New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15
WINDS AGAINST THE INDIANA.
DOCKING OF THE BIG BATTLE-SHlP AT
PORT ROYAL DELAYED.
THE WORK MAY BE ATTEMPTED To-DAf-'"r
TAIN EVANS DELIGHTED WITH HIS 9h'i
REPORTS OF TROUBLE WITH HER GUNS

THE WORK MAY BE ATTEMPTED TO-DAY
TAIN EVANS DELIGHTED WITH HIS shii-
REPORTS OF TROUBLE WITH HER GUNS
DENIAL BY HENRY CRAMP.
Port ROYAL. s. c.. March 1.-THE winds were
against the docking Of the Indiana th's '',o 10
The calsson gate was taken out and moored IN 'he
river. and everything was ready for me uo0"'"e
except that the depth OF water in the dock reg
istered only twenty-four feet The Indiana cou'u
have gone In on that depth, except tha' aoou'
foot margin 10 needed to work on FOR suc"oh A"u
time for the placing Of blocks.
The big batte-shp steamed down the river aoou'
seven miles and there anchored. II the winu Sill" u
TO the east by morning she may be locked to.i'or
row. otherwise 1t is Likely that the DOCKING VIII o'
take place until tho latter part Of the month"; "ne
there IL a full moon. Although there was twenty
four feet Of water in the dock there was UNITY
fcet out in the river whore the Indiana lay
Captain Evans is more and more delighted WIN
his ship. She behaved finely In the storm Oh '''o
way down to Port Royal and stood the test u''uei
full fire of her thirteen-nch guns The latest Oh e
achievements Of tho Indiana Is that she pe"a'' "
like a tugboat In a harbor.
The neople Of Port Royal who believe they nave
the finest port on the South Atlantic. went down 10
witness the docking. The weather continues - Dr
bright and pleasant. and Captain Evans II "''
satisfied TO remain here as long as the doch'"s anu
work on the vessel may require
Philadelphia March IA local paper this '''o''-
ing has the following:
Private advices received in this city convey me
Information direct from officers OF the new pt'te-
shin Indiana that the result OF the gun tilds az q
OF that big fighting machine has been ulsapi 30 to,,1
and unsatisfactory. Her armament consists OF iou'
thirteen-inch guns. each forty teet ions a.' 1no
ing stxty-three TONS mounted In pairs IN tis ~
main turrets Eight eight-nch guns are hiou' -,
pairs in the four smaller turrets on the upper
and four six-inch guns are mounted III nr,'
In he easement 0fnufnlrs, Win
battery OF twenty s'x-pounder anu iou' g., ,he
FOUNDER rapd-re guns. and four Gathes 5d III most nf
military tops This forms the heaviest ana mos, -
diversified armament ever placed on any 49, 1 ,ha
like dimensions Its weight IL enormous ana lhe
amount OF metal thrown at complete discharge
OF the main battery alone would be ~" po.d a.,
The result OF her sea trial shows that tines" gums
are too blk and are placed as TO be operated
in action as designed The two thirteeh-ln'. h",a
and the four six inch guns mounted In turI't ioro
and ar were meant 10 shoot straight ahead or
straight astern But In trial II was founi ihpos-
shia 80 shoot tho eight inch guns within more
than 30 degrees OF a straight line forward or ar
without great danger 10 the men IN tlr man ~ ~,
r.,s inst beneath them The discharge of the big
80 ,n the MINER turrets on the trial almost blew
The head of al gunner's mate who was IN the sish'-
ing tower Of the main t1rre also 70 opera,e the
thirteen inch guns In broadslde D'causr w ~,
would unsete II 1t did not %mtf' abesI on
the trial trip the explosion caused the iron battle
matches on the main deck to ny on ana o,hr'" IT,
shook things up. The charge for one OF mes" DIX
suns varies from 45 to ~ pounds Of heNasomh
powder. and naval experts Tear INA. w sp balf
cripple herself before she had Dee" III "'''o man
hour. 80 ., .,.A ,,a
The same trouble Will be encountered WIN IN"
Massachusetts, the exact counterpart ana ~ ~
shin OF the Indiana. which VIII have an uHo'H''''
trial bv her builders. starting next Inesday
Henry Cramp OF the Cramp a sons company
when sked to-day about the report That the hat'l"
ship Indiana's guns were much too heavy ior he r
raniled. There Is nothing In that story ~ al
tIer trial was very satisfactory. ana nothing Was
the matter with her guns cannot unuoFa'a'u
how such n rumor could have originated
Washington March IA telegram received al
the Navy Department this afternoon reior,.a VA,
pal Uarhor but that nothing serious had hap
pened.