The morning call., 1893-01-02
SHE DIDN'T SAIL.
More Grief for the Ailing
Ranger.
A HAWSER IN HER WHEEL.
Pending Fresh Repairs a Three Days
Trial Trip Was Nipped in
the Bud.

Another large and expensive dose Of re-
pairing has just been administered to the
antiquated man-of-war, Ranger. and still
she cries for more.
Ever since she returned from her last
Arctic cruise blacksmiths, machinists. coal
beavers and painters have held daily con-
situations to determine heFconditIon, as 1t
changed every twenty-four hours.
Last week all thought they had solved
the problem and the medical committee gave
a verdict that she was fit for sea. 1t was
then arranged that she should go on
three DAYS trial cruise, and board of in
spection was appointed to go with her.
Everybody was on board last Saturday
morning at Mare Island and were looking
forward to the good time they would have
Swimming over the blue Pacfc's waters at a
ten-knot gait. They all actually thought that
the vessel was at last in condition to break
her old record by five knots.
The men were ready TO go to sea, but
the Ranger had no such intention. She had
long ago found out how nice it was to be in
the placid water of the hayward and have
gang OF experts examine her insides.
AT any rate she was not ready to go to
sea. The bells rang ana the engine started
in fine style. The old craft did not like this
and strained every nerve in the effort to
blow out her cylinder head.
She failed in this and growled and grunted
angriy for several moments, all the time
getting further and further from the wharf.
1t really looked as Ii she would have to
sail. All her efforts to produce a break
down in her vitals were useless and it was
plain she would have to do something else
She had got well out into the stream and
the engines were running smoothly. but deep
n in hot IF hal hat al Ia in s
with she was Matching a villainous scheme.
The Ranger had no intention of spending
New Years day at sea, so she watched her
chance. and when everybody thought things
were all right she maiclously reached out
one of the blades of her propeller and
caught hold of the stern hawser, which had
not been hauled aboard. In another mo-
ment she had pulled in a hundred feet of it,
and at once proceeded to tuck 1t around the
propel!er-nnb.
She succeeded admirably, and ehuekled
with glee. The engines worked hard few
times, and then stopped She had accom-.
plished her purpose. and tug was Whistled
for
Her work was done we'll, and about half
a mile of hawSer was wrapped around the
shaft and so ineXtricably wound among the
blades of her wheel that 1t could not be
taken out with half dozen bOat-hooks.
the men worked hard and faithfully, but
at last turned the job over TO the diver who
is employed at the yard. He started down
and was we'll below the surface when the
tide caught him and carried him aft. There
he was at the end of the line and hose like a
piece of fsh-bsit, kicking wildly In his
efforts to find out what was the matter with
him.
The men who worked the pump thought
he had gone OH trip to the bottom Of the
sea aud continued to supply him with air.
The air was all right until it struck the
n trr.r Nrpfa f.ff w lF0 70
other way through the same pipe. There
was struggle for moment, but the pro-
family got the best of the argument and
made its way to the air-pump. The air
pipe struggled for a moment and then sue
cumbed, and the bumpers drew the dangling
man in.
In few hours the tide went down and
another diver set to work on that hawser
with an ak. He worked all day and he
worked all night, ana yesterday said he
had il all out and that the vessel could now
proceed on her way.
The intention was to sail yesterday. but
none of the lookouts along tho bay have
seen anything of her. She may have got
out In some mysterious manner, but nobody
seems to know 1t.
While the divers were at work on the
hawser TIE inspection board wandered about
in its glttering inspection uniform swearing
eloquently at the Ranger, the hawser and
the navy in general.
When the trouble was at its height mes
sage was sent TO Washington explaining the
situation and asking what should be done.
The answer was to The effect to get the YES
sci to sea, hawser or no hawser. before she
took notion to sink at the dock and thus
impede the Progress Of the navy.
1t seems as II this antique batIle-boat Will
never cease from troubling. Whether at
sea or in port disaster oyertakes her, caus-
ing the men in charge to grow blasphemous
ohotf tha mia
time. Men have lost positions on her ac-
count. She has been condemned and re-
stored to duty. and SO have the men who
rested for while under cloud.
Most of lier true has been spent at Mare
Island undergoing repairs. Now and then
she ventured 10 sea, but always returned In
a short whils for more repairs. Repairs
seemed necessary to the existence of the
Ranger ever since she was launched, and
sill her owuers are not happy.
Last May after an extensive overhauling
at the Mare Island Hospital. the venerable
ruin was ordered to China and Japan by
way of Bering Sea. She did finally get to
the sea. but few more repairs were SUBJ
stituted in place of the voyage to China and
Japan, which perhaps did just as yell.
While on the way up TO Bering Sea, the
officers of the vessel were alarmed by an in
cessant aud unaccoantable humping sumo
where In the vitals of the boat The cap
tain, the doctor, the cook, and the engineer
held consultation. They could not dag
nose the case, but several theories were
evolved.
One of them was that fear for her condi-
ton had brought OH heart trouble in the
alling craft and that the humping was due
TO palpitat0n. Still another theory au-
vanced was that she had the heaves and was
growing rapidly worse. Becoming alarmed
the captain put into Seattle for an investi-
CATION.
Competent mechanics probed the interior
works of the wheeling ship and found
chisel in her cylinder. The ehisel was
total ruin and the piston head had also suf-
fered somewhat. How the tool got into the
cylinder is a mystery, but it is thought that
a weary Mare Island workman dropped it
while engaged in the endless task of re-
pairing the Ranger.
Further investigation revealed the dis
couragng fact that the after part of the
engine had grown tired and settled down
on its launches, so to speak. Hence these
repairs. After limpiig around a while in
northern waters the bedridden boat re-
turned 10 her berth at Mare Island for more
fixing
On one occasion some wise men of the
navy looked the Ranger over and decided to
condemn her. They did so and dismissed
the constructor. That individual drummed
up board of inspectors, which. after due
process, decided that the Ranger was still
worthy Of repairs from time to time. She
was therefore restored. together with the
man who was condemned with her.
|
Electric Lights.