Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-07-17
TORPEDO FLEET
VISITS HARB0R
Five Destroyers and Two
Torpedo Boats Call
Friday
TWO VESSELS COLLIDE
Rowan Is Caught By Tide
damned Against the
Lawrence
TWO VESSELS COLLIDE

Grays HarbOr took on quite war
like appearance Friday when seven
vessels of the Pacific Coast torpedo
fleet steamed over the bar and an
chored at Hoquiam and Aberdeen. Sat
urday morning the ships hoisted an
chor and sailed for Seattle, thus dis.
the fond hopes of the mill
tarists who had hoped that their cher
ished protection for the Harbor was
come at last. The boats constituted
the first and third divisions of the
Pacific Coast torpedo fleet, with Lieu
tenant Commander l.. C. Richardson
acting as commodore in command.
The boats that called included five
torpedo boat destroyers and two tor
pedo boats. The names of the vessels
with their officers in charge were:
destroyers, the Whipple, Lieut..
Church, the Truxton, Lieut.. Scudder;
the Hopkins, Lieut.. Bowen; the Hull
Lieut.. Jones, and the Lawrence; also
the torpedo boats Rowan and Colds.
borough, under Lieut.. Easterday.
While the boats lay at anchor they
were crowded with sightseers. Peo-
pie from all over the harbor, as quick
ly as they learned of the presence of
the fleet went to the Hoquiam dock
to inspect the ships. They were al
lowed to go all over the boats and the
seamen on board were very courteous
in explaining the various details of
naval equipment and life.
The squadron Is on its way from
San Francisco to Seattle, where 1t
will take part in the naval display
at the Seattle Potlatch this week.
They stopped at Eureka, Cal, and
at Willapa harbor. At the former
port the destroyer Farragut was RAM
med while crossing the bar and was
delayed for repairs. The Farragut
belonged to the third division, and re-
joined the other boats here Satur-
uoy LAOl hiu6' al VHAopd tuC I oui
Jones, Perry, Preble and Stewart re.
mained for day. but have now gone
on to Seattle also.
A heavy fog lay over the sea all
the way up the coast. The vessels
arrived off the entrance to the Harbor
about o'clock Friday morning, but
in the dense fog they held off till a
pilot could be sent out. The boats
crossed the bar when the fog lifted
and the pilot tug appeared and drew
up to the Hoquiam dock about II. The
Whipple, Hopkins, TruXton and Hull
lashed together lay along the Eighth
street dock. The other vessels pro-
ceeded on up the Harbor and cast
anchor just off the Federal mill dock.
The little torpedo boat Rowan in
to position beside the Law.
renee, was caught by the incoming
tide. and whipped around so quickly
and with such force that it crashed
into the bow of the Lawrence. The
force Of the collision was enough to
cave in the thin armor steel of the
Rowan, aft on the starboard side, and
tear away part of it's rigging The
Lawrence was not damaged. Under
orders. the Rowan then dropped down
to Hoquiam and lined up alongside its
larger mates.
The citizens of Hoquiam, despite
lack of preparation, gave the officers
of the fleet a royal reception. In
Lieut.. Commander Rich
ardson and eight lieutenants and en-
signs were taken up the valley as far
as Elma. In the evening. they were
entertained at luncheon at the Gray.
port hotel. The officers were given
the complete liberties of the Elks'
club house at Hoquiam. and frater.
nized freely with their hosts.
The destroyers. in dull black, with
their four short tunnels askew Of the
deck. their sides and decks covered
with steel, and some of them with
whale bows looking much like tor.
pedoes themselves. presented rather
sinister appearance. The torpedo
BOATS are so small that one scarce
y sees how they keep afioat They
ire very narrow in the beam and have
/ depth of only ten feet. The sea.