcus Hook, at about las
o'clock.
What makes the accident even more
deplorable is the fact that this was the
first time the ship had been handled
hxy off md civ
going into commission in the early part
of December.
Since then she had been lying at League
island navy yard, and certain small re-
| pairs had delayed her sailing. By the
early part Of the present month, however
all arrangements had been completed
| for her going to sea when a cold snap
set in, and was followed by the piling
up of ice in the river, and particularly
| at the bend in the river, Immediately be-
low the navy yard, known as the horse
shoe.
Had to Move the Ship.
| The city ice boat managed to keep the
channel clear of ice. but on the sides
| it pileu up from two to six feet.
The Brooklyn, lying at League island
| with her PROV facing seward, was held
| in tight and fast by the freezing weather,
| and it was deemed advisable to postpone
| sailing until a clearer sea- This did not
come, and the cold weather continued,
and the ice began piling, until it was be-
| lieved the position of the big boat was
perilous. The ice was surging around
| and about her, and her officers felt that
she must be moved or the heavy foes
| would force her ashore. 1t was evident
| by the Juggling at her anchor chains
| hot Eos,
and SO 1t was decided to take her to
| Cramps yard yesterday where one had
been provided for her, one of the city ice
boats being brought into requ Jition and
she broke the ice around the ship, while
four big tugs stood by ready to lend a
hand to tow her 10 her destination.
| At the last moment it was seen that to
| go through the ice in the horseshoe was
| fraught with great difficulty and perhaps
| danger. Then 1t was that Captain Cook
| asked the pilots, Captains Wall and Ben
nett, two of the most careful and expert
| enced men on the river, If the ship could
be taken down the river. They replied in
the affirmative and said that safe anchor
| age could be obtained at Marcus Hook.
The Brooklyn, under her own steam, got
under way and kept straight on down the
| river, the iceboat breaking a way for her
| and two of the tugs following in her
wake.
Struck a Hidden Rock.
Both pilots were on the cruiser and she
made her way easily enough through the
masses of floating ice, and following the
ranges closely she had reached opposite
| and close to Schooner ledge when the pi-
lots sent her slightly to starboard, where
| they considered 1t better water. Almost
| instantly the vessel struck the rock for
ward with a jar that shook her from stem
to stern. For a moment all was confu-
sion, but for a moment only. The next
moment her cool-headed officers and men
were at work. The engines responded
beautifully and she was quickly backed
off. The quick settling of her prov
showed that the damage was severe. A
hasty examination, followed by a closer
one showed that her inner compartments
were but slightly, if at all, damaged, and
that the bulk of injury had been done to
the outer compartments directly under
the engine and firerooms.
At first many on board feared that the
splendid ship would sink, but this fear
was soon dispelled. The city iceboat and
tugs lent hand, passed lines to the yes
sci and towed her to Marcus Hook, where
she was made fast to the icebreakers.
Here she lay today when an Associated
Press reporter boarded her. Her bow hao
settled over a foot in the river, but other.
wise nothing seemed out of the ordinary
On board, however, a general feeling Of
gloom pervaded the officers and men, and
although none could be prevailed upon tc
talk about the matter, it was evident they
felt deeply the accident to their ship
Captain Cook was seen, but politely anC
: firmly declined to discuss the situation
He contented himself by saying that hi
, had notified the department and haC
asked for the appointment of a court o.
inquiry. He was Unable to say when th'
: vessel would be able to leave her presen
: anchorage, but 1t is evident from shC
heavy ice in the river that this can not III
done until a general thaw has set in anC
the river is practically free from ice. Thi
r depends entirely upon the weather. Should
it continue cold, it will not be until tn
latter part of February that she could b.
brought up with safety.
= Modern Cruiser.
The Brooklyn Is the latest and mos
modern pattern of an armored cruiser II
:. the navy and was launched at Cramp'
! shipyard on October 2. She is the onl.