The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-13
MASSACHUSETTS, HITS A ROCK.
BiTTLESHgP DAMAGED SLIGHTLY
AND PUTS BACK.
Had started with the Fleet I'm Dense Fog
for Oyster Bay--Struck Dry Ledge
Plate Broken ON the Port Bow--Only

Two OF Her Compartments Flooded.
BAR HARBoR, Me, Aug. 12.-The first
| accident Of the summer naval war game
Of the North Atlantic feet, or, as Capt Jo-
seph G. Eaton puts it, the first serious in ii
dent, happened this afteroon at 1928 o o'clock,
when the battleship Massa ,husetts ran on a
rock pinnacle projecting from Dry Ledge,
the southwesterly point of Egg Rock, as
she was leaving here with the feet for Oyster
Bay. The accident occurred about three
miles southeast of Bar Harbor. The battle
ship did no. run into the rock, but just
grazed it withher port bow, twentyfour
feet under her waterline, which is two feet
les than she draws.
The result of the collision was a crack
in the metal plate large enough to ADMIT
three fingers of mans hand. This crack
gave the water admission to two Of the 14O
compartme into which the hull of the
ship is divided. and so was far from serious
The ship might have thirty or forty COM
p,rtments filed and yet be in no danger of
sinking
The coast to-day was enveloped with the
thickest fog that has blown in here this
summer, and it was impossible for the watch
officers of the battleship to see more than
100 feet ahead of the ship at the time she
struck Extra precautions had been taken,
as it was considered to be dangerous sail
ing. Five officers were on the lookout
in front of the pilot house, instead of the
two who have regular duty there. Among
these was Capt. Eaton himself. Before
the Massachusetts, struck, she was over
pretty close to shore. When the ship was
passing Long Porcupine Island, the fog
lifted for a few minutes and the captain
found his ship less than 100 feet from the
shore.
1t was a surprise to many that Admiral
Barker set sail in so thick fog. Had the
Admiral deferred his departure for two
hours, the accident would not have
happened. as the fog lifted notioeably by
? o'clock. The Massachusetts, was the
most easterly ship in the formation and she
was of the port side of the Texas, though
she was unable to SEQ that ship, owing to
the density of the fog. Soundings were
taken constantly. just before the ship
struck. six cen fathoms was reported to
the Captain, and just afteIward the
soundngs showed ten fathoms,
Capt. Eaton said tonight that his ship
was in her course according to the chart,
and this is possible, as there are many
deep rocks and pinnacles which are not
on the charts. 1t is not often that a big
boat comes up il to these waters. The tor
pedo.boat destroyers, which have been
making soundings here. have found sew
eral rocks that are not on the charts. 1t
Is not probable that 1t will take much work
to repair tho ship. Her injury was not
so serious that she could not have gone
on. but Capt. Eaton thought 1t safer to
bring her back into the harbor and have
divers examine the break carefully.
Capt. Eaton said tonight that he was
ready 10 sail as soon as he received word
from the Navy Department. The crew
was kept busy tonight shifting the ammu-
milton from the forward part Of the ship
aft to keep the boat on an even keel.
About $40 tons OF water entered through
the little crack, 1870 tons of which is in
one of the compartments. Had the acct
dent happened a little nearer the middle
of the boat not nearly so much water would
have been taken in as the compartments
there are much smaller.
At the time of the accident the best Of
discipline prevailed. The jar Of the COLI
sion was felt by the officers, and they at once
sent an orderly below to see what was
wrong. The danger signal. the siren
whistle. was then blown and every man
jumped to his place without the slightest
excitement, All of the compartments We're
closed, the m lritle corps was at its station
at the lifeboats, and every jacky was at
his post.
The danger signal at once drew the
Indiana, which is q sister ship of the Massa-
chusetts. the Scorpion and three destroyers
to her side, and the Admiral sent these
boats TO accompany the injured ship back
TO the harbor. As soon as the harbor
was reached the destroyers were sent back
to the feet, but the Scorpion and Indiana
stayed during the night, and they will
probably re- Join the feet tomorrow.
Capt Eaton said tonight:
I'VE are all right and II the incident
had happe ned in deep sea we should have
kept rig't on sailing but under the circum-
stances it seemed best to come back. The
fog was the thickest we have had during
the man9uvres, and we could not see half
the ships length ahead of us. We are
ready TO sail az soon as the Navy Depart
ment notifies us where we are todrydock
ut was just as if you bruised your
shoulder in passing through door. We
may have been standing bit too near the
eastward and the tide was carrying us
in considerably as it WAS only an hour
before high tide
taken place on this ledge of rock. Several
ships have struck il, and some have gone
down there. An old seaman eaid tonight:
We've been hollerin' long time for a
buoy out there, and now. maybe. wen
get it.
The last ship to run onto the ledge was
the Julia Ann, a fishing schooner. She
was returning from a haul when she struck
the rock and went down with her full cargo
and crew.
The naval fleet left here shortly after
II o'clock this morning In the fleet, be-
sides the Massachusetts and those vessels
which returned with her, were the Hear
sarge, Illinois, Alabama, Texas. Olympia,
Baltimore, Topeka, Yankee, Panther.
Prairie and the torpedo boat destroyer
fiotilla. The feet will go directly to Oyster
Bay, where it will be reviewed by the Presi-
dent and then return to Roc'iland. Me,
whereit will coal, in preparationfor the joint
army and navy manGuvres of Portland
harbor.
PORTLAND, Me, Aug l2.--During the
last four weeks nearly sixty miles Of cal lie
h S been laid in Casco Bay in anticipation
of the coming war game. Every fort and
every point OF prominence within radius