The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-01-12
BATTLFSHIPS
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 Fighting Bob" Evans, were
near grave disaster in the lower bay
yesterday Millions of dollars and
many lives were at the hazard OF
touch on the rudder. Only 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
nificent 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 commiss
| meanwhile.
The Alabama put to sea with the
| rest of the fleet, but showed marked
evidence of the collision. For two
hours work centered in getting the
Kentucky and the Kearsarge af1oat
Battleship Squadron.
The five ships made up what is
known as the battleship squadron,
formed some time ago, with Rear Ad-
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 were
in this order: Maine, Kentucky, Kear.
sarge, Alabama, Illinois.
They ran along quietly, hampered,
| however, by wind and tide, which
had a 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 tn 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 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 il she
must ram the Kentucky.
Hit by Alabama.
In a 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 a 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 q glancine
direction.
Run for Their Lives.
The entire starbOard Quarter-rail oi
the Kentucky was carried away. Men
on the deck ran for their lives. The
blow carried away also the davittf
that held the captains gig and also
their stanchions of heavy steel, an6
the gig was cut in twain as sharply al
If a gigantic pair of shears had beer
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
were bent and twisted, and it looked
as if all the plates on the starboarc
side of the ship were sprung and benz
both above and below the water line
Evans Calls for Help.
When tho crash came the Alabama
: listed over to starboard for SECOND
and it looked as If she would turr
turtle. The Alabama, however, suf
fered less than the Kentucky.
Rear Admiral Evans sent wireless
dispatch to Rear Admiral Coghlan al
the Brooklyn navy yard for assis
tance. 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 foatet
easily when finally backed from the
, east bank
YAA HA- NYA-