New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-28
THE INDIANA IN DRYDOCK
HANDLED WITHOUT A HITCH OR MIS-
HAP AT PORT ROYAL.
yrrEEN INCHES OF WATER UNDER THE BIG
BATTLE-sHIP's KEEL IN THE NEW Gov
ERNMENr DoCK-JoY IN THE
NAVY DEPARTMENT.

ERNMENT DOCK-JOY IN THE
NAVY DEPARTMENT
Port Royal, S. c.. March 27-The battle-ship
Indiana steamed gallantly through the caisson OF
the Government drydock on Paris Island at 7:S0
o'clock this morning, IN tide which had been
ebbing for good hour, with fully fifteen inches
10 spare between her keel and the blocks 1t
was q glad day for the people Of Port Royal. and
the satisfaction depicted on the faces of the Of
hcers at the naval station was a sufficient testl-
monial OF the qualification which they ex
perienced in the vindication Of the work on which
they have labored so long and faithfully. The
Indiana was put on the blocks. not only with per-
feet ease and success. but when the tide had been
running out for at least an hour.
The docking might, except for the extra pre-
cautions taken. have been done yesterday the
day before. On March 25 the unofficial reckoning
Of the water showed twenty-seven feet in the
dock. and yesterday evening there was more.
The Indiana draws twenty-four feet and on
either Of the tides mentioned it Is asserted that
she could have gone in with an abundance Of wa
ter 70 spare The officers in charge however. would
take risks. They have docked the Indiana
successfully, and that has always been the great
consideration.
The tide this morning was at Its height about
$50 o'clock, and 1t had been designed to run the
vessel into the caisson at that hour But when
the morning came, the whole harbor was
yeloped in dense shroud Of mist and fog. The
batte-ship was steered cautiously for the dock
IN the leading strings Of four tugs. SO much de-
lay was occasoned by the fog that II was not un-
I'll after o'clock that she cleared the caisson
and foated in the water Of the drydock. Ac-
cording to the official figures there was then
twenty-five feet and eight inches depth OF water.
This was about four inches below the normal but
Il allowed a good fifteen. inches to spare above
the blocks.
PUMPING OUT THE DOCK.
The pumps were set at work as soon every
thing was pronounced to be snug. At first, the
pumping was purposely done slowly to give
better chance for the men to work on the ships
sides. Three hours after the work had started
there was still ten feet Of water in the dock.
During the forenoon many excursion parties
came down to the island from Beaufort and Port
Royal and the successful docking Of the vessel
was made the subject Of many congratulations
and much merrymaking. 1t was not until late
in the afternoon that the last bit Of water was
pumped out Of the dock At o'clock the Indi-
ana stood high and dry or the blocks. She rested
straight on her keel, and was by actual meas
urement 1ust feet 10 inches above the floor OF
the dock.
The officers and the others officially connected
with the station are retcent as to the result OF
the docking but their satisfaction with the re-
suit Of to-day's work Is not concealed. No one
can say what the official report will be. but 1t
Is believed that It will express the conviction
that the dock in splendid condition. and that IT
- capable Of holding any chip in the Navy.
ANXIETY AT WASHINGTON RELIEVED.
Washington, March 27-News Of the success
ful docking of the Indiana at Port Royal to-
day was q great relief to the naval adminstra-
ton. which had been scandalized for the last
ten days over the spectacle Of the finest ship
In the Navy lying helplessly at the mouth Of
O new dock unable to get to sea in an emerg-
ency, and to all practical purposes worthless for
naval uses How serious the affair really was
has been carefully concealed during the pend
ency Of the Naval bill in Congress. which
makes appropriations for four additional ves-
sells of the battle-ship type but now that the
danger has been luckily averted the facts are
likely to come gradually to the surface
The only official mention OF the 1ndianas
cost, made in the last annual report OF the
Navy Department. Is $3.020.oOO which was the
contract price for hull and machinery. Her
armor cost about 81. 500 900. her guns one-third
Of that amount, and the total expenditure OF
the Government in making her ready Tor sea
was over S. 800 900. Her maintenance In COM
mission. omitting all other expenses than pay
OF officers and men and coal burned. is placed at
something over 81 900 day. On this account
alone, from her arrival at the dock entrance
At $50 a. m, on March IA. until this morning.
the expense incurred was $lo.ooo' "hlch "aS
practically thrown away a
There being no equipment Of workmen ano
tools at the Port Royal station; they haa o. 10 O
furnished from Norfolk. Va. Material for any
needed repairs to machinery with skilled ma
chinists had also to be dispatched from some
distanct point, and altogether II Is estii,ia. lii
that the present docking OF the big Vessei VIII
cost cost 100000
SERIOUS NAVAL QUESTION.
r,,. ouestion OF docking battle-ships is seri-
oue one The only dock the Pacihc coast
,vb,cn q battle-ship can enter has been located
NJ Port Orchard, Puget Sound and VIII oe
onened. II conditions are favorable. BY the Mon
terev IN q few days No shops, tools or WORK
men are nearer its site than Mare lsiahu' wv
miles away. Not unt.l the big DOCK at D'oohiy"
is completed-pcesibly year hence-wih " DC
possible to repair and care Tor the pig patue
ships on the Eastern station Naval ofncers 90
not hesitate to criticise the Port Royal dryoocK
which they declare can only be reached Dy
tortuous channel having a hard phoepna.e sai rouk
botton calculated TO ruin any heaVy war 'eone
which might touch It. Such cnannei Win
sand bottom. they declare would not be so dah-
gerous. ~ o.. .so a.
Grave doubts are also expressed as to the ac-
curacy of measurements Of the docks entrance
The contract called for depth on the en'ranse S,'s
Ali NJ twenty-six feet at mean high water Sus-
Sic.on has now beer directed against the funda-
mental marks and data on which the mean sh hgh
tide was calculated and doubt is expresses t S,si
whether series Of observat!cns may not ols,
close a mean depth at high tide. summer ana
winter Of not twenty-five feet daassnns al 5ns
drsu~bt ~ twentv-four feet, have an extreme
drausht astern OF twenty-five feet with 400 tons
Of coal on board. and therefore could only set
into the dock under exceptionally ia'orap'e ''
clmstances.
SENATORS SEE ARMOR MADE.