The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-06-03
NARSH|P IN A Collision.
The United States Cruiser Column
bia Badly Damaged.
SHE SINKS A BRITISH SHIP.
Crew Landed at New York by tho Column
bia-Columbia Officers Refuse to Talk,
But Steamer Captain Tells the Story
Caught In Fog.


command of Captain Sands, anchored
off TomplSinsville, S. l., yesterday
morning, it was seen that she had a
large jagged hole stove in her star
board side, abreast of the mainmast
and Immediately 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 damaged
could not be ascertained and none OF
the naval officers would give any in
formation 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 Saturday with a
cargo of machinery and general mer-
chandise for Bordeaux, went ashore.
No one was allowed to go on board the
Columbia, but the officer of the deck
made the following brief statement:
"About TAO p. IN. yesterday, the
British steamship Foscolia, in COM
mand of Captain John Evans, collided
with our vessel during dense fog.
We were then about eight miles south
west of Fire Island light. We lowered
two lifeboats and rescued the captain
and crew, numbering twenty-one all
told. We stood by until the Foscolia
sank, at o'clock this morning. AS
rescued men ashore. Further infor-
nation in reference to the accident l
cannot give you"
Captain Evans of the Foscolia made
this statement: 1.-The Foscolia cleared
from this port at noon on Saturday
with general cargo of about 1900
tons. All went well until evening,
when heavy fog set in. was on the
bridge and ordered the lights up and
the fog whistle kept going. AS the
fog grew denser the speed of the ship
was reduced to one-half.
"About o'clock Lookout Johnson
on the forecastle and Thompson on the
bridge reported steamer on the port
bow. Our lights were burning brightly
and the fog signal was whistling.
looked up and saw big steamer with
four tunnels dead ahead. AS the
steamers were not 200 yards apart,
saw that a collision was inevitable. l
blew three whistles and the approach
ing vessel. answered with one blast.
That was the first time | heard the
Columbia's whistle. Instantly / or
dered our engines full speed astern.
1.-The vessels came together, however,
with terrible crash and the bow OF
the Foscolia ran up on the cruiser S
armor belt and then ran through her
sponsor. They remained locked for a
couple of seconds but the backing of
the Foscolia's engines tore off her bow
as far back as the first water-tight
bulkhead. The wreckage stuck in the
cruisers side above and below the
water line and caused the Columbia
to leak considerably. Had it not been
for the bullying of the sponsor from
the side of the warship, the Foscolia
would only have struck the Columbia a
glancing blow. The bow of the Eos
cola became wedged between the
sponsor and hull of the cruiser, and
the bow of my boat was completely
wrenched off.
st was dead calm at the time of the
collision. After backing away l saw
that the injury to the Foscolia was
serious, and instantly ordered the life
boats launched. The crew were sent
aboard the cruiser, which had hole in
her starboard side large enough to
drive team and carriage through.
Exactly at 3 a. m. the Foscolia went
down, head first, in about nineteen
fathoms of water, 1t reappeared again
a few minutes later and then disap-
peared forever, stern first. None of
my men were hurt, but / cannot tell if
all the men on the Columbia escaped
injury. think not.
1.-The Foscolia, which 1 comman ded
for twelve months, was an iron vessel
OF $50 tons net, and 1886 tons gross,
launched at Low, England, in 1879,
and her sailing port is London. She
was 259 feet long, thirty-four feet
beam and twenty-five feet seven inches
deep. She was schoonerrigged, had
two masts, double deck, four bulk
heads, compound engines and carried
water ballast"