The Atlantic fleet had been maneuvering in Cape Cod Bay under the command of Rear Admiral Schroeder, the then commander-in-chief. In the afternoon, the fleet anchored in formation. About an hour before dark, as I remember the time, the signal was made to get under way and form column. At that time the anchor chains of all the battleships were fitted with a swivel at 52 1/2 fathoms. The Michigan had out something over 60 fathoms of port chain, and there were about 22 fathoms of water. Enough current was running to place some slight strain on the chain; and, as we hove in, the anchor bore ahead marked by its buoy. The strain on the chain was eased as necessary by using the engines. Just as the 525/2 swivel came in sight the pin carried away and we lost the anchor and chain. Immediately the order was given to put over one of the spare anchor buoys, which we always kept ready on the forecastle. We had the direction (the ship's head) in which the chain was laid out, and the buoys to mark the ends of the chain. A small anchor weighing about 500 pounds was prepared for use as a grapnel, an ordinary grapnel not being strong enough to lift a heavy bower chain. A large crosspiece of heavy lumber about 10 or 15 feet long was lashed to the stock of the anchor to keep the fluke down. A 10-inch hawser was passed out through the port hawse pipe and secured to this anchor, which was placed over the stern of one of our cutters. In the meantime, the tide had slacked considerably; and the ship and the cutter, with the hawser very slack, were placed as shown in the diagram on next page.
As soon as the Michigan and the cutter took up the positions shown, the cutter was directed to let go the anchor over her stern. The ship slowly hove in the hawser and was fortunate enough to grapple the bight of the lost chain at about its center. In order not to lose the bight, the Michigan was maneuvered so as to hold her bow as nearly as possible over the center of the chain, nearer the lost anchor if anything. The bight was hove up to the hawse pipe and securely lashed. We then, with much patience and hard work, hauling up small bights of chain at a time, got the end of the chain. The chain was taken to the capstan and the lost anchor hove up as usual.
A, Anchor buoy.
M, U. S. S. Michigan.
B, Buoy let go when chain parted.
C, Cutter with anchor to be used as grapnel.
X, Approximate position in which the ship would have anchored in case of a strong current.
Z, Approximate position of Michigan's stem when chain was recovered.
At about 11 p. m. the job was completed, and the fact reported by radio to the commander-in-chief at Provincetown.
Referring to foregoing diagram, it might be mentioned here that had the current been running strongly, it would have been advisable to drop the starboard bower at about the point X and veer down to the position of the Michigan as shown, using the engines as required after grappling the chain. This proved not to be necessary.