Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-30
COLUMBIA BADLY DAMAGED
STEAMER SANK SHORTLY, BUT NO
ONE WAS DROWNED.
Crew Landed mt New York by the
Columbia Yesterday Afternoon
Columbia Ofcers Refuse to
Talk, but Steamer Cap.
tain Tells the Story.

cantain Sands anchored of TompkinS-
Vile, S. l., this morning, it was seen that
she had a large jagged hole stove IN ner
starboard side, abreast OF the mainmast
and Immediately forward Of the after bar
bette. Above the water line the hole ex-
tended about ten feet high and six feet
wide. Just how far below the water line
the cruiser was damaged could not be as
certained and none Of the naval ohcers
would give any information in regard to
the accident.
AS soon as the vessel came to anchor
the captain and crew. twenty-one in all,
of the British steamer Foscolia, which LETT
this port yesterday with a cargo OF ma
chinery and general merchandise for Bor-
deaux, went ashore. Neither the captain
nor any of his crew would talk when
they landed and left at once for New York
to report to the agents of the company to
which the vessel belonged. NJ one was al
lowed to go on board the Columbia but to
a representative of the Associated Press,
who rowed out to the cruiser. the omcer
of the deck made the following brief stae-
| ment:
about TAO p. m. yesterday, the British
steamship Foscolia, in command OF Cap
tain John Evans, collided with our ves-
sci during a dense fog. We were then
| about eight miles southwest of Fire Island
light. We lowered two lfeboats and res
cred the captain and crew. numbering
4 twenty-one all told. We stood by until
the Foscolia sank, at o'clock this morn
| ing. AS soon as we arrived here we sent
! the rescued men ashore. Further tnfor-
| nation in reference to the accident can
not give you."
| About 4 o'clock one of the navy yard
tugs steamed alongside the cruiser. and de-
| livered some messages from Rear Admiral
| IL
| BROOKLYN, A few minutes later the Column
hia headed for the Brooklyn navy yard,
| where It is supposed she will be dry
| docked in order to ascertain the 1uli e4-
| tent Of her injuries.
| CAPTAIN ]. Evans, Of the Foscolia, after
reaching this city. said regarding the COL
! lision: ..
."The Foscolia cleared from this port at
noon on Saturday with a general cargo OF
| about 200 tons. All went well until even
| ing. when a heavy fog set in. 1t was on
the bridge and ordered the lights up ana
the fog whistle kept going. AS the fog grew
denser, the speed of the ship was reduced
| to one-half.
| "About 8 o'clock, lookout Johnson. on the
| forecastle, and Thompson on the brioge re-
| ported a steamer on the port DOW. Out
lights were burning brightly and the ZOE
signal was whistling. I looked up and saw
AS the steamers were not 200 yards apart
7 saw that a collision was tnevttable.
blew three whistles and the approaching
vessel answered with one blast. mat was
the first time heard the ColumDla's WINS
tie. Instantly ordered our engines 1uI
speed astern. a,
The vessels came together, however, witt
| a terrible crash and the bow OF the = fos
cola ran up on the cruisers armor bel
,ot hnr
remained locked for a couple OF secono
hut the backing of the Foscolia's engines
| tore off her bow as far back as tthe mrs
water-t,yht bulkhead. The -wreckage stucl
| in the cruisers side above and below tn
water line and caused the Columbia to lis
considerably. Had 1t not been Tor tn
bulging of the sponsor from the side OF tn
warship, the Foscolia would only nav
struck the Columbia a glancing blow. In
bow of the Foscolia became wedgeo De
) tween the sponsor and hull OF the cruiser
and the bow OF my poat was conpie.ei'
wrenched of.
cit was dead calm at the time OF the col
lision. After backing away, saw tnat IN
injury to the Foscolia was serious, ana In
n stantly ordered the life boats launcheo
, They were in the water In just four min
utes, and my fifteen seamen were ordere
, into them. I remained aboard the wrec
with my five officers. My engineers, afte
| irving the engines, reported them to be
badly damaged by the collision as to
: incapable of working the ship. Tne Fos
cola was leaking badly. and the pump
were started. The crew were sent aboar
: the cruiser, which had hole In her star
i board side large enough to drive a tear
' and carriage through. The pumps wer
a kept working until 1890 p. M, but the Eos
cola was getting lower and lower In tn
water, Two boats from the Columbia wer
standing by me and Lieutenant William
o asked me at that hour what I tntende
doing. 1 replied that would stand by m
ship until she went down. Then I.ordere
s the officers into the life boat and remair
ed at the main rigging while the steam
ship continued to sink. got into the sma
3 boat and remained with my officers abot
fifty yards from the sinking ship.
. Exactly at 3 a. m. the Foscolia WEI
down, head first, in about nineteen fathon
: Of water. 1t reappeared again In fe
!. minutes later and then disappeared foreve
: stern first. None of my men were hur
,. but 1 cannot tell If all the men on the G.
lumbia escaped injury. think not.
h ..The Foscolia, which I commanded Il
~ twelve months, was an iron vessel of 8
h tons net and 1885 tons gross, launched ;
Low, England, in 1879 and her sailing po
"A is London. She was 252 feet long, thirt,
,r four feet beam and twenty-five feet sevt
,e inches deep. She was schooner-rigged. hs
two masts, double deck. four bulkhead
te compound engines and carried water ba
"a last =.-
4s DAY OF REST At CAMP TH0MA
c. No Work of Any Kind Imposed Upo