The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-04-01
INJURED SHIPS TRIP.
How the Illinois Crew Saved
Her With Bricks.
BUILT A WALL TO KEEP OUT SEA

BUILT A WALL TO KEEP OUT SEA.
Pumps Busy For 1900 Miles ON the
B~attleship's Cruise From a Cuban
Port to New York-Excellent Disci-
pline of the Crew Probably Saved
Her From Destruction In Crash
With the Missouri.
As an example Of the ingenuity and
resource Of the American man-of-
warsman in sailing his ship under diff
hculties the trip from Guantanamo
to New York Of the b~attleship Illinois,
which was recently rammed by the
Missouri, must take high rank, says
the New York Herald.
Thirteen hundred miles the big bat
tleship, under command OF Captain X.
B. Bradford, sailed, her pumps going
all the time, with n propeller and
one engine out Of business and with q
solid cement and brick wall "built like
the side Of a house, in her battered
stern to keep out the sea. Half house
and half ship in her stern quarters, the
Illinois, thanks to the brick and con-
crete wall, was able to weather gal
lantly severe storms from Hatteras to
the Delaware and to end her singular
journey in the New York navy yard
the other day in six days and sever
hours time.
Superficial examination made in the
! afternoon showed that the battleship
was more seriously damaged than
had previously been supposed and
that in all probability months will
be essential to her repair. 1t was dis
closed that her stern plates We're rip
ped and holed and that 1t was perhaps
the excellent discipline Of the men and
the prompt closing of the watertight
compartment that alone enabled the
costly ship to run safely to a haven
after the collision.
Just previous to the shock Of the bat
tleships the squadron, it was learned,
was proceeding in column, apparently
under splendid control. Twenty-eight
miles off Guantanamo the Missouri,
which had been astern on the port side
Of the Illinois, began to close In. When
near to the Illinois she m%aneuvered
to starboard. The ponderous ships
were steaming rapidly. Something
went wrong with the steering gear of
the Missouri. Getting apparently be-
yond control, she came astern of the
Illinois on her port, tried to steer wide
and, failing because of her deranged
gear, crashed bow on, striking with
terrific force the steel strut of the IL
linois' port propeller.
The strut is part Of the frame of the
vessel and holds the propeller in place.
The Missouri's bow damned the strut
into the hull, then Wrenched it away
completely, wrenching several plates
and leaving two gaping holes In the
frame, one approximately l foot by 9
inches and the other 5 by z inches.
The huge propeller shaft was twisted,
and two of the three %propellers were
bent like SO much papier mache.
All of the injuries are below the wa
ter line. To look at the battleship as
; she floats at the yard n would never
think that even a bolt was loose in her,
That is because of the brick and con
crete wall 'built like the side of q
house." The sailormen were the brick
: layers and the mortar mixers who bull
1t. The cooks provided the fire bricks.
Shortly after the collision the anna
teur builders began on the wall. Div
ers placed mating and planking oyel
!, the holes. Then the tiller room, which
was flooded, was pumped fairly dry
! and the solid wall of concrete and fire
bricks built from the inside against
the outer planking. More planks were
! then applied, and supports to the wal
g were stretched across the ship.
! With the disabled propeller slung
: the voyage home was begun. The col
lier Sterling and the navy tug Pom
tiac acted as a convoy. All the way
up the warship leaked, and the pumps
were kept going.
1--WE left Guantanamo with brick
wall up at 10 o'clock on the morning
Of the 9th (March)," said Captain Brad
J, ford, "and we anchored at Tompkins
I vile at s o'clock on Tuesday (Marcl
10y. From Hatteras we had stormy
weather, snow, sleet and fog alternat
! ing, but we've brought the old shil
: safely in port with n propeller"
g The captain said he could not Civ
an explanation of the collision. sayin.
a board of investigation had the mat
" ter in hand.
z Three Austere Maine Preachers.
At the recent graduation exercises Q
the Phillips High school in Kennebet
2 Me-, the usual prayer by a local clergy