Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-28
FLYING SQUADRON is IN II.
It Took Clever Seamanship to Save the Flag
ship Brooklyn.
ALMOST coLLlDED WITH MASSACHUSETTS
There Was Perfect Discipline on the
Big Fighter During tho Whole
of the Trying Ordeal.

On board the Flagship Brooklyn, off
Fort Monroe. Va, April 2s.--For thirty
six hours the flying squadron has been
unable to communicate with shore, the
storm which still prevails making 1t
unsafe to use the steam launch or
cutters.
tug brought out the mail this morn
ing. The storm that struck the coast
sunday night came up Hampton
Roads like a fury. 1t whistled ut the
rate of ninety miles an hour through
the great superstructure 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 ves-
sells made II impossible for them to
get In smooth water and they had to
stand the iunt of the storm. Toward
morning 1t increased in violence, and
as the tide turned the flood the look
out on the forward bridge of the flag
ship announced that the ship was
dragging It's anchor. The officer of
the deck simultaneously reported that
the Brooklyn was getting in danger
GUS proximity to the battleship Mas
sachusetts. Captain Cook and Execu-
tive officer Mason went to the bridge
Immediately and ordered the second
anchor down. At this time the wind
was blowing SO fiercely that the men
could hardly keep their feet on deck
The second anchor ran out about 20
fathoms of chain, and stuck and the
In oh nj 70 uiNn m
breasted bravely the wind and the tide.
But in few minutes she began to go
back slowly. and 1t was evident that
there was no hold for the anchors. The
signal was Immediately given to pre-
pare to get under way and in the mean
time 1t was hoped that the anchors
would catch hold.
Faster and faster she went back, her
big broadsides swinging towards the
dangerous ram on the prov OF tho
Massachusetts,. The latter was Sig
nailed 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 water tight
compartments and preparing without
the expected collision. The Massaohu-
sets cleared away her booms and pre-
pared for the collision, not daring to
ship the anchor for fear OF running
herself on the sandbar in close prox-
Unity or driving into the Texas.
Faster and faster went the Brooklyn
toward the battleship and the men at
the stations on both vessels stood uii-
fiinchingly ready to perform the
special duty assigned to them in case
OF collision. There was no confusion.
on the bridge with cool heads. sharp
eyes and active brains. were Captain
Cook and his executive 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 AZ
little excitement as they watch a przlc-
tice cruise. the big ships coming to-
gether.
A conflict OF orders would have
meant disaster but there was none.
One order from the captain and one Of
the big anchors comes rafting up and
the ship drifts on little faster to
wards its evident fate. Then in obedi-
ence to the helm, the stern now almost
scraping the Massachusetts, bow
trolled by the anchor. swings In as II
to take the blow. II Is within a few
yards of the huge bs-'ieship and all
are awaiting the crasl
Captain Cook looks over the port
side of the bridge and then says:
Full speedl astern."
There is clang of bells. a siiivar az
the wheels turn and then the cruiser
slides rapidly clear of the Massachu-
sets with barely hand to spare.
Schley. as he goes down to break
fast.
Clever seamanship, perfect discipline
and cool headed judgment had averted
a disaster.
This ship obeyed her engines per-
fectly," said Captain Cook. modestly.
after he had anchored further out.
The storm continued without abate-
mert all day, and the patrol boats that
keep the harbor closed had rough
nights work This morning there was
little abatement of the gale.
Savannah. Ga. April 2s.--The big
storm reported up the coast last night
had nearly spent itself when II reached
here. No damage done.
Jacksonville, Fla, April 2s.-No trace
of the big storm on the upper coast was
felt here.
Cape May. April 9s.-The severe north
caster which began yesterday developed
Into the worst storm on the south Jer-
sey coast since last October The wind
maintains a velocity OF forty miles an
hour. The rain fall has been one and
eight-tenths inches for the twelve hours
ending at o'clock this morning, the
heaviest in years. Three inches OF snow
fell about l o'clock this morning, fol-
lowed by hail and rain. The tides are
beating fiercely on the beach, and will
probably damage the railway seriously.
The meadows between the beach and
mainland are massive seas.
Newport News. April 2s. PM
The warships have suffered no damage
in the gale which is blowing. II is ex-
ceedingy rough. but all ships have their
sea anchors down and are perfectly ss-
cure.