The morning times., 1897-02-02
THE BROOkLYH'5 ACCIDENT
The Official Report Indicates
There Was No Neglect.
THE PLACE Is DANGEROUS
Capt. Cook Was Congratulatfng Him
self Oh Safe Movement when
May lie Ripped Half Her Length.
Inquiry VIII he Ordered.


Secretary Herbert mas received the fol-
lowing official report from Capt Co *
It ). 5, Brooklyn
Marcus HUuk, Delaware Co. Pa,
january so, 1897.
"Sir-The Brooklyn anchored Off Lea gue
Island and was dangerously beset l9y
ice. | had been quite anxious lest tie
ship be carried ashore by rueS that were
getting heavier and heavier CEun receiv-
ing the throttle valve chamber on board
Yesterday noon. determined IT was lest
to put the ship in II safe position, il che
could hc found learned GPon con Smltd-
ton with Capt Sargent, uf Cramps ship
yard, that a safe berth Could be had at
that yard / decided at once to recommend
to Commodore howell that the ship, with
her own engines and assisted by tugs
should 90 To Cramps a> soon as possible
Commodore Howell approved OF my recon-
:nendation
II made arrangements with the tugs
and pilots OF the Red Star Line TO take
Iue through the ice to Cramps ylcd and
moor nae there today Also with the
Philadelphia City Ice3oat. No. |. To break
the ice around the ship and in the chan
mel through the Horseshoe Three tugs
arrived near the ship between AMI 10
Il. III. The fourth tug was wedgcd III the
ice at the Horseshoe" ana did not ar
rive until we reacted Marcus Hook.
THE ice boat broke the thicker ice
around tie snip where we had been
wedged since the flood tide Of the night
before, heading down stream. l weighed
anchor, and with our own engines and the
assistance OF tile tugs in breaking the
ice, tried liz vain TO turn tie ship Findinr
] could not do So, my best resource seemed
to be to make an attempt 10 get ont OF
the river. The pilot, an experienced ard
apparently intelligent man, said tie tide
was Favorable, and he advised strongly
that go to Marcus Hook and I lie up al the
ice piers, and tlrus be ready to so on a
favorable tide down the'river, Being con
vinced that 1t was nv best course, deter
mined to 90, having previously called
a second pilot from one OF tie tug boats
TO keep the ranges With him, being desir-
Gus To use every safeguard that could be
suggested.
The ship steamed readily through the
ice and was handled perfectly. | was
about to congratulate myself upon The sue
cess of the whole movement. when she
struck while passing Schooner Ledge, and
while she was on the range of the best
water, and having the assurance of such
from the pilot, the navigating officer.
Lieut.. McCrea, and myself also Keeping
the range.
The grounding OF the ship was most
perceptibly felt, and appeared like pass
ing over loose stones 1t was soon re-
ported to me that the double bottom com
partmcnts under the fire room and the
forward engine room were full of water.
leaking through the manhole plates and
rivets in some places into the bilges and
forward ma gaZine, which have been readily
pumped out and kept free
This is a most deplorable accident and
one that has fallen like pail upon Of
ficers and crew, thoroughly interested in
the ship, her welfare and career From
all the facts at present within my knowI-
edge, l feel that the accident came from
no neglect of precauton or Judgment on
my part.
pilot Wall holds regular United
States license as pilot, and insists that
he had got the best range and cannot
account for the disaster, and is entirely
sustained in this opinion by Pilot Ben
which, l understand, has been going on
may have left some loose rock not before
in the channel.
AT the time of passing this ledge
the tide had dropped not more than one
foot below high water, as determined by
the water marks on the stone ice piers,
where we are now moored at Marcus
Hook
This ship will have to return as soon
as the river is free of ice and tides permit
to League Island, discharge all her Weights
and go in the dock.
Il request court of inquiry to investi-
gate and report Very respectfully,
'F. A. COOK,
Captain United States Navy, Com
manding."
Thedesiredcourtwil be promptly ordered.
The accident to the Brooklyn is so similar
to that which injured the cruiser Columbia
in the Delaware Riyer three years aso o that
naval officers believe the same obstruction
caused the damage in each instance.
The Columbia went down the river in
May, 1894, but notguDtil August following
was the discovery hlade that her bottom
plates had been badly scored and dented,
necessitating $4,000 worth of repairs
in the League Island dock. A court of in
quiry exonerate the officers, as it was
shown that they used every precaution,
and there is no doubt at the Navy Depart
ment that the court which viii investigate
the BIooklyn's misfortune will be unable
to attach. any blame upon Capt. Cook and
his officers.
Lewis Nixon reached the Navy Depart
ment this afternoon with an offer from
the Cramps to make good the damage TO
the Brooklyn at tie League Island yard