The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-12-03
BATTLESH|P OHIO
PASSES THROUGH
ATLANTIC GALE

New York, Dec. S--The battleship Ohio
arrived here yesterday. after a rough
voyage across tho Atlaptic. having bat
lied with terrific gale while handicapped
BY the lack OF her starboard propeller
which was made useless through damages
received when the vessel passed through
The Suez canal 1a
miles since she was last here and has
proved her staunchness and her ability
In many a hard gale. The Ohio was the
bagship OF the late Rear-Admiral Train,
Who died in Chefoo. and was the last or
Americas big sea lighters to leave the
peighborhood OF the Philippines The bat
.eship will go 10 the navy yard at
p'clock this morning
The Ohio sailed from Gibraltar on Nov.
b, and in the two weeks that II took her
20 cross the Atlantic she had nard
lime. On Thanksgiving day she ran INTO
} gale that increased 70 hurricane force,
lnd one OF the big seas that swept over
Ter decks carried away the starDoaru
yangway that had been slowed on ueck.
Ehe suffered other small damage 70 deck
httings. but her officers declare that par-
hing the fact that water gets into the
Aperstructure through the opening OF the
iunport shutters. she is admirable Tor
lattleship In a seaway.
The leaking OF the gunports is a aeLTc. sic
hat may be remeded. 1t is certainly dls-
agreeable 20 those on board. Water came
through in great volumes ana Washeo
The Ohio had another mishap on the
"trip. Because OF her width-she Is ~ rect
beam--she had difficulty IN gettlns
through the Suez canal, and her star
board propeller was disabled. IL became
damned. and all OF the three blades were
badly bent Because of the injuries she
bad much harder time I'm Thursday =
ttorm than she otherwise would nave hau,
The damage to the vessels propeller also
paused her TO consume much more coal
Than usual.
The Ohio though she has been in. com
mission since October 1904. and has
bruised more than $1,000 miles in the past
Two years. has never before been 10 this
port; she has been In the Far East con-
tlnuously since May, 1895. She IL sister
ship 10 the Maine and the missouri, ana
was built by the Union Iron Works. OF
San Francisco. Her present commander.
Capt. L. G. Logan. took her when she
was put I'm commission and sailed for
ravite on April |. 1905. on her return
voyage she left Chefoo In September for
Cavite, where she took on supplies and
exchanged a lot of lOng-term men for
those whose terms OF service were near
ing completion. She left Cavite on Sept.
b. and went 10 Colombo. where she coal
rd From Colombo she went through the
Suez canal, stopping at Port said for
coal.
She had a thorough testing. and her
commander says she proved herself
Etaunch and seaworthy.
The ship has on board a crew of "a offi-
rers, 734 men and 70 marines. Many OF the
men will get shore liberty. as soon as
the ship goes into the yard, and about 200
of them will be discharged within few
days. as their terms OF enlistment expire.
Most OF them, however. will probably re-
enlist. A remarkable fact about the crew
Of the Ohio Is that 95 per cent OF the men
are native-born Americans. They excel a
target practice
Capt. Logan said yesterday he thought
that the government should have officers
of the rank OF vice-admiral In the East.
because whenever an American naval ves-
sel comes In contact with the naval ves-
sells OF other nations the ranking Ameri-
ran officer has 10 take a back seat. The
same thing occurs, whether the officers
are at a review or q garden party. and
the commanding officers OF the other ma
tions represented go in front ALWAYS.