Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-15

ram was left overhung. TWO sets Of
wale-shores ana one set of bhGe-shores
were used. the latter being placed under
the bilge-keel
"The ship was landed very closely TO
her position. and with a slight lst TO
port. one bilgc-block on the starnoard
side sixtecn inches forward OF amidshps
failed to haul. and after pumping down,
II was found TO have dentcd her bottom
as reported In my letter OF November
9Th. seven other bilge-blocks were found
10 be bearing hard. and were drawn out
after tho bilse-shores had been driven
They had not produced any effect uLon
tho bottom.
The ship WAS painted November 5th
9Th. and 7th. the bilge-blocks anc sh"'es
being removed one at a time to paint 'he
wake OF the heads.
con November 7th It was noticed 'hai
two Of the kcel-blocks were showing sishs
on the port side OF taking heavily, the
edges Of the cap-blocks having tufnen
UP slightly, ana the bottom-riAte te.ns
perceptibly bucked. The eig@s OF 'htss
blocks were cut back to prevent any lor-
ther buckling.
Late in the afternoon of November
sfh Il was reported that the foor-piate
OF frame A. was huckied. and that me
shin showed sign of straining. ! went 10
the dock Immediately. but from an eN-
animation II the outside. could detect no
slcns Of etraining or settling. and re-
commended 20 the Commandant mat
water be put into the dock next morning
! 10 a height that would no' interfere Win
the work then progressing.
"On November sth. the dock being
cleared ready for flooding. an examina-
ton was made Of the condition OF the
Bottom from the outside. which showed
that the ship was bearing heavily on
! seven Of the kecl-hlccks. the worst ones
being those on tae edges. which had
been cut the DAY before. when the in
dentation did not exceed one half an
inch The dock was then filed TO elk
! feet above the sill.
"On November 10Th. by direction Of the
commandant the dock was filed II il
feet.
"On November llth a thorough ex-
animation was made Of the sub-bOtiOm.
/ and il was found that since docking the
/ snip had continued 10 bear heavier upon
the kcel-blocks until the pressure upon
them became SO great that their outer
/ edges turned upwards. and pressed hard
| against the bottom-platMg outside Of the
| fat keel to such an extent as 10 crack
! the cement and bucklet brackct-piates
and fioOr-plates here and there over a
| length Of lii feet amidshps \ detailed
report showing the position and amount
OF these reflections ana the extent 20
which the cement was cracked. is hereto
attached In this appendix. the figures
/ given refer to the maximum DETECTION IA
I each case.
In general Il Is TO be noted first.
that the cracks in the cement. almost
| everywhere. extended i'm fore and
| aft direction parallel to the keel, and
are only slight. and are about fifteen 70
/ eighteen feet from the middle line: Sc
/ cond where iioJr-pldtes are bucklcd. de
/ neciions occur near the middle OF The
! plates; third. no hucklns or other effect
/ was noted outside of tine first longitudi-
nal; fourth, the ship has not made any
/ water, whatever. so Gar as can be seen
/ at present though the dock hle been
Hooded six feet above the keel for four
/ days. showing that the caiking and
/ riveiing are intact. and the keel-platc
| practically uuiniurci
'Ihe ship Is at present lying IN six feet
! Of water. ana can safely remain so as
/ long as necessary.
IN this connection ! submit:
"fhe ship was carefully docked, and
I every usual procauiion observed
THE bending OF the brackets and floor
plates was due 10 the bending up OF the
ends Of the cat-blocks.
THE structural strength OF the snip f.
not affected
'The effects produced would have been
entirely avoided II the shin had been
/ promptly underkeyeG when painting was
/ completed. and not delayed 10 change the
screws
I'm order 10 avoid difficulty in future
| docking, ! recommend that cat-blocks .
/ feet long be used ana that. i'm addition
10 the shores used on this occasion. an
/ additional tier Of shores be placed on the
second and fourth longitudnals from the
madeleine keel"
Constructor BOW les concludes his repor,
/ by recommending that the crack in the
| cement bc repaired. which. he says can
I be done in twelve days al cost ~ 1906.
and that two augle-clips should be
worked on each floor. 10 stifen the floors
| and brackets" These are al the recon-
/ mendsti0ns De makes.
With reference TO the report. Mr. Nc
| Adoo. who was Acting Secretary of the
| Navy to-day, said:
"The twelve davs required b. make The
/ repairs 10 the Texas recommended boy
| Constructor Bowlcs seem 10 be out of
! proportion To the small amount Of money
/ expended. but this IS due 10 the fact
/ that the work has 70 bee done in the dub
/ bottoms, which IL is difficult 10 get at
! ana where only q small force can work
"A further Investigation Of the result
! Of the recent docking and the recon-
! mcnldtions az the commander Of IN,
| Texas as 10 certain minor changes VIII
/ all be submitted 60 the regular inspection
/ board who viii examine her after her
steam trial which is about to take
/ place. and for which she viii be un
! dOcked this week"
/ The recommendation of Constructor
/ B0wles as 10 repairs has been approved
/ by the Chief Of the CONSTRUCTION Bureau
I CommSiore Hichborn. The facts as to th'
/ extent OF the injuries sustained by the
/ Texas viii undoubtedly come out on ths
! steam trial. if that should take plac,
/ on the day indicated.