The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1906-01-11
A COLLISION OF
BIG BATTLESHIPS
The Alabama PInnges Into the
Kentucky.
The LATTER SHIP WAS DAMAGED.
iho Illinois Narrowly Avoids Getting Into the
Tangle-A Series Of Mlshsps to Admiral
Evans BsttIsship Squadron In New York
Bsy-The Kesrssrge and Kentucky Run
Aground Of West Bank Light

New York (SpeciaD The battleship
squadron of the United States Navy got
itself all tangled up in the lower bay.
Before the tangle was Strengthened out
the Kentucky and Kearsarge were
aground and the Alabama had struck
the Kentucky glancing blow on the
starboard quarter and damaging her so
badly that she will have to go to the
Brooklyn navy yard for repairs. The
alabama herself was damaged a little.
The accident happened while the squad
ron was trying to get out of New York
haTbor on Its way to Hampton Roads.
The squadron, consisting of FIVE first
class battleships, the flower of the Navy
lett Iompkinsville at lilo o'clock Sun
day morning for the Roads and winter
cruise. Rear Admiral Evans. on the
Maine, was in command and Rear Ad-
mral Davis commanded the second di-
vision They proceeded in the following
order; Maine, Kentucky, Kearsarge, Ala
bama and Illinois. The Maine. leading
was the only vessel that carried a pilot
She flew the sgnal Follow the flag
ship"
In close formation, 400 yards apart
they turned into the main ship channel
There was an ebb tide, which raised the
I2-knot speed of their screws to about
IA knots. A strong wind was blowing
from the west. This gave them a ten
dency to swing toward the east bank,
a rather sudden shoal, with a mud bot
tom. The end of this bank reaches into
the channel at a point between Swim
6urne Island and Coney Island Point.
The tail end of the squadron, extending
out like string of barges, had swung
too tar IN toward this bank The Maine
passed 1t, but the Kentucky suddenly
went aground and was jammed tight in
the mud before her engines could re-
verse.
The hearsarge, only LOO feet behind
saw the Kentucky stop suddenly and 60
aground. She herself was too far 10
the east to risk turning westward into
the main channel. AS the event proved.
she would probably have struck the
Kentucky had she tried TO do so. Her
navigating officer sheered her to port.
She avoided a collision, but she. too,
went aground
Behind this tangle came the Alabama.
Admiral Davis flagship, Captain S. P.
Comfy in command. The Alsbama's nav
lgating officer saw the two vessels stop
before him and saw that they were
aground. He turned out into the open
water to starboard, hoping to clear. The
space was too short Wind and tide
were against him. He passed clear of
the kearsarge, which had gone further
inShorc before she grounded, but his
port bow caught the starboard quarter
of the Kentucky and raked it. Just the
fraction of second in the turn of the
wheel prevented him from ramming the
Kentucky at II knots. That would have
been something to tell about
As it was, the Alabama made the Ken
lucky look as though it had been in ac-
ton. She carried away the Kentucky S
port rail and all belonging to it from the
stern to the superstructure-tore away
the davits of the captains gig, even to
the heavy steel stanchions into which
the davits were set