The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-02
THE NORFOLK HARBOR.
PLENTY or WATER TO FLOAT AND
DOCK Any 0FOUK NAVAL VESSELS.
Admiral Brown Makes Explanation ana
. Virginia Pilot Takes Several
Newspapers to Task.
The Norfolk virginian of yesterda!


says
In the Virglnian's Washington dispatch
yesterday appeared a paragraph stating
that the battle-ship Texas cannot be
locked a, the New York navy yard until
the 9TH of next month. on this date there
will be a spring tide, at which time there
viii be enough water to successfully noat
the new ship into dock. After being
dccked and cleaned she VIII nave her ON
cial trial trip, which has been postponed
several times"
This dispatch, In connection with ar
ticles which have from time TO time ap-
peared I'm New York and other northern
papers. have led many people to believe
that the Texas had been sent 10 New
York, owing to the lack of sufficient depth
OF water TO take her up to the navy yari
ut this place Admiral Brown, when seen
by a Nirginian reporter yesterday. ana
asked the reason for sending the IeNas
TO New York. when the vessel was bunt
here, very promptly gave an explanation
ADurRAL BnowS gALKs.
AN impression has gone FORTH said
he, that We were unable 10 COCK INC
Texas here. but that is wrong. We have
plenty OF water over the sill OF our dock
in fact, we can dock the average Vesse!
drawing three feet more than the Texas.
The trouble is this: The great breadth
OF the beam of the Texas makes her bilge
keels touch and 10 obviate this II would
have been necessary 10 have removed at
least one thousand tons Of weight from
her TO do this would have required the
crew TO have worked AT least thirty days
and nights removing her ammunition,
coal, and other portable articles After
this was done the work on tile vessel
would not have cost 800.
1--WE have as much water over the Sill
OF our dock as they have In New York hut
there is a difference Of two feet IN the rise
Of water between here and New York, ana
what II would have taken the crew thirty
DAYS TO have done here nature does In
New York we have had the Columbia
and Minneapolis in our dock and each
OF them draws more water IMAM the
Texas.
1T is the great beam Of the Texas
which Is IN our way and II would nave
been necessary to have raised her two
feet 70 have kept her from touching on
the sides
"When our docks were built no one
contemplated such huge vessels, but IN
future that will be provided for
The Admiral argued that he was on
posed to making the crew Of the Texas
work so long when the amount TO De eN-
pended in cleaning her bottom was so
small.
At the United States Engineers Office
It was stated that in the narrowest part
of the channel, off Sewelis Point bar the
water was twenty-eight feet deep on 10"
tide, and that the average Depth from
Hampton Roads to the navy yard was
twenty-five feet. In the absence OF the
officer I'm charge. however, the figures OF
denths alou.. the entire channel could not
be obtained.
wu, rrr.ors SAY on THE SUBJECT.
The Virginia pilots do not mince words
in their condemnation of the statements
published by the New York and other
northern papers rejecting upon the har-
Dor of Norfolk and Portsmouth, as well
as OF Hampton Roads.
one OF the Oldest Of the PTS expressed
himself as being tired OF contradicting
these apparently malicious statements
which have not the slightest foundation
Of truth Another member Of the asso-
| citation was indignant at the repetition
of the false reports. He said that re-
, Gently scarcely an interval Of more than
three days pass now. that you DO not
find in picking up the northern papers
| some article in print which reflects I'm a
most injurious way upon the dignity
| and Importance OF this port, and remark
| able as may seem. Yet l. q truth, that
on several occasions recently communi-
cations have appeared In several OF our
| own local papers that would confirm the
| justice Of the reflection upon our harbor.
| He did not hesitate to say that the state
ments in question were untrue and found
| ed either upon unwarranted ignorance or
| willfui malice. He called attention 10 the
| fact that promoters Of these articles
| were not satisfied with combining their
unjust reflections 10 our harbJr itself.
| but had the effrontery TO attack Hamp-
| ton Roads, the greatest harbor In the
| world He asserted that all that has
| been said with regard TO lack OF water
| in the approach 20 our port IS untrue in
! every sense, and claimed that We have
| the second deepest port on the Atlantic
| coast, and the first, as far as safety is
| concerned. for the reason that the bottom
| OF the Elizabeth river is of such a nature
| that a ship which would be in any danger
| OF grounding on her way up. woull come
| 10 no harm, because the bottom Is OF
| very soft mud.
He asserted that there can be brought
| TO the navy yard twenty-seven and one
half feet at high tide. and. as the average
rise and fall OF tide at this port is only
81 feet, it can readily be seen
TH's FORT Is AVAILABLE
at nearly all stages of tide for the deepest
| draught ships.
He pointed cut that all Of these arti-
cles he alluded 10 have been written since
the Texas left this yard for her trial
trips. and it appeared to him as though
there was u preconcerted effort 10 take
work away from our mechanics here. even
II the GOOD name OF the whole port mas
TO be destroyed TO carry out that idea
In support OF his assertion he pointed out
the fact that when the Texas first left
here a statement appeared in print in the
New York Herald, which was literally
quoted by the papers throughout the
country, that the Texas, while going
! through the mud on her way down the
Elizabeth, filled her strainers with mud.
This statement he denounced as an
untruth. The Texas, he states. was at
no time after leaving the yard nearer the
bottom than the difference between her
draft, which was twenty-three feet and
the depth of the channel. twenty-seven
| feet.
Another report appeared in the Herald
stating that the Texas, while lying in
the mud around Hampton Roads. con-
tinues 10 get more sediment in her strain
| ers." The writer Of this article showed
his ignorance OF geography as well as his
| ability TO prevaricate. IL would be as
| reasonable TO expect the Texas 10 acquire
this mud while cruising off the coast as
| 10 get IL in her injection pipes while
lying at anchor in thirteen fathoms OF
| water in Hampton Roads.