Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-29
CRUISER MAINE
Is Alleged to Be Weak In
Many Respects.
Vessel Draws About Three Feet More
Water Forward Than Att.
Navy Department Officials Say Defects RiIl
Be Remedied at Once.

washington Oct. 2S.-According to the
olhclals OF the navy department., the de
fects In the battleship Maine are not of a
permanent character. and will be remedied
In a short While. The list to the starboard
is viewed lightly at the department, " here
an explanation is given. This is due
merely to the fact that the ballast is not
distributed. When the distribution is
made and the trimming tank filled, the
Maine will ride the water evenly.
"A more serious defect lies in that the
vessel draws about three feet more water
forward than aft This can be reme,lied
1t is stated, without difficulty, and the
Maine allowed to proceed to sea. tomor-
row, with perfect safety.
The absence of two torpedo boats in
tended for the vessel, weighing 80 tons, is
given as the principal reason for the for
ward immersion.
These gunboats are now being given
experimental trials in New York harbor
and may not be placed on the Maine for
some little time. Their position Is aft,
and with the assistance of numerous
heavy stores in the same quarter, will,
according to what is said at the depart
ment do much to remedy the defect, if
such it can be called.
Some changes will be necessary to bring
the hull to the proper position, and few
thousand dollars will be required for the
work. The enlargement of the trimming
tank will make IA change in the coal bunk
ers, and the shifting of weights will prob
ably bring things into satisfactory shape
In regard to the alleged defects, the
New York Sunday Herald said:
A startling discovery Of defects in the
new second-class battleship Maine was
made, yesterday revealing inexcusable
plumbers in her design.
when the Maine gees to sea on Mon
day. said an officer in the New York
navy yard, yesterday, "she will have the
appearance of being ashamed to look any
other craft in the face
l went at once to look at the new bat
tleship to see what he meant. She was
lying at the coal wharf just inside the
limits of the navy yard, and one glance
show ed that something was radically
wrong with the way she floated. At her
stern the WATERWAYS just tapping the half
way mark between the figures Xxx. and
XXI. that indicate her draught aft, while
at her bow the rlpples reached the line
half way between XXIII and NXIV.
In other words, ship designed for
mean draught of 81 feet inches about
% feet aft and u feet forwards found,
when fully equipped for service and
slowed with stores ammunition and coal,
TO draw 20 feet q inches aft and g feet, 6
inches forward.
Thus, with her nose down in the water,
the officers simile-that she seemed
to look any other ship in the face
was particularly happy one.
l soon found that the officers of the
Maine were absolutely non communicative
the condition of the ship.
Captain Crowninshield was not on board,
and no other officer was at liberty to give
me facts-muoh less to express an opinion.
The fate of several officers who have re-
Gently stubbed their toes on Article 235 of
the Navy Regulations deters the navy from
telling anything that shows defects in the
service, whether in the ships, the officers
or the men.
Hence, though the fact that the Maine
was three feet down by the bows on the
eve of going to sea could not be hidden, | |
sought in vain for a satisfactory explana-
tion of this extraordinary sulkiness in
the attitude of the new ship
Not only was the Names fore-and- aft |
trim wholly out of harmony with ali
rules of shipshape condition |
but there was also an ugly list to star
board; that is, the right hand side of the |
ship, looking forward, was sunk deeper !
than the left hand side.
1 learned from one of the men who was |
giving directions to tas gunners' gang
that about 40 10-inch shells that had been |
taken aboard, yesterday afternoon, were |
chiefly distributed about the decks on the |
itarboard side, buS 10y were hardly |
sufficient to give the ship so pronounced |
a list AS their total weight is only go |
short tons, 1t Is doubtful whether when |
they have been slowed in the lockers the
ship will return to an even keel ON &C
count of this stowage.
AS the Maine lies at the dock. where
,nly one side can be seen, could not de-
jermine the difference in the immersion of
,he two sides Of the ship, but 1t was
enough to catch even lands
mans eye.