New-York tribune., 1910-07-12
SUBMARINE NEARLY
SINKS THE CAST|NE
Gunboat Seriously Damaged in
Mannuvres Off Province
town, Mass.
VESSEL RUN ON THE BEACH
No One on Board Injured, but
Grew Ready to Take to
the Boats-Compart-
ments Flooded.

Provincetown. Mass. July 1.-THE
gunboat Castine. tender of the sub
marine 7otilla, was rammed by the sub
marine Bonita during the manRuvres to-
day and was beached to prevent her
from sinking No one on board was in
jured. Two of the plates of the Castine
were foosened. Her dynamo and boiler
compartments, between frames 10 and
81 are flooded, but the bulkheads are
said to be holding firm.
The accident happened during a mimic
attack on the Castine by the submarines
the Bonita apparently misjudging the
distance and striking the gunboat with
considerable force. The men on both boats
felt the impact and some were momen-
tarily stunned The Bonita escaped with
the slight denting of portion of her
armor and the loss of a small section of
her railing.
AS soon as it was seen how badly the
Castine was damaged it was decided to
beach her near North Truro. She will
be thoroughly examined tomorrow and
preparations made for repairing the
damage
Cruisers Ready to Lend Aid.
Although the officials of the ships in
collision will not discuss the accident, it
has been learned that the Castine was
in such critical condition that the sail
ors had gathered their effects together
and were ready to depart at moments
notice when she touched the beach. The
scout cruisers Birmingham and Salem
were in the harbor at the time of the ac-
cident and were ready to lend assist
ance to the disa bled gunboat had it been
required Some of the Castines com
partments filed with water. and the
strength Of her buIkheads is believed
to have been all that kept her afioat.
The so-called attack on the Castine
was entirely unexpected Several mem
bers Of the crew were in swimming
when the Bonita suddenly rose beneath
the gunboat. and as she came up scraped
her whole length across the bottom of
the Castine Water poured into the
lower engine room and the dynamo
room compartments of the Castine. flood
ing them and threatening TO extinguish
the fires under the boilers. The doors
of the water-tight compartments were
Immediately closed and the Castine
started full speed for the shore. She
reached the beach under her own steam
and rested easily in shallow water. All
her crew remain on board.
Crew of Eighty on Gunboat.
The Castine carried eighty men and
was. commanded by Lieutenant Ralph A
Koch. The Bonita was under command
of Ensign Sloan Banenhower, and car
ried a crew of fifteen men.
The Castine is the tender for the Sd
Submarine Division, made up OF the
submarines Bonita. Grayling, Narwhal,
Snapper. Stingray and Tarpon- The d.
vision commander is Lieutenant Donald
G. Bingham.
The boats came here some time ago
from Charlestown to engage in subma /
rine maneuvres. the exact nature oil
which is kept an official secret The
submarines often disappear early In the
morning and do not return the entire
day. some of their manpuvres being on
the surface and some beneath it
At the time of the accident to-day not
a submarine was in sight, and it was
supposed that they were all far out in
the bay. The others did not return until
two or three hours after the Bonita had
struck the Castine.
witnesses of the accident on shore
to-day did not realize that the Castine
had been damaged until she ran hef
nose aground None of the members oi