The herald., 1898-04-29
SPLENDID SEAMANSHIP
SAVED TWO BATTLESHIPS IN
IMMINENT DANGEE
The Squadron Off Fort Monroe Treated
to Sample Of Typical Hatteras
Weather

to Sample OF typical datteras
Weather
ON BOARD THE FLAGSHIP BROOK
LYN, OFF FORT MONROE, Va, April
| 28.-For thirty-six hours the Flying Squad
ron has been unable to communicate with
shore, the storm which still prevails max
Ing it unsafe to use the steam launch or
cutters. A tug brought out the mail this
morning.
| The storm that struck the coast Sunday
night, came up Hampton Roads like
fury. 1t whistled at the rate of ninety
miles an hour through the great struc-
ture of the flagship Brooklyn and whipped
up the sea so that the white foam broke in
huge masses over the decks Of the Massa-
chusetts and the Texas.
| The heavy draft Of the big war vessels
made it impossible for them to get into
| smooth water and they had to stand the
brunt of the storm. Towards morning 1t
increased in violence, and as the tide
| turned the flood the lookout on the for
ward bridge of the flagship announced that
the ship was dragging its anchor. The
officer of the deck simultaneously reported
| that the Brooklyn was getting in danger
Gus proximity to the battleship Massa-
chusetts. Captain Cook and Executive
Officer Mason went to the bridge immedi-
| ately and ordered the second anchor down.
At this time the wind was blowing so
fercely that the men could hardly keep
their feet on deck. The second anchor ran
out about twenty fathoms Of chain and
stuck and the big ship stopped and for a
short time resisted bravely the wind and
tide. But in a few minutes she began to
go back slowly and it was evident that
there was no hold for the anchors. The
signal was Immediately given to prepare
| to get under way and in the meantime 1t
was hoped that the anchors would catch
| and hold. Faster and faster she went
back, her big broadsides swinging towards
| the dangerous ram on the brow of the
Massachusetts,.
The latter was signalled to pay out her
cable and drop away and she did so. In
the meantime on the Brooklyn the men in
charge of the forward compartments went
to their stations, closing the watertight
compartments and preparing without any
outward sign of excitement for the ex-
pected collision. The Massachusetts
cleared away her booms and prepared for
| the collision, not daring to ship the anchor
| for fear Of running herself on the sand bar
in close proximity or drifting into the
Texas. Faster and faster went the Brook
| lyn towards the battleship, and the men at
| the stations on both vessels stood un-
| flinchingly ready to perform the special
| duty assigned to them In case Of collision
There was no confusion. On the bridge
with cool head, sharp eyes and active
brains were Captain Cook and his execu-
tive officers, while on the after bridge, not
| interfering with the management of the
| officers of the ship, stood Commodore
Schley and his lieutenant Sears, watching
with as little excitement as they watch a
practice cruise the big ships coming to-
gether. A conflict of orders would have
meant great disaster, but there was none
| One order from the captain and one of
the big anchors comes rafting up and the
| ship drifts on a little faster towards its
evident fate. Then in obedience to the
| helm, the stern, now almost scraping the
Massachusetts, bow, swings out, and the
| head partly controlled by the anchor
| swings in as If to take the blow. 1t is
within few yards of the huge battleship
and all are awaiting the crash. Captain
| Cook looks over the port side of the bridge
| and then says Full speed astern." There
| is a clang of the bells, shiver as the
wheels turn and then the cruiser slides
! rapidly clear of the Massachusetts with
barely a hand to spare.
"Cleverly done," says Commodore Schley
as he goes down to breakfast.
| Clever seamanship, perfect discipline and
cool-headed judgment had averted a dis
aster.
"This ship obeys her engines perfectly"
said Captain Cook modestly, after he had
anchored further out.
| The storm continued without abatement
all day and the patrol boats that keep the
harbor closed had rough nights work.
This morning there was little abatement of
the gale.
Warships Unharmed
NEWPORT NEWS, April 2S, 3 p.m.-The
warships have suffered no damage in the
gale which is still blowing. It is exceed
ingly rough but all ships have their sea
anchors down and are perfectly secure.
Off the Jersey Coast
| CAPE MAY, N. j., April 2S.-The severe
northeast storm which began yesterday
developed into the worst storm on the
South Jersey coast since last October The
wind maintained a velocity of forty miles
an hour The rainfall has been one and
eight-tenths inches for the twelve hours
ending at o'clock this morning. the heav-
lest in years. Three inches Of snow fell
after 1 o'clock this morning, followed by
hail and rain. The tides are breaking
heavily on the beach front electric rail-
way and will probably damage it before
cbb tide. The meadows between the beach
and mainland are massive seas.
Florida Escaped
| JACKSONVILLE, Fla, April 2S-No
trace of the big storm on the upper coast
] was felt here.