Evening star., 1897-02-18
THE BROOKLYN's MIsHAP
COnveninE of the Court of Inquiry n,
League Island.

ConFening of the Court of Inquiry ut
League Island.
The court of inquiry appointed by the
Secretary of the Navy to determine the
cause of and fix the responsibility for the
ACCIDENT to the cruiser Brooklyn which
, occurred on Schooner Ledge rocks in the
Delaware river, January So met yesterday
on board the ship as she lay in dry dock at
League Island. Philadelphia The court is
made up Of Commodore George Dewey.
president: Captains John c. Watson and
Henry F. Picking. and Lieutenant S. A.
Staunton. judge advocate,
The entire session, which lasted all after
noon. was taken up with the testimony of
Captain F. A. Cook of the Brooklyn and
Lieut.. McCrea. the ships navigator.
Captain Cook was first examined. The
captain, IN steady, well-modulated tone
told OF his connection with the ship from
the time she was commissioned and turned
over TO MIN, on December l, to the Time she
was placed In dry dock He spoke of her
position In the ice opposite League Island
during the cold snap of January, and said
.nat she was In dangerous position. be-
cause of the Ice packing about her After
comforting with the commandant of the
navy yard on the subject. 1t was deemed
best to take her to a safer BERTH AS a
result OF this. the trip down the river to
Marcus Hook was begun. Captain Cook
| then told the court of the details of that
trip. which ended so unfortunately for the
ship.
and both hold government licenses: are
employed on the Red Star Line. and are
reputed to be thoroughly capable men"
we left the yard and came down the
river on the range. holding it very care
fully. until near the black buoy beyond the
upper red buoy that marks the ledge. Here
, the pilot starboarded little. opening the
range little to the eastward. at the same
Inn ron III tpcr rr}xy
! wafer. This statement the other pilot con-
frmed by a nod. l was on the port side Of
the bridge and saw that the range was
open but very little. Soon after she struck"
Referring to the pilot leaving the range
open the captain said: II find it the Gus
tom to open the range little when pass
ing this ledge. In returning with the ship
rom Marcus Hook to her present position
observed carefully to see II l could recall
the difference in the channel used by the
pilot we then had aboard and the one who
took us down. l saw that the pilot was
going nearer to the black buoy and said to
| him: You are passing nearer the black
buoy and more to the westward He re-
Piled: 1 have gone nearer than custom
ary.'"
Further questioning showed that the shin
struck about ships length below the
black buoy. and that the ships position
was not taken at the time so that sound
| ings could be afterward taker, but that in
stead she passed on to the anchorage be-
hind the ice breakers at Marcus Hook.
WAS there anything to indicate the ma
ture OF the obstruction on which she
struck?' asked Commodore Dewey.
1T seemed to me-" replied the captain
that from the way she bounded loose
boulder was the obstruction, although when
she was docked found jammed in one Of
the compartments piece of oak and in
another few strips of yellow metal This
might Indicate that wreck had occurred
there some time ago and that a portion Of
the bottom had chung to the boulder. But
an this Is mere theory. 1t seemed to me
like a loose boulder"
Lieut.. McCrea' g testimony was In large
fcer. e'oi VI
Ihc court then adjourned until this morn