The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-26
CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT BARNACLEs.
Commodore Webster Writes Enter
tainingIy of Foul bottoms"

New York, Feb A.-The United States
cruiser Bennington was for some time in
the harbor of La Union in Guatemala
and In SO short time as sixty-three laws
the growth here represented was effected.
These growths are technically called bar
nacles, but as a matter of fact they com
prise several varieties of she'll fish, prom
inent among which comes the edible oys-
ters. In the case in point when the Ben
nington was placed in the dry dock at
Mare Island navy yard ii was found that
oysters large enough for the table were
of frequent occurrence.
These growths must be removed while
the ship is in dry dock. II removed while
the ship is afloat by divers, the protectins,
paint comes off with the barnacle end
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 shane. and
from the partially closed apex of the cone
project pair of strong mandibles always
in motion, in search of food. These fish
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 speci-
mems of different families. They not only
gather and grow on the ships bottom.
but even on the propeller and rudder From
experience in the tropics 1t would seem that
the water is fun of ''spat" or embryo shell
fish, necessarily in search of a resting
place.
Various paints and mixtures which have
been applied in ships bottoms with the
object of preventing these growths have
not been very successful.
When a snip has been a short time in
tropical waters the bottom presents the
appearance of having been sprlnklea
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 veus-
table growths interfere with the sneed
of our ships TO an extent little dreamed of
before the advent OF steel or iron for shin-
building.
Beside the animal growths of barnacles
oysters and kindred life, a large and rich
vegetable growth causes almost as much
trouble. This grass" as II is technically
called, is swept away in large measure
when the ship steams at fun speed, which
Is not the case with the animal life
Ordinarily a short run in fresh water
will Kill all of the adhering growths
when the vegetable matter will drop Off
but the shells of dead barnacles remain
to be scraped of in dock. Many Of our
ships have had their speed reduced one
half by these growths.
The remedy for all this expense ana
trouble is to sheathe the bottom with wood
and then copper that sheathing, as with
the old-fashioned wooden ship.
The expense of docking and painting n
ship of 10000 tons Is about 81. 800
As safe average, l think the cost Of
docking our ships, which, as has been
said must take place twice a year will
not be far from $1,000 for each docking or
$1,000 year. At the present time there
are seventy-five ships fit for cruising, ana
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.
Harrie Webster, Commodore, u. s. N.