Evening star., 1897-02-08
NO DISASTER APPREHENDED
Lack of Tidings Regarding the North At
lantic Squadron.
No Wrecks Reported ON the Coast
From HafteRas DO Henry-Report
About the New York.

CHARLESTON. s. c., February s-Fern
and Dolphin of the blockade fleet are al
| ready in port. Four other ships have been
sighted, but they cannot yet be made out.
CAPE HENRY, Va, February s.-"No
wrecks are reported along the coast from
Hatteras to Henry"
This statement, made as the result of an
inquiry of the life saving stations located
at frequent intervals along this coast be-
tween the points named, shows that none
of the Bunce squadron sustained mishaps
on the dangerous Hatteras coast.
No Apprehension mt the Department.
Up to $50 clock this morning the Navy
Department had received no word from the
North Atlantic squadron. The officials Gid
not credit report of the grounding of the
New York off Hatteras, and said they
would be promptly advised by the life saw
ing stations over their telephone line of
any such accident.
The life saving bureau, which has sta
tfons along the South Atlantic coast has
heard nothing of. Admiral Bunce's squad
ron. 1t would be the duty Of the life saw
ers 10 notify the bureau here promptly in
the event OF any mishaps to any of the
warships.
N"p'' i>opieS EVANS SAID today that in
his opinion there was no occasion for
alarm. Some of the vessels were slow
craft, aud the squadron was u-obahIv NOV
ing along in concert.
Secretary Herbert authorized the state
ment that the Navy Department felt under
no Apprehension as to the safety of the YES
sells of the North Atlantic squadron. When
the Indiana returned to Hampton Roads
Friday she was steaming south. The
weather was not severe, and beyond doubt
H-~
rearest coast. by Friday afternoon. The fact
tnat they We're not spoken by merchant
steamers arriving southwark since that
time Is accounted for by the fact that in
tnr'. .e1lng Weathef such as prevailed af-
terward, naval vesAels from sheer excess
OF precaution4 stand much farther out 10
sea than do merchant vessels, in order 10
have plenty Of sea noam
NJ" , foRk, February s.-Captain Platt
Oh the clyde Line steamer Algonquin " hich h
arrived yesterday from Jacksonville and
Gharleston, reports that Saturday between
FRYING Fan shoals and Capt Lookout he
passeo p TOUR shiys OF the white squadron
move move to, OF which he 4could only recognize
.ne cruiser Columbia. "A moderate gale was
Dfowlng, with very heavy sea The shins
were lying about five miles apart. NothinS
was seen Of the monitDr Amphitrite
The Indiana DrdereA to Sea.
secretary Herbert called the chief con-
structor and a number of the officials Of
the Navy Department into consultation to-
day respecting the battle ship Indiana at
Hampton Roads, aud as a result sorders
were sent to Captain Taylor to sail with
his ship at the, earliest possible moment to
re)oin, Admiral Bunce's Squadron A thor
oueh examination of the turrets was made
Saturday and yesterday by Constructors
Taylor and Stahl, the former going espe-
cially from Washington to. the roads for
the purpose. 1t was found tina: the Sc
curing gear Of the turrets was in good
order and was fully sufficient for the pur-
pose for which it was designed. There
1ore no alterations were made and the ship
was ordered to sea again. 1t appears
that the officers feared when The ship roll
ed and the turret worked slightly that
there would be q repetition of the hap
pening of last fall, when the turning lock-
ing mechanism broke down and the big
guns swept back and forth across TIE
decks. AS matter of fact, the play Of
the turrets was much less than is al
lowed in the British turrct ships, and at
no time was there danger of their breaking
loose -