The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-20

nival. Tho ships need it, too, for they
have been Kept very busy for tho last few
months, and there has been no time for
anything but more serious business.
As flies and dirt are the zane of the
housekcepcr, SO barnacles and sea grass
are the bane Of tho sailor. Above the wa
ter line all our warships are clean and well
ordered, but below the water line they
have q very untidy appearance. Every
Of them, with the single exception Of the
Texas, which has already had her turn in
tho drydock, has what sailors call a foul
bottom.
Tropical waters are especially conducive
to tho growth of barnacles and sea grass.
It seems almost incredible that any growth
sufficient to seriously retard the speed of o
big vessel could accumulate on the smooth
iron hull. It is a fact, though. While the
Texas was in drydock at Brooklyn tons Of
barnacles were removed, not to mention
enough sea grass and marine growths OF
every description to fiji a gaod sized barn.
a barnaclc is o sort of s~e'.sh which
attaches itself by five minute valves to
anything that is handy. It does not con-
fine itself to the bottoms Of warships, but
seems to prefer such resting places. Under
favorable conditions q barnacle win grow
to a length of 8 inches, with a diameter
of 2 inches. So far rs has been discovered
they arc Of no possible nse to man.
Ii makes no difference to tho barnacla
how fast the ship moves through the wa
ter once it has taken up its residence on
the bottom plates. Barracles wore found
even on the propeller blades Of tho Texas.
They had grown and multiplied while tho
screw WAS making from so to 80 reyolu-
tions per minute. A ship with afoul bot
tom males anywhere from two to three
knots less an hour than when the bottom
is clean.
There are two ways OF cleaning q ships
bottom. One is to put her in drydock, and
the ether is to send divers over tho side
while she is at anchor. The latter is not
only slow and difficult, but a very expcn-
siro operation and is only resorted to when
dry docks arc not available and there Is
urgent necessity for tho work.
Aside from the size of the task and tho
tiIno consumed rome of our ships has more
thar a couple of diving outfits, and it is
not IN easy thing 20 muster men enough
for the work without crippling other YES
sells. TO remove barpacles and sea grass
in this va means also removing the pro-
bCCUlIS flilo ~ bdttLE tiO ot>NA " s1o
corrosive action OF the water. Pocllinarks
of that SORT are dangerous to the integrity
and strength OF tho underwater plating.
Cleaning a ship in dPydoek is accom-
plished by simple and primitive methods.
As tho water is let out of tho dock and the
sides of the vessel arc left dry squads of
jackies in their working clothes tumble
over the side on to rats. They are equip
ped with stout steel bristled scrubbing
brushes and long handled scrapers. With
these implements the barnacles and grass
arc scaled of. 1t is hard work, II jackie
does not like it any too well, but the Off
GERS keep him ut it. AS a rule jackie
works with a win, for he knows that not
until the ship is clean will the shore leaves
of tho third and fourth class men begin.
After the barnaclcs have all been re-
moved then the remaining paint is scrub
bed off. The sand blast has recently been
applied so this work, and it has been used
with great success.
II yon want to make q fortune easily
and quickly, just invent some method OF
scraping a ships bottom without putting