The Sailing Ship That Went in the Wrong Direction

Good morning. It’s Monday. We’ll get details on the Mexican naval vessel that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. We’ll also find out about a change in leadership at Citizens Union, a venerable good-government group.

Credit…Dave Sanders for The New York Times

For investigators, one of the immediate questions about the Mexican navy training vessel that hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday was why it was going in the wrong direction.

The 297-foot ship, the Cuauhtémoc, edged out of Pier 17 in Manhattan around sunset on Saturday, bound for Iceland. Naval cadets stood in formation on the rigging, its lights shimmering brightly — a proud display after four days in New York.

It was supposed to make a quick refueling stop in Brooklyn, then head out to sea.

Instead, it appeared to go stern first toward the bridge, its masts snapping as they hit the span. Two people were killed and at least 22 others were injured, including 11 who remained in critical condition on Sunday, according to the Mexican Navy. No one on the bridge was hurt, and city officials said the bridge did not sustain serious damage.

Another question has to do with a tugboat that was alongside the Cuauhtémoc in images and videos on social media. The Coast Guard said that foreign vessels like the Cuauhtémoc are required to have a tugboat “escort/assist.” McAllister Towing, a venerable New York tug service, said that one of its vessels had assisted the Cuauhtémoc as it left Pier 17. The company, which said it was cooperating with the authorities, said it would not comment on the accident.

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