The Washington times., 1901-08-11
TERROR OF THE NAVY.
The Most Feared Vessel in Service
Placed Out of Commission.

The most feared vessel in the United
Stttes Navy, one that has struck terror
to tie heart of the commander of many a
proud and powerful battleship. is soon to
be retired from service. This naval terror
is the scow-like little ferryboat which
plies between the Cob Dock and the foot
of Main Street, in the Brooklyn Navy
Yard. It's retirement will ease the mind
of every captain who has occasion to
bring his ship to the local yard.
The Merry Andrew she is called. and
the career of the pudgy little craft is RIGA
in attempts to ram and send TO the bot
tom huge battlesnips great armorei
cruisers. and heavy monitors single tur-
reted and doublet turreted. Nothing has
been too big or too formidable for the
pugnacious Merry Andrew to tackle.
Once the stumpy little ferryboat even
tried to put the mighty Kearsarge out of
commission, but was pulled back before
she could get to close quarters.
The Merry Andrew runs on a cable
that is, she does when she feels like it,
When she doesn't feel like it she runs
any old way her fancy wills She is
especially cranky and eccentric when
there is a stiff wind blowing in Wallabout
Bay. Then the Merry Andrew takes the
bit in her teeth so to speak, runs amuck
and tries to ram and sink every warship
moored roundabout. These are times
filled with terror to the commanders of
the fighting craft tied up at the yard.
Only by the most desperate efforts on
the part of her crew was the Merry An
drew prevented from ramming the big
new battleship Kentucky. when that
floating fort was last at the yard. Some
thing like gale was blowing when the
little ferrybOat started on a trip across
the basin for the Cob Dock. Moored to
lust ahead. was the Kentucky
Following the cable. the Merry Andrew
could have passed the big battleship with
plenty of room To spare. But the Merry
Andrew was hungry for prey. and was
not following any cable just then.
Sighting the Kentucky, she pulled her
ouglike nose around and pointed it threat
eningly at the unoffendIng battleship.
Swing 'er over ter port, there" yelled |
he pilot down TO the engineer, below |
lecks.
The engineer did the best he knew how.
,ut the Merry Andrew had scented prey |
md could not be swung to port. or any |
'ther way. Making the best of her cables
lack. she started for the Kentucky. The !
of the battleship turned pale, |
md the crew worked frantically to throw |
If the lines. which held the ship to the
lock. But when the Merry Andrew was
within few feet of ramming the battle
hip, her engineer. by "A desperate effort.
rought her to and caused her to cross
he DOW of the Kentucky. 1t was a mar
ow escape for the Kentucky, but not
more 50 than has been experienced by
many warships that have met the bellig-
rent Merry Andrew in the navy yard
asin.
But the days of this terror of the navy
re numbered. She is to be retired and |
aplaced by a harmless bridge. \ board
ppointed by the Navy Department last
eek came on from Washington and look |
1 over the ground for the selection of a
tie for the proposed bridge to connect
ne main yard with the Cob Dock This
GARD was composed of Capt. q. A Con-
erse, Commander j. H. Perry Naval
instructor ID. w. Taylor. Civil Engineer
|. II. Rosseau, and Lieut. G. c. Dawson
is probable that the bridge will be built |
lme distance east of the present ferry.
nd nearer the causeway. An appropria-
on of S1l5,0 for the building of the
ridge has been made.-New York Times |