Evening star., 1896-03-09
DOCKING THE INDIANA
An Event Of Great Importance to the
Largest Warship in the Navy.
The Dock is Also the Largest In the
United States-Carefal Prep
aratiOns Made.

1t is expected that the battle ship Indiana
will leave Hampton Roads today for
leisurely run to Port Royal, S. c., where
she IS to be docked on the 18th instant. On
the run down, the tactical qualities of the
vessel Will be tested, and the crew will in
dulge in target practice. On her recent
official trial she demonstrated her ability of
turning in circle only three times her
own length. This was done while the vessel
was making twelve knots, and with list
of only one degree. 1t is said that there is
no other vessel of her size in the world
capable of the same feat under similar con-
ditions.
The First Battle Ship in the Navy.
A naval officer. speaking of the Indiana
said:
There is no other battleship whose guns
are capable of such concentration of fire
without endangerinS the lives OF the crew
III the forward turrets. and no other ship
that can throw such storm of projectiles
at broadside as the first battleship OF the
navy. Considering that her armor has been
proven to be without parallel and her guns
tne heaviest OF vessels of her displacement.
mat her speed is greater and maneuvering
itoiiit,eS SurpaSs those of the best OF the
foreign ships. the board placed her ahead
OF any ship in the navy. Her machinery
Wins H4tAoul Il Hitcn ara the batteries
are almost perfect. One fault was found in
tne latter, however. but it was what the
ordnance officers expected. and therefore
they are not surprised. This is that the
e!sht-lnch guns on the two forward and
after turretS, Starboard and port, cannot be
fired dead ahead on account of the danger
from the blast to the men in the thirteen
inch turretS.
In fact, these guns cannot be fred within
ten degrees of the dead ahead and to pre-
vent the possibility CT their being in some
sudden emergency aimed ahead and fired
unexpectedly, the department will give or
cers TO place chocks in the turret gear to
prevent their wheeling around further than
THIS limit. which is deemed the extreme Of
safety for those in the forward and aft tur-
rsts. The total area of fire of the epht
therefore, will be limited to 100 degrees
An Event of Importanee.
The docking of the Indiana at Port Royal
is an event of great Importance, as it viii
mark the docking of the largest warsti of
the United States ravy in the largest dry
dock in the United States. The dock at
Port Royal has Just been completed, AMI
the docking Of the Indiana will test her
capacity 10 the extreme limit of her re-
quiremelts for naval purposes for some
time to come The naval authorities are
confident that the doci; will stand the test
Otherwise it would not be tried inasnluch
a. the big battle ship Indiana is too eX-
penSiVe machine to be experiment ted with
y force of officers ard men from the con-
struction department of the Norfolk navy
yard will have charge of the operation 1t
was feared that the Indiana might have
trouble III crossing the bar at the entrance
10 the dry dock. but river pilots who have
investigated the after reported that there
IS plenty of water to carry the vessel over
the par at any time.