The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-01
NEW CRUISER RAN AGROUND
Uncle Sans Cruiser Brooklyn Is In
Need Of Repairs.
FORw ARD COMpAR1 MENTs STOVE IN.
she Went ARainst Rock Ledge
With Damaging Rcsuits--liad
Two Local Pilots ON Hoard.

Withstand the herccst onslaught OF sh0,
and shell, today lies almost utterly helpless
because of narrow ledge OF sunkcn rock
in the Delaware river above Marcus Hook.
Pa, on which she struck heavily yesterday.
Her heavy double compartments forward
were completely stove In and II was only
by tho merost goou fortune that the pls
v,sssi did not sink This would probably |
have been the result had not her inner coin-
partmonts successfully withstood the shock. |
AS IL was. she was pulled clear OF the rocks |
aud Is now tied to the big stone ice break |
ers at Marcus Hook. protected from the
heavy ice gurg,s In midrtvcr. The big |
vessel is seriously damaged and 1t is i'm
possible to say when she Will bo able 10 so
into active service. At present she lis IN no
danger of further damage, being fully pr
tocted In the safe anchorage Afforded py
the ice breakers.
How the accident occurred can only be
established by a court Of inquiry ana TINS
Captain Cook OF the Brooklyn has already
asked for Tho exact place where the Nei-
sci struck was on Schooner Lodge Rock,
between Chester and Marcus Hook, Mt about
LAS O'Clock What makes tho accident
| even more deplornbe is the fact that THIS
| Was the first time the ship has been handled
by the present officers aud crew since solnS
| INTO commission In tho early part of De
| cembct
Since then she has been lying at League
| Island navy yard aud certain small re
! pairs has delayed her sailing. BY the early
! part of the present month. however, all ar
Judgements had been completed Tor her
going To sea when the cold snap set IN and
! was followed by the plinE nj Ice in the
river Immediately below the navy yard.
known ms the horseshoe. The city ice
boat managed to keep the channel clear oi
ice. hu, ON the sides 1t piled up from TWO
to six feet.
The nrooldyn. lying at League island.
with her prov facing lecward was hcmmcd
in tight and fast by the freezing weather
aud IL was deemed advisable to postpone
sailing until clear day. The cold
wonthcr continued ana the ice began plliug
nm until IL was feared the Brooklyn was
In a pcrilous position H. as has been
frequently asked. the government would
have built wharycs sufficiently long enough
to protect such vessel there would nave
been no necessity for moving the vessel
Int was evident. however by the tuEhlhs
at hcr anchor chains that a safer betth
should be given her and 80 II MAS decided
10 take her to crnmp yard, where one
had been provided Tor her One OF inc
civ ice boata WIS brought into rcquiSitipn
and broke the ice around the ship VIM"
four big tugs stood by ready TO lend u
+ hgnd to tow her to her destination AT me
> last moment tt MAS seen that 10 10 through
the ice in he Horseshoe was lraught Win
great difficulty and danger
Then 1t was that Captain Cook asked thc
piIots Captains Wall and Hcnnctt. two OF
the best and most careful and experienced
men on The river, II the ship could be
o taken down the river. They replica IN th'
h affirmative and said that safe anchoraSt
L could be obtained at Marcus iiQPA Tho
= Brooltlyn. under her own steam. got uhdc
A way and kept straight on down the river
A the Ice boat brcalNng a way Tor hcr ah'
a two of the tugs following In her wake
+, The pilots were on the cruiser ard Hh
= made her way easily enough through TIA
masses of floating Ice ana ioIiu"Vu ."
,, range closely.
~ She had reached opposite md close '
y the Schooner ledge when The pilots sen
u Ter slightly 10 starboari. where thoy con
sidered II was better water. Almost IN
" stantly the vessel struck the rocks VIII
N lar that shook her from stem to steii
IS For moment all was confusion, but Tor
h, moment only. the next moment her COO
headed officers and men were at work IN
-. engines responded beautifully ana sDe wa
=, quickly backed off. The quick setting
!" her prow showed that damage had resultec
" hasty examination, followed by close
~. one showed that her inner compartment
Ut were but slightly. II at all, damaged. an
that the bulk Of the injury had been doi
,r TO the outer compartments directly uhh'
=, the engine and Are rooms. Al nrst man
of on board feared that the splendid sni
" would sink, nut lhis rear "hh N''" VIZ
h. pellcd The city ice boats and tugs sent
rs i,nc IN the vessel and towod her TO Mnrou
70 Hook where she was made last to Inc i'
q breaker No..
,. Hero she was when tho Associated Pres
representative boarded her. Hor bow ma
settled over IA foot In the river. but otbei
wise nothing seemed out Of the ordinai
order OF things en- board, however
general feeling Of gloom peryaded the on
= Gers and men. although no one could 7
prevailed upon to talk abou, the matt"
" mud IL WAS evident that they felt deep
I'd the accident to heir snip.
- captain Cook was seen. but politely az
firmly refused to discuss the siiuation .
he contented himself by saying that he ha
m. modified the navy department ana ha
asked for the appointment OF court
to inquiry He was unable to say "heh "
lis vessel would be able TO leave her ptese
ce. anchorage but IL IL evident from lhe h,f'
OK ice in the river that this can NOT DC "o'
until n general rise has sci IN anu u
ng river is practically free iron Ice. rms q
lDc npnds entirely on the weather Shouiu
ed continue cold II Will not be until VI
at latter part OF the month or the carry pa
" OF March that she can be brought up WI
IN safety. and only then when she Is doct
ore can the extent OF the damage becoi
w known. ,,
al The Judgment and experience OF TWO
IN. tho heat piIots on the river conducted I
ity bIg shin down the river and dictated I
or course. The grounding of the vessel W
Tor n biz surprise to them. for they beiieV
10 there was plenty Of water and that IN
me were not close to the ledge.
mt The only other persons receiver on poa
the ship except the Associated Press repr
sentative was Captain Sargent OF Cram
IA He reached there early this morning a
IND walled across the leo at great peril 10
3l5 life. He was met by Captain Cook. ca
tain Sargent expressed his sympathy W
The ship's commander In his thirty sew
Years as a sailor this Is the first time ga
the tain Cook has met with an accident,
ing though no one holds that he is the slight
ped 10 blame Messages from the ship to
ct shore are brought by the quarantine
nee urder command Of Captain Springer.
ohe f.eps close by.
The Brooklyn is the latest and M
modern pattern OF an armored cruiser In
In navy and was launched at Cramps &
ace. yard on October 2. She Is the only vos
in the navy having complete electri
epparatds for moving her turrets. l
cost. exclusive OF armament, was s2,o
anu moo Her battery consists of eight ele
"as ,nch breoch loading rifles of 20 calil