The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-03-31
A Jagged Hole Was Knocked
in the We 9 Below the
Wa Line.
BOARD OF QUIRY
WILLIE Z ESTIGATE
Rudder of Tor sdo Fired By
Boat Failed to Work and
the Torpedo Made a Circle
and Struck the Boat-The
Costly Torpedo Lost.

AS a result of the failure of the ma
chanery of a big Whitehead torpedo,
fired from the torpedo boat Blakely,
to work, and the inability of the host
to get out of the way when the tor
pedo changed It's course, the vessel
Is nov in the dry dock at the PEN
stacola navy yard with a jagged hole
IN her hull, where the torpedo,
speeding through the water at the
rate of thirty miles an hour, struck
her. The plates. We're stove in below
the water line, and the water poured
into the after compartments until it
was temporarily stopped by the crew
placing bedding and mattresses in
the hole.
On Montgomery's Range.
The Blakely was on the range OF
the Montgomery Saturday afternoon,
experimenting with the Whitehead tor
pedo when the accident occurred. The
torpedo which struck the vessel had
been set for a target at a range of
1000 yards. 1t was fired from ths
vessel and went speeding from the
vessel on its course for about one
hundred yards. then the machinery of
the torpedo became deranged. and
it swerved suddenly and making
circle from the starboard TO the port
the vessel at the speed of thirty
miles an hour, and crashed into the
hull below the water line.
Unable to Move.
The Blallely was unable TO get out
of the way of the torpedo, for the
reason that she was mixed mp in
number of buoys placed by the Mont
gomery. The vessel could not turn,
owing to the fact that she WAS touch
ing one of the buIoys, while she could
not go forward or back for fear of the
propeller becoming entangled in the
chains holding the buoys. AS a result
she remained stationery and was
struck by the torpedo. The water
rushed into the after compartments,
but the crew quickly went below, aud
with bedding stopped the flow to some
extent When the vessel reached the
navy yard, however, there were three
feet of water in the hold.
The Torpedo Lost.
The torpedo which contained no
explosives and was merely for prac-
tice purposes, was lost. and although
boats from the vessel have been out
since the accident making a search.
it has not yet been found. Each OF
the torpedooS cost the government not
qlIence every effort will be made to
locate the lost one.
Board of Inquiry.
A board of inquiry has been named
by Capt. Heilner, Of the navy yard, to
investigate into the accident. This
board is composed of Commander +.
NJ. Bennett, Lieut.. r. H. Osborn and
Chief Sailmaker NJ Watkins, all sta
toned at the local navy yard. The
officers of the Blakely will appear be-
fore the board today and make state
ments bearing on the accident. Lieut.
T. L. Ozburn is in command of the
Blakely. ana this officer yesterday
stated that while he would not make
a statement at this time, il was not
for the reason that he had anything
To cover up. but due solely to the fact
that he preferred 10 wait until the
board of inquiry concludes it's inves-
LEGATIONS.
The Blakely is in the Spanish dry
dock. and RoFimen of the navy yard
are now engaged in removing the dam
aged plate This work will require
only a few days, and when new one
is placed the vessel viii be ready TO
again go in commission.