The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-15

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t1exhtu Oregon as sire lay last Sunday
as.s~noen ~ the aredgsd channel at ina
mouth OF the dry deck 50 the Puget sound
naval station. has gasusstfonably been
vuAr-sa%d b~vora its actual Importance.
The Oregon Is damaged 50 s.lat repairs
vii be necessary but ware 10 desired by
tire government that the Oregon go 20
sea tomorrow. she could DO so with per-
feet ss fsty. The fact that naval or2cers
are constrained ey law from divuiging
fnt~lltgence 81 the department. gives IL
csnxa to ruuaors that are nearly always ex-
srgarafed. The actual damage sustained
by the hat-ieehfn "a not Yet ascertained.
as the dry dock is not pumped out There
wss q depth OF water yesterday after
noon, from the bottom OF the dock. OF -
feet 10 inches. and from the top OF the
keel blocks OF Is feet inches Naval Con-
structcr Caps Is taking extra precautlon
IN providing lateral support for the huge
vessel The water in the dock is being
drawn of a few feet at a time. extra
shores being put in as the water recedes.
While this care IS not necessary Mr..
Caps wishes 10 take no chances IN deal
ing with such a monster as the Oregon
No defect in the dock Is responsible Tor
a moments apprehension. all the officers
connected with the work agreeing that
the dry dock itself Is perfect.
The Oregon grounded Sunday afternoon
about 4 O'Clock while being nursed IN the
dredxed channel awaiting entrance to the
dry dock The tide was going out and
the hull Of the vessel. under the forward
turret, was felt TO be settling on some
hard substance According 10 the tide
gauge there should have been at that time
two feet OF water beneath the oregon's
keel Soundings taken on all sides Of the
vessel confirmed this. No effort was
made to draw the vessel back. as II was
felt that tearing OF the bottom plates
would result while in settling, the only
damage would be bending Of the frames
When the tide came up again. about 7
o'clock. the Oregon lifted. and shortly
after midnight was noated into the dock
without further incident.
A Post-Intelligencer reporter went
to the naval station yesterday on
the steamer Greyhound. which took
over large excursion party. Capt.
Barker. OF the Oregon; Commander Whit
ing. commandant OF the station, and
Naval Constructor Caps. in charge OF the
docking operations, united in saying LAT
no serious injury had resulted from the
grounding. diver was at work Inside
the dry dock, attempting to ascertain the
damage to the Oregon's hull His report
was the same as given In the Post-IntelH-
gencer yesterday morning. The frames
and bottom plates near the forward tur-
ret were bent, but 30 far as learned. no
rivets were loosened. Another diver was
operating In the dredged channel. He
discovered In the channel a bank OF black
hardpan, but had not determined it's ex-
tent 1t Is considered possible that this
bank was overlooked by the contractors
In charge OF the dredging work. The bot
tom should have been absolutely clean.
IL the repairs of the Oregon are made
while she Is on the dry dock t..is time me-
chanics Will have to be brought from
Mare island, as there are now no facii-
ties for repair work at the naval station.
As II would be In the interest of econ
omy 10 make the repairs at this time.
such action will probably be taken. though
there Is possibility that the matter will
be delayed until the hattleship has her
bilge keels put on. Only six expert ship
wrights are working on the Oregon, where
under ordinary Circumstances there should
be about forty. The estimated cost Of the
repairs could not be learned. The officers
themselves have a. yet formed no opinion
on this matter and will not be able TO do
80 until the water is all drawn away
from the ships bottom. All will proba-
bly, be clear by tonight. Really the best
Informed men at the station were the
divers. and they were. OF course, mac
cexsible.
1.-THE grounding Of ship when entering
8 dry dock Is anything but unusual Z"
said Naval Constructor Caps. "I have
known OF several merchant vessels to
ground when going into the dock at San
Francisco. An iron vessel is different from
s wooden one. An iron bottom settling on
an obstruction Is easily bent in. but the
rivets rarely give way"
The excursion party taken over on the
GREYHOUND was allowed the privilege Of
investigating all parts Of the battieship.
and the visitors were shown every atten-
ton by the officers. There were many
OF the sailors and marines ashore. some
aiding In the work about the dry dock
ard others reading. sleering or playing
games. In n new. barn-iike structure in
the rear az the pumping station an opera
ton Of great import was being conducted.
The barber Of the ship was giving the
boys haircut A game of qucits was
furnishing amusement for n number OF
marines.
There IL no telling how long the ship
viii remain IN the dock The work OF
scrsFfnw and raintsug need not he pushed
81 RAPIDLY. since the Idea Of Decoration
cav festivities in San Francisco has been
abandoned.