The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-02-21
REPORT ON ACCIDENT TO NEW,
PORT WHILE OFF CAPE HENRY
DURING RECENT GALEs-ITEMs
OF INTEREST TO PENsAcoL.
IANs REGARDING NORTH AT.
LANTIc FLEET AND OTHER
MATTERS.

The following items, under the head
News and Comment" are clipped
4 from the columns of the Army ans
Navy Register of February 18th:
The Navy Department has received
a report from Commander a. Mertz
commanding the Newport, telling OF
the recent accident to that vessel
While the Newport was on her way
from Boston to Sanchez, Santo Do
| mingo, about 2:30 a. m, January 80,
| her tail shaft was broken and her pro-
/ peller lost about 800 miles southeast
by east from Cape Henry. The vessel
was at once put under sail and head
| ed for the Virginia Capes, but, owing
4 TO the head winds and poor weather
qualities of the ship under sail, the
vessel did not make Cape Henry until
the morning of February 9, when she
was picked up by tugs and towed to
the navy yard, Norfolk. Commander
Mertz, in his report of the affair
says:
During the ten days the weather
was uniformly bad. Two gales, one
from the northeast and the other from
the northwest were encountered. Du-
ring the latter the seas were tremen-
dously high and heavy and the ship
was hove to under storm sails. can
not speak too highly of the ships
qualities as a sea boat. She rode the
seas like a gull and was dry fore and
aft. On the morning of January 81, L.
L. Lackey, ordinary seaman, was
washed overheard, but owing to the
prompt and efficient action of Ensign
Wygant. officer of the deck, the man
was rescued and brought on board. A
moderately heavy sea was running
at the time. The behavior of the crew
during what was a novel experience
TO most of them, was admirable.
1t is stated at the navy department
that the vessel can be fully repaired
in about six weeks. The Bath Iron
Works, where she was built, will be
able to supply a new tail shaft ana
propeller in five weeks time. When
ready the Newport will proceed at
once to her original destination, San
chez, Santo Domingo.
(Both Commander Mertz and Ensign
Wygant have numerous friends in Pen
sacola.)
The navy department will shortly
be in the market for 100000 cap rib
bOns for the enlisted force of the
navy. These ribbons are among the
most treasured of mementoes on board
ship and no visitor to any of our YES
sells considers the trip quite complete
unless he or she-the Partially is not
confined to one seX-carries OF a cap
ribbon bearing the name of the vessel
in gilt letters"
The cruiser Galveston was placed ii
commission on February Is at the
navy yard, Norfolk, Va, with Com
mander w. G. Cutler in command and
with a crew numbering PSI men. The
Chattanooga, now at the navy yard,
New York, completing fitting out, has
been assigned to the Caribbean squad
ron of the North Atlantic fleet. The
Prairie and the Yankee of the Atlantic
training squadron have been ordered
to proceed TO Washington, d. c., in
time to permit their crews to take
part in the inaugural parade on March
4. Possibly the Hartford of the same
squadron will also be sent to Washing
ton for the same purpose. The Har;-
ford is under orders TO proceed north
from the Caribbean to Annapolis.
where she will be placed out of COM
mission and hereafter used as a train
ing ship for midshipmen.
The Navy Department is in receipt
of information from the ships in south
ern waters in regard to the prelimi-
nary torpedo practice. Several chan
ges have been already found advis-
able in torpedo and tube equipment
and operation. The real test, Of course,
will come when the ships arrive ct
Pensacola when there will be a prae-
tice for record purposes with the tor
pedoes as well as with the guns. Tho
experience so far gained in this
branch of work shows more than ever
the value of conducting competitive
firing No amount of naval regula-
tons, no matter how specific or EN-
phatic they may be wOrded serve as
profitable a purpose as a competition,
where the recruits depends upon the
prelimiRaries and the practical opera
ton.
HdSSHN ASSlSNdul. L d. ALlcaotH4 t. VI.
Payne, on duty at Peaasc0la, will be
promoted
In the future the position of chief
OF staff in the North Atlantic feet ami
in the Asiatic feet will not be filed by
the commanding officer OF the flagship,
out another officer will be detailed for
that duty alone When Rear Admiral
A. S. Barker goes on the retired list
on March 81 and hauls down his flag
as commander-in-chief OF tle North
Atlantic feet. Rear Admiral R. D.
Evans will assume command of that
fleet. and he will have as his chief Of
staff Captain ]. E Pillsbury, now on
duty at the Navy Department as as
sistant TO the bureau OF navigation.
Rear Admiral Evans will have ~ the
Maine as his flagship.
Among the guests at a dinner given
by Miss Durand. daughter of the Brit
ish ambassador and Lady Durand on
last Saturday night, was Lieut.. Mark
NJ Bristol of the navy.