The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-25
OIL BOATS IN TROUBLE.

The Union OIL Company's steamer
Santa Maria, which has been here sew
eraI times, is in trouble in San Fran.
cisco and her sister ship, the Santa
Rita, is in the same difficulty. The
following clipping from the San Fran
cisco Chronicle tells Of the numerous
defects which have been found in the
converted oil ships:
The interest of the local shipping
world is centered in the steamer santa
Maria and the revelations that fol-
lowed the survey just made on that
vessel, which Is lying at the Union
iron works, The discoveries may in
volve the Newport News Shipbuilding
Company in an expensive lawsuit in
which the government, through the De-
partment Of Commerce and Labor, may
take a hand
The surveyors found that the reason
that the steamers bulkheads leaked
was that wooden pegs and wedges had
been largely used To hide slaVenly
workmanship. and that in many places
the steel sheets were merely tackled to-
gether with kaf-rivets. Assistant
Manager Ferguson Of the Newport
News Company is here trying to
strajghteu matters out.
The Santa Maria is owned by the
Union Steamship Company Of this city.
The steamer was built on the lakes for
general freighter. but proved IN
profitable The Union Steamship Com
pany bought the vessel and turned il
over 10 the Newport News company
to be converted into an oil tanker fol-
eE-- - 1z
done and the steamer arrived here safe
". but with cargo damaged a num-
Der Of short trips were made, as well "a
one TO Panama with a cargo Of liquid
fuel.
Wooden pegs may serve for a time 10
hold even steel in place, but as a sub
s1itute for honestly driven rivets they
proved poor substitutes. There was
a heavy shrinkage OF the Santa Maria
cargo during the voyage to the jsthmus-
While at Colon the steamer struck
submerged wreck. and upon its return
TO this port was taken 10 the Union
iron works for survey and repairs. The
damage sustained by striking the dere~
lie. proved 10 be small. but the survey
Of the interior revealed a state Of al
fairs as <erieuz as that uncovered when
the surveyors discovered the putty in
great flaw in the Siberia's propeller
arch. The blame for that piece OF
duplicitv was placed on the Bethlehem
steel works. where a foreman desiroa2s
of saving a heavy loss 10 his depart
ment. had plugged and hidden navv IN
the great casting upon which The liners
stability depended.
Il was found that the rivets thai he'd
together the sheeted steel Of the santa
NIarfa,s buIkbeads had been careless-S
driven. Those afterward found 10 hS
loose had been made tight By the Use
OF wooden pFags. In many cases only
half-rivets had been used, and IN GER
tain places the use Of Tivets had been
dfspensed with altogether and q sEs~
tenn Of wedges was used 10 keep the
steel in place
The Newport News company was
notified and Assistant Manager Fergu-
son FASTENED 10 this coast He &C
l-7axIedged the responsibility Of his
/ concern. and Is now doing all he can
! ~ make a settlement with the Union
/ Steamship Company
The hufkheads viii be completely
overbauled under the supervision Of the
underwriters Il is said that the work
/ VIII cost $50. 900
In addition 10 this expense. much
/ freight was damaged and lost as the
~asrlIr Of the leaking tanks and unless
( Assistant Manager Ferguson can reach
/ SarDe settlement the story Of the santa
/ zrqrfa's wooden rivets. half-r1vers ana
-7r-a+rasz wedges VIII be told in the
! United states courts
>rApv-E NOTES
] Tho ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS steamer