The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-30
British Steamer FOscOlia, Which Ran
Her Crew Rescued and Landed.
ACCIDENT DUE TO HEAVY FOG
WHICH SIGNAL LIGHTS OF
THE SHIPS COULD NOT BE SEEN.
Story Told by the Ill-Fated Steamers
Captain-One Compartment of the
Columbia Filled with Water.

NEW YORK, May 2s-The United States
cruiser Columbia reports that at 1877 p.
last night. off Fire island, during a thick
fog, she was run into by the steamer Eos
cola (British), hence for Bordeaux. The
Foscolia struck the Columbia on starboard
quarter, cutting clean into the hull and
making hole about ten feet, filling a COM
partment with water. The Foscolia sunk
almost immedia tely, but the Columbia sue
ceeded in rescuing all her crew and landed
them at st. George, S. 1.
When the Columbia, in command of Capt.
Sands, anchored off Tompkinsville, S. l.,
this afternoon, it was seen that she had
large, jagged hole stove in her starboard
side, abreast of the manmast and immedi-
ately forward of the after barbette. Above
the water line the hole extended about ten
feet high and six feet wide. Just how far
below the water line the cruiser was DAM
aged could not be ascertained and none Of
the naval officers would give any informa-
ton 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 left this port yes
terday, with a cargo of machinery and gen.
eral merchandise. for Bordeaux, went
ashore. Neither the captain nor any of his
at once for New York to report to the
agents of the company to which the vessel
belonged No one was allowed to go on
board the Columbia. but to representative
of the Associated Press who rowed out to
the cruiser the officer of the deck made
the following brief statement:
About 7:4O p. m. yesterday the British
steamship Foscolia, in command of Capt.
John Evans. collided with our vessel during
a dense fog We were then about eight
miles southwest of Fire island light. We
lowered two lifeboats and rescued the cap
tain and crew, numbering twenty-one, all
told. We stood by until the Foscolia sank,
at 8 o'clock this morning. AS soon as we
arrived here we sent the rescued men
ashore. Further information in reference
to the accident 1 cannot give you
About o'clock one of the navy yard tugs
steamed alongside the cruiser and delivered
some messages from Rear Admiral Bunce,
commandant at the navy yard, Brooklyn. A
few minutes later the Columbia headed for
the Brooklyn navy yard where it is sup
posed she will be dry locked in order to
ascertain the full extent of her injuries.
CAPTAIN EVANS'S STORY.
Capt. j. Evans of the FoscoIia, after
reaching this city said regarding the col
at noon on Saturday with a general cargo
of about 1900 tons. All went well until
evening when a heavy fog set in. l was
on the bridge and ordered the lights up and
the fog whistle kept going. AS the fog
grew denser, the speed of the Fosco1ia was
reduced to one-half. About o'clock look
out Johnson, on the forecastle and Thomp-
son on the bridge, reported a steamer on
the port bow. Our lights were burning
brightly and the fog signal was whistling.
l looked up and saw a big steamer with
four tunnels dead ahead. AS the steamers
were not 200 yards apart, saw that a col
lision was inevitable. l blew three whistles
and the approaching vessel answered with
one blast That was the first time | heard
the Columbias whistle. Instantly ordered
our engines full speed aStern. The two
vessels came together, however, with ter
rible crash. The bow of the Foscoia ran
up on the cruisers armor belt and then cut
through her SPONSOR They remained locked
for couple of seconds, but the backing of
the Foscolias engines tore off her bow as
far back as the first watertight bulkhead.
The wreckage struck in the cruisers side
above and below the water line and caused
the Columbia to list considerably. Had it
not been for the bullying of the sponsor
from the side of the war ship, the Foscola
would only have struck the Columbia a
glancing blow The bow of the Foscolia
became wedged between the sponsor and
hull of the cruiser and the bow of my boat
was completely wrenched off. 1t was dead
calm at the time of the collision.
After backing away 1 saw that the in
jury to the Foscolia was serious and in
stantly ordered the life boats launched.
They were in the water in just four minutes
and my fifteen Seamen were ordered into
them. L remained aboard the wreck with
my five officers. My engineers after trying
the engines, reported them to be so badly
deranged by the collision as to be incapable
of working the ship. The Foscola was
leaking badly and the pumps were started.
The crew were sent aboard the cruiser,
which had hole in her starboard side large
enough to drive team and carriage
through. The pumps were kept working
until 1890 p. m, but the Foscolia was
getting lower and lower in the water. Two
boats from the Columbia were standing by
me and Lieutenant Williams asked me at
that hour what L intended doing. 1 replied
that 1 would stand by my ship until she
went down. Then l ordered the officers into
the life boat and 1 remained at the main
rigging while the steamship continued to
sink. l got into the small boat and re-
manned with my officers about fifty yards
from the sinking ship. Exactly at a. m.
the Foscolia went down head first in about
nineteen fathoms of water. 1t reappeared
again few minutes later and then disap-
peared forever stern first. None of my men
were hurt, but l cannot tell If all the men
on the Columbia escaped injury. 1 think
not
1.-THE Foscolia which commanded for
twelve months was an iron vessel of $50 tons
net and 1886 tons gross. launched at Low,
England, in 1872 and her hailing port is
London She was 2J2 feet long, thirty-four
feet beam and twenty-five feet seven inches
deep. She was schooner rugged, had two
masts, double deck. four bulkheads. com
pound engines and carried water ballast"
City of Worcester Beached.
NEW LONDON, Conn, May &.-The
Sound steamer City of Worcester. Captain
Ward of the Norwich line. last night ran
hard upon Corrnorant reef during a thick
fog. She filled rapidly and her officers
found 1t necessary to beach her. The City
of Worcester carried about 200 passengers |
who were transferred m fha steamer Civ |