The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-05-26

At DOCK
Batt|eship Enters
the HarbOr in
Morning.
(From Mondays daily.)

when the big United states battle-
ship Wisconsin OF 800 tons and 25
feet draught came into Honolulu har-
Dor yesterday morning and locked at
Naval Dock No. 2 without the slight
est difficulty, two facts were demon
strated, that Honolulu possesses har-
Dor that can shelter the biggest war
ships Of any navy, but even then that
the harbor needs deepening. The bat
tleship with Pilot Sanders, Captain
Rodman the Captain and executive
officer of the flagship on the bridge,
was brought into the harbor smoothly.
She steered well, and when she came
against the timbers Of the dock there
was no perceptible shock. Captain
Rodman, commandant of the Naval
Station, looked pleased and Captain
Sebree was likewise in a happy frame
Of mind, for the Wisconsin vas the
first American battleship to make the
trip.
At noon the battleship paid her COM
pliments to the little gunboat York
town as she steamed out for San Fran
cisco, and the vessel was then thrown
open for the inspection Of the Homo
lulu public. Although there had been
no publication to the effect that the
Wisconsin was to be on exhibition, the
vessel swarmed at times with human
ity. The officers Of the ship gave every
possible courtesy to visitors, and the
sailors were at all times willing to eX-
plain the mysteries of the great guns.
The tampions had been removed from
the 13-inch guns in the turrets, the
breeches thrown open, and everybody
took. peep through the long-rihed
tubes, through which child could
easily find room to crawl. The main
battery in the gun deck, came in for a
share of the interest. The torpedo
tubes way down below, and the inno-
cent looking torpedoes enclosed in
screens of steel netting, were objects
of the keenest scrutiny.
But above ALL the visitors were sur
/ prised at the spick and span appear
ance of everything visible There was
seemingly not spccll Of dirt any
where. The patchwork glistenei, the
/ parts of the guns not coated with
paint, shone under applications "
I grease and rags, the galleys, even with
/ tie cooks busily preparing for the eve
Mig meal, showed that cleanliness
7 PREVAILED there; locScrS. sailors kit
/ bags and chests We're all arranged
with regularity; the small arms in the
armory We're in the best Of order, and
the sailors themselves We're examples
/ of neatness. Every deck is covered
/ with terra Gotta linoleum and this was
/ as clean as could be expected with
/ hundreds of visitors constantly pass
! ing over it. In fact, it was evident
that from Captain Sebree down to the
least of the officers, every effort was
10 IL lit
ness. Many of the sailors We're busy
making clothes, and the tailors aboard
! ship We're extremely busy at their
little machines which they run by
hand, and almost every chest and
table was utilized by the tackles writ
ing letters home. The jacllies must
be prolific letter writer's for there is
maintained system of United States
Mail boxes in various parts of the yes
| sci.
The warship will be open today for
inspection and then the taking in OF h.
600 tons of coal Twill begin. This will con-
tinue until about Wednesday when the
ship will be cleaned again, and every
thing put in readiness to proceed to
Yokohama either Thursday or Friday.
/ There is first class baseball team
aboard, oaptained by Midshipman Met
calf, who plays first base The re-
mainder of the nine is composed Of
enlisted men, and it is said this ag-
gregation played all |round the Seat
tie teams The nine is anxious for n
try with a local nine and Fred Kiley
of the Males has already secured the
promise of game either Tuesday or
Wednesday, The Wisconsin nine line
up is as follows:
Ridge, pitcher; Shine, catcher; Met
calf, LIST base; Wheeler End base;
Robbins 3rd base; Friel, short-stop;
! kract, left field; Riley, center field;
FELTON,, Nolan, right field.