The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-01-12
BATT[fSH|PS
IN COLLISION
KEARSARGE AND KENTUCKY RUN
AGROUND AND LATTER is HIT
BY ALABAMA.
IS QUITE BADLY DAMAGED
REAR ADMIRAL EVANS WILL OR.
DER INQUIRY INTO CAUSE
OF ACCIDENT.

New York, Jan. 9.-Five great bat
tleships, the flower of the American
navy under command of Rear Ad-
miral "Fightng Bob Evans, We're
near grave disaster in the lower bay
yesterday. Millions OF dollars and
many lives were at the hazard of
touch on the rudder. Only q wonder
full bit Of good fortune saved the fleet
from wreck.
Two battleships, the Kentucky and
the Kearsarge, ran aground, and in an
effort to avoid a similar fate the mag
niticent Alabama smashed into the
grounded Kentucky, and both ships
Were Badly Damaged.
The crash fell mostly upon the Ken
lucky, which had to be ordered back
to the Brooklyn navy yards for re-
pairs She will go out of commission
meanwhile.
The Alabama put to sea with the
rest Of the fleet, but showed marked
evidence of the collision. For two
hours work conferred in getting the
Kentucky and the Kearsarge affoat.
BattIeship Squadron.
The five ships made up what is
known as the battleship squadron,
formed some time ago, with Rear AID.
miral Evans in command and Rear
Admiral Davis as second in divisional
duty.
The feet for the last two weeks has
been lying off Tompkinsville. Yes
terday morning anchor was weighed
and the five ships started down the
bay bound for Hampton Roads, where
they were ordered to begin winter
evolutions.
Follow the Maine.
The ships followed the Maine, Rear
Admiral Evans flagship. They We're
in this order: Maine, Kentucky Kear-
sarge, Alabama, Illinois.
| They ran along quietly, hampered~
however, by wind and tide, which
had tendency to force each ship
over to the east of the channel. The
tide and wind drove the big ships
more and more against the east bank
as the long strip of sand is known at
that point.
| Kentucky Goes Aground
The Kentucky tried hard TO keep in
| straight alignment with the Maine
ahead of her, and then it was noticed
that she wabbled as if she was not
minding her rudder we'll With a
wide turn to port she suddenly, like a
deer, mounted the northern end of the,
east bank and in moment was.
aground forward, with a chopping sea
and high wind, and right behind her
three other great warships.
Directly behind the Kentucky and
coming at good rate of speed was.
the Kearsarge. 1t lookes as if she.
must ram the Kentucky.
Hit by Alabama.
In desperate effort to avoid the,
impact, the kearsage pulled far over
to the fatal east bank and more
quickly than it takes to tell it she.
too, was ashore not hundred feet
from the Kentucky.
The commander Of the Alabama,
next in line, tried to get by the Ken
lucky at starboard. There was not
much time to execute the evolution
The Alabama crashed into the Ken
lucky at half-speed and in glancing-
direction.
Run for Their Lives.
The entire starboard quarter-rail of
the Kentucky was carried away. Men
on the deck ran for their lives, The.
blow carried away also the davitts
that held the captains gig and also,
their stanchions of heavy steel, and
the gig was cut in twain as sharply as
If gigantic pair of shears had been
used.
The upper top-plates of Harveyized
steel were bent for at least ten feet
The doors of the port, shielding the.
after six-inch guns in her battery
were carried away. The Sponsors
We're bent and twisted, and it looked
as if all the plates on the starboard
side of the ship were sprung and bent
both above and below the water line
Evans Calls for Help.
When the crash came the Alabama
listed over to starboard for a second
and it looked as if she would turn
turtle. The Alabama, however, suf-
fered less than the Kentucky.
Rear Admiral Evans Sent a wireless
dispatch to Rear Admiral Goghlan at
the Brooklyn navy yard for assis-
lance. In hurry the tugs Powhat-
tan, Apache and Uncas were hurried
down the bay, and after two hours
both the battleships were got of from
their dangerous position They fioated
easily when finally backed from the
east bank.
Fort Atkinson, Wis, Jan: 7-Eira