The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-25
CURIOUS FACTS ASTO BARNACLES


The United States cruiser Bennington
was Tor some time in the harbOr of La
Cmoh- IN Guatemala. and in so short Il
time as siNty-threc days the growth here
represented was effected. These growths ?
are Technically called barnacles. but as u
matter of fact they comprise several vari- .
eueS OF smell ish prominent among which +
comes inc edible oyster. In the case in-
point, when the Bennington was placed
IN tIe airy dock at Mare island navy yard
IL was FOUND that oysters large enough
ior the table We're of frequent occurrence.
These Srowths must be removed while
the snip is in dry dock If removed while
the snip Is aftoat by divers. the protect
ing paint comes Off with the barnacle and
leaves the metal of the hull unprotected.
The regulations of the navy department.
prohibit this being done except in case OF
great emergency.
The barnacle grows TO a length of three
and four inches. cOnical in shape. and
from the partially closed apex Of the cone
project pair of strong mandibles always
IN motion. IN search OF. food These uvl
are not difficult Of removal when in dock.
for they soon die out of water Many Of
the barnacles are pink in color some are
black and many are white. being SDeci-
mems of different families They not only
gather and grow on the ships bottom. but
even on the propeller and rudder. From-i
experience IN the tropics il would SEEM.
that the water is full Of ''spat.' or END
bryO shell fish, necessarily in search or a
resting place
have been applied To ships bottomsS
with the object of preventing tnese}
growths have not been very successful
When a ship has been a short time in
tropical waters the bottom presents the,
appearance of having been sprinkledl
with sand. the marine life is so evenly
distributed. But the tropics are not the
only part of the world where SHIPS bot ?
toms get foul. In the waters of Alaska
and even farther north, animal and veg ?
etable grOwths interfere with the speed Of
our ships TO an extent little dreamed. OF \
before the advent Of steel or iron Tor :
ShipbUilding.
Besides the animal growths of bar %
nacleS. oysters and kindred life, q large 2
and rich vegetable growth causes almost"
as much trouble. This grass as il is
technically called, is swept away in large
measure when the ship steamS at full
speed. which Is not the case with the
Snimal life.
Ordinarily a short run in fresh water
will kill of the adhering SrOwths. when
the vegetable matter will drop of. but
scraoed of in dock. Many of our ships
have had their speed reduced one-half by
these grOwths.
The remedy for all this expense and
trouble is 10 sheathe the bottom with
wood, and then copper that sheathing, as
with the old-fashiOned wooden ship.
The expense Of docking and painting a
ship of 10000 tons is about $3.50.
As a safe average, l think the cost OF
docking our ships. which. as has been
said, must take place twice d year. viii
not be far from $1,000 for each docking, or
S2O0e a year At the present time there
are SeVenty-five ships hit for cruising and
requiring this semi-annual docking.
A brief calculation shows that these in
significant little barnacleS cost the treas
ury department the tidy sum of not far
from $4,000 each year.
HEBER WEBSTER
Commodore. L. :. y.