The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-13
BATTLESHlP HITS ROCK.
MASSACHUSETTS HAS NARROW
 ESCAPE FROM WRECK.

7 v !
 ward Buikheads Quickly Fill Win
 Water aud the Warsbip Returas to5
 Her Anchorage.
 Bar Harbor. Me. Aug. 12.- While leaving the harbor during a thick fog about to-day in company with other vessels of the north Atlantic squadron, the battleship Massachusetts sustained considerable damage by striking on a ledge Of rocks off the western end of Egg Rock. The big vessel slipped over the rocks into deep water. but the two forward bulkheads soon filled with wa ter and it was subsequently, found that several plates forward had been crack ed. The Massachusetts was headed back into the harbor with considerable difficulty and accompanied by her sister vessel the Indiana. and the gunboatl Scorpion. She will remain here until Captain Manning. her commander, re-. ceives orders from Washington. when it lyn to be dry docked.
 The squadron, under the command of Rear Admiral Barker, which has been on this part of the coast engaged in a war game, got under way shortly before noon to-day for Long Island sound, where there will be tactical exercises previous to an inspection and re- View next Monday by President Roose- Welt, Secretary Moody and Admiral Dewey The flagship Kearsarge led the fleet and immediately following were Massachusetts, Indiana. the cruisers Olympia, Baltimore, Topeka, Yankee, Prairie. the gunboat Scorpion, besides the smaller vessels of the fleet. The squadron .had no sooner started than g. dense fog. which had been hanging off
 shore all the morning, rolled in and withon ten minutes 1t was impossible to see more than fifty yards. The Massa- Ichusetts occupied a position on the port quarter of the Texas, as she proceeded down the harbor. which brought her much nearer to Egg Rock than the l.otner ships. It is believed that the ac- cideil; was due to . nliscalculation of her position on the part of the navigat- i ing officer. When the big battleship struck she was going at the rate of about nine and half knots and all though she was drawing twenty y-six seet os water and there was less than twenty-ave feet on the ledge her pro- gress was but little retarded and she at once passed over into deeper water.
 Her officers stated tonight that if she
 had been fifty feet to the westward she \ would have cleared the ledge The col tifsion siren was immediately sounded
 and the bulkhead doors closed tight. The Indiana and Scorpion. which were immediately behind her. ran alongside l to render assistance. and two torpedo l boat destroyers were sent over by Ad- lmiral Barker to report on the accident, I The channel at this point is very nar- row and it was no slight task to turn Il the ship in such dense fog. With the l assistance of one of the naval tugs this
 was finally accomplished and at l o'clock the Massachusetts was once l more at anchor with the Indiana and Scorpion close alongside.
 I Captain Manning said tonight that \ he could have proceeded with the rest q of the fleet but thought it wiser to re
 turn. He also stated that two divers examined the bottom of the vessel this laeternoon and reported that several lplates were cracked and that the shiI 1l would have to dry dock for repairs The Massachusetts tonight was dowr Iby the head about ten inches. but by linorning she will be very nearly on ever
 keel as her crew are hard at work to, might carrying aft ammunition aile I stores. It is expected that she will be l lin natural trim when her orders are re.
 ceived to sail. It is expected that she 3 will proceed to Brooklyn navy yard un.
 der. her own steam, where she will. bt l dry docked and the full extent of hei
 damage ascertained.