The Washington herald., 1914-11-29
SINKING OF THE FLORIDA
SOLVES A PROBLEM.
November n.

4
Fifty years ago today the Confeder-
ate commerce destroyer Florida. which
had been captured on October Z. in the
heroor Of Bahia, Brazil. by the U. S. s.
Waehusett. sank at her anchors at
Newport News, Va. whittier she had
| been taken as a prize
The capture OF the Florida in q neu-
| tral port had been q deliberate breach
| OF international law and an affront TO
Brazil for which ne United States gov
ernment had been obliged to make
amends by a disavowal OF the act II
was the duty OF the United States to
return the captured ship to the port in
which she had been illegally taken. and
turn her over to Brazil for restoration
to the Confederates
Such course was obviated by the
sinking OF the Florida, which. occur
ring so opportunely. excited some COM
ment Charges were made by the Con-
federates that the vessel was pUrposeIy
sunk by the FederaIs to avoid the hu-
initiation OF returning her to Brazil.
Gossip in the navy and at Hampton
Roads was to the same effect. Among
the survivors OF the war who were on
the ground are men who believe that
the sinking of the ship was not acci-
dental.
While there is no evidence in the Of
fcial records that the Florida was de-
llberately sunk. there is. on this other
hand. no evidence 10 dlSprove the state
ment. while the evidence presented to
show that her sinking was accidental
is not complete.
Navy men claimed to have done all
possible to save the ship. and by in
ference threw blame on the army for
he fnLr fG RNnNI
manding the military department in
which the ship went down. ordered a
court of inquiry to take evidence. but
owing to difficulty in finding witnesses.
the court arrived at no finding. A ma
val court sat in the case. but made a
report that had the appearance OF
white wash" ..
the station embracing Hampton Roads.
when he learned that the Florida had
sunk. remarked better so" In his ma
val history he writes that thought the
ship was not leaking when she arrived
from Brazil, strangely enough" she
went down at her anchors. This. he
states. was the best thing that could
have happened to the Florida"
Was Six Hours Sinking.
The Florida. with the Wachusett. had
arrived AT Hampton Roads on Novem-
ber IL. Admiral Porter ordered her
stripped for laying up. On November
lS Acting Master Jonathan Baker was
ordered aboard as custodian OF the
ship. He found her leaking badly"
from what cause he does not state in
his report
On November 1S the army transport
Alliance. which lay to windward of the
Florida, in getting under way drifted
down on the commerce destroyer, car
rying away the FlOrida's head spars
and rail on one side. This collision
increased the leak.
A week later Admiral Porter ordered
the Florida to be taken to a berth on
Newport News and anchored in deep
water. neear the spot where the Cum
berland went down As the vessel
was SIN leaking. a measure OF insur-
ing her safety from loss by sinking
would have been to order her into shall
low water.
Near the Florida lay the ironcIad At
laata. whose commander was under or
ders to render prompt assistance to the
Florida. IL il were needed. At a. m.
November IS. the watch on the Atlanta
saw a blue light. a distress signal. on
the Florida. A boats crew sent on
board found the Florida in a sinking
condition, and only her deck pumps
working. her steam pump being out OF
order.
The water was gaining so slowly that
the ship might have been beacheed had
there been a tug at hand to tow her.
The night was calm.
Pumping was continued on the Florida
until 7:15, when a tug appeared. and prep
arations were made to tow the ship to
the beach. Instead OF getting out a haw-
ser ahead, the tug captain made fast
alongside. Before any towing could be
done il was seen the ship was sinking.
The tug cast OF her lines. and shortly
after 80 the Florida went down. and
grounded on her port side in fifty-four
above the surface.
Court Places Blame.
There was no assumption that the
ships sea cocks had been tampered
with. to cause the leak: that the army
transport had been ordered to foul the
Florida. and that the steam pump had
been rendered useless at the right mo-
ment to insure the vessel sinking.
The naval court convened to 'sift
these rumors. Commodore H. K.
Thatcher being the presiding officer.
took testimony and made these find
ings:
That the Florida sunk owing to the
giving out OF the steam or donkey
pump, to the neglect OF the fireman to
call the engineer in time. and to the !
fact that some OF her decks pumps !
were out OF order.
with reference to the theory that the |
ship had been tampered with the court |
reported: TT appears further that no |
civilians were allowed on board at any |
lime after Acting Master Baker took |
charge OF the Florida, but that some !
army officers who visited the ship the |
only strangers allowed on board"
In the matter OF the army transport |
he court found that there was moth /
ng to show that the collision was de-
signed" 1t also found that due dill
yence had been exercised by the officer
n charge of the ship ito save her |
when he found her to be in a sinking |
condition"
This report was duly forwarded to
he Brazilian authorities. together with
disavowaI of the act of Commander
Napoleon Collins in seizing the Florida
md the incident OF the Florida-the
east creditable as a whole to the
United States navy OF any in the war
vas thus closed. court-martial rec
'mmended the dismissal of Commander
Collins from the navy. but the sentence
vas not approvd by the Secretary OF
he Navy.
HOODS ARMY LOSES AN
OPPORTUNITY.