Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-13
The Massachusetts, Strikes on
a Ledge Off the Coast of
Maine
KEEL PLATES ARE DAMAGED.
Thick Fog Enveloped the Coast and
Made Navigation Difficult - Rock
Which Did the Mischief is Unchar-
ed and Accident Might Have oe-
CURED in Clear Weather.

Bar Harbor, Me-. Aug 1o.-io ~
big first class battles ship Massachu-
sets the first accident, or, as Captain
Joseph G. Eaton puts it, the first IN
cident, Of the summer naval war game
of the North Atlantic fleet happened
Yesterday afternoon. AS she was leav-
ing here with the fleet for Oyster Bay.
the battles ship touched the submerge
shoal projecting from the dry ledge at
the southwesterly point OF Egg Rock'
about three miles southeast of Bar
Harbor The Massachusetts did not
strike the rock directly, but just grazed
it on her port bow twenty-four feet
under her water line.
The result of the collision was a
crack in the metal plate large enough
to admit three fingers of a man 5
hand. This crack gave the water ad-
mission to only two of the LAO compart-
ments into which the hull OF the snip
is divided, and so was far from serious,
as the ship might have thirty or forty
compartments filed and yet be in no
danger Of sinking.
Thick Fog on Coast.
The coast was enveloped with the
thickest fog that has blown in here
this summer, and it was impossible
for the watch officers OF the battle
ship to see more than 100 feet ahead
at the time when she struck. Extra
precautions had been taken, as it was
considered to be dangerous sailing. Five
~ loo tn frrn
OF the pilot house instead of the two
who have regular duty there. Among
these was Captain Eaton himself. Once.
before the Massachusetts struck. she
was pretty close to the shore. When
the ship was passing Long Porcupine
island the fog lifted for q few minutes
and the captain found his ship less
than 100 feet from the shore.
The Massachusetts was the most
easterly ship in the formation. and she
was off the port side of the Texas,
tho she was unable to see that ship
owing to the density of the fog. Sound
ings We're constantly taken. Just be-
fore the ship struck sixteen fathoms
We're reported to the captains, and af-
ter she struck the sounding showed
ten fathoms.
When seen Captain Eaton said that
his ship was in her course, according
to the chart. There are any number
of deep rocks and pinnaclcs around
here which are not on the charts, as
1t is not often that a big boat comes
up In these waters. The torpedo boat
deStroyers which have been making
soundings here have found several
rocks that are not on the charts. Where
the rock struck the Massachusetts the
plates are not very thick, and it is not
probable that 1t will take much to re-
pair the ship, once she gets into the
drydock. Her injury was not so seri-
Gus that she could not have gone on {,
a dry Ndock. but Captain Eaton thought
it safer to bring her back into the
harbor and have his divers examine the
break very carefully. Captain Eaton
said last night that he was ready to
sail as soon as he received word from
the navy department.
AT the time Of the accident the best
of order and discipline prevailed. The
jar of the collision was felt by the
officers and they at once dispatched an
orderly below to see what was wrong.
The danger signal was then blown and
every man jumped to his place without
the slightest excitement. All of the
We're at once closed. The
danger signal at once drew the Indiana
which Is sister ship OF the Massa-
the Scorpion, and three de-
stroyers to her side and the admiral
dispatched these boats to accompany
the injured ship back into the har-
Dor.
This is not the first accident that ha IS
taken place on this ledge Of rock. A
number of ships have struck it. and
a number have gone down there. An
old seaman on the shore last night
said: We've been hollerin' long time
for buoy out there, and now, maybe
We'll get IT."