The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-31
BATTLESH|PS IN CRASH
The Alabama Rams the Kentucky in
Avoiding Stranded Kearsarge.
TWO SHIPS OF FLEET GROUND
Plates and Much of the Superstructure
Badly Damaged on the Kentucky
Puts Back TO New York Harbor After
the Peculiar Accident Which Occurred
in the Lower Bay

the PeCuJtNr ACCluout ~
in the Lower Bay
New York City Willie five Of the
big battleships of the North Atlantic
squadron, under Rear-Admiral Evans.
were steaming out 70 sea, bound FOL
Hampton Roads, the Kearsarge and
the Kentucky went aground, about
noon, off the northwest point of the
East Bank, about q mile and a halt
south of Norton's Island and two miles
east of West Bank Light
The Alabama, fourth in line. tore
through the channel and struck the
Kentucky on the starboard quarter
with terrific force. tearing a hole IN
her own port bow and seriously dam
aging the Kentucky. The fleet was
proceeding under reduced speed. prob
ably not more than sever or eight
knots when the high wind and strong
tide eddies played havoc with the Ken,
lucky, forcing her to swing almost
half a mile off the main chanuel.
The Kentucky rammed her nose
into the bank first. then the hear.
sarge. stationed 400 yards in her wake,
tried to yeer to the eastward to avoid
her. but the strong tide and heavy
winds made her slip, and she drltted
TO the westward of the Kentucky and
went aground rather than ram her.
Neither of the battleships had time to
reduce speed Hardly were they
aground when the Alabama, fourth i'll
line, followed. and, before she could
reduce speed or swing away from the
mud held battleShips grounded ahead
of her, she rammed the Kentucky with
all the terrific force behind the impe
tus of 10000 tons of steel. The ken:
lucky va forced to return to Temp
kinsville, where an immediate inspec
ton of her hull was ordered.
The diver who inspected her u
would not make public the damage. ii
any, sustained below the waterllne
Her starboard quarter rail was torn
away, heavy steel davits snapped OIL
and the captains gig cut in two az
though by a keen bladed knife. Be.
sides this her plates were torn n
twisted from waterline, to SuperStruc'
ture. Apparently her steering gear also
was damaged, for she limped back tc
Tompkinsyille like i wounded bird.
Besides splitting open her port bow
fifteen feet above the waterline, the
Alabama's forward davits were torn
away, all the rail of the port bow
snapped off. plates denied and the huge
from shutter on one of the gunports
torn away.
The Alabama veered off into the
channel and proceeded down to the
Southwest Spit, where she was able tc
swing around. Coming back she drew
alongside of the Kentucky. and re,
manned there until the Kentucky and
the Kearsarge pulled off under theil
own steam and joined the flagship
Maine, which was already outside
Sandy Hook.
Rear-Admiral Evans ordered the
Kentucky back to TOmpkinsville for
examination. After making temper.
airy repairs the Alabama Joined the
fleet outside the Hook. and all except
the kentucky went on to Hampton
Roads.
The accident is one that, according
to mariners, is liable to happen any
time in the Lower Bay, because of the
narrownes of the channel, the high
winds and strong tide that prevail
there he year round. Rear-Admiral
RObley D. Evans, commanding the
feet, was outside the Hook when the
accident occurred. Rear-Admiral Da.
Wis, who was on the Alabama, stated
briefly how the accident occurred, but
would not make any comment.
According to the official statement,
all FIVE battleships left Tompkinsyille
at Ills o'clock i'll the morning. under
orders to steam to Hampton Roads.
Rear-Admiral Evans, on the flagship
Maine, led the column, displaying the
signal, "FolIow the flag" This order
means a single column formation, each
vessel 400 yards in the rear Of the pre-
ceding one. They steamed out in the
following order: The Maine, the Ken.
lucky. the Kearsarge. the Alabama
and the Illinois. The Maine passed on
to Sandy Hook, but the Kentucky.
when about a mile and a half south of
NOrton's Island, found it impossible
to follow the order, because Of the
high wind and heavy tide. The Kear.
sarge, 400 yards behind her, had al.
ready been forced eastward on &C.
count of the tide, but had hoped to
get into the column any moment. The
Kentucky lowered her speed, struggled
for a few minutes and then ran
aground.
The Kearsarge could not get to the
eastward of the Kentucky, and, see
ing no other way, swung to westward
and went aground, rather than ram
the Kentucky. The Alabama, coming
behind under the same speed, was con-
fronted with the same conditions at
this point, except that she was 800
yards away from the Kentucky. She
tried to pass to the eastward of the
Kentucky. now lying with her nose in
ten feet of mud, but her steering gear
vas not working properly, and the
wind and tide became stronger every
moment. Before she could reduce
speed she Tammed the K~entucky'S star
honr ri n,,orfar than yaara1 IF ;pfn tho