The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-03
OLD HERCULES IS
JONAH OF NAVY
Runs Amuck on Day Roosevelt
: Arrives
THE DRY DOCK DEWEY
At Manila Is Also Giving Trouble to
the Navy OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Meyer would Sell All OBJ
solete Battleships
THE DRY DOCK DEWEY
by SIDNEY EspEY

mel Roosevelt the Hercules broke from
her moorings and while the cheering
crowds were making New York howl
| with the strenuousness of their welcome
| to the ex-president the floating crane
ran amuck and nearly made history by
barely missing its efforts to wreck the
big batleship Florida, now being con-
structed.
The Hercules. also damaged the dry
dock alongside of which she lay, con-
crete structure which is the largest on
the Atlantic coast and In which the Ne
braska was locked when undergoing re-
pairs.
The navy yard force evidently has not
yet learned how to handle the Hercules
in heavy wind, even after its thrilling
experience with the old Jonah in Decen,-
Der, 1904 At that time the Connecticut
was being built and the Hercules was ly
ing alongside of her, delivering steel.
AT the luncheon hour a heavy wind
blew from the northwest into the chan
mel where the Hercules was lying. The
workmen had all left. The wind tore
her loose from her moorings, and aided
by a strong f1ood-tide sent her rapidly
up the channel.
Across from the Connecticut anchored
az the Cob dock were the Kentucky, the
Kearsarge. the Illinois and other big
ships of the Atlantic fleet 1t just hap
pened that Naval Constructor william
J. Baxter. who is now building the F1or-
da. and who was then building the Con-
necticut. was on the floor of one Of tie
dry docks, instead of being at luncheon.
He happened to look up and caught
sight of the giant steel arms of the Her
cules moving swiftly up the channel.
He looked at his watch and noted that
at that hour the Hercules ought to have
been somewhere else. He jumped to the
conclusion that there was something serl-
ously wrong and dashed up the slippery
steps of the dry dock to find the Her
culas making direct line for the oil
bsttleship Texas Gathering together a
few men who happened to be within call.
they made a moose of rope and with
slrillful throw caught stanchion OF
the Hercules. The moose held and max
ing the other end fast to a pollard the
mad career of the Hercules was checked
but as she swung around she gave the
Texas glancing blow which strove
hole in her side requiring her to be
taken into dry dock Immediately, other
wise she might have gone down.
BY this time the yard was in a state
% great excitement. Whistles were be-
ing blown from all the shops to sound
the alarm for the workmen to man their
posts, as 1t was seen that shift of the
wind would take the Hercules across
the channel and she might rake the Ken
lucky and her sister ships lying there.
and either sink or seriously damage
them.
The Hercules is now such wreck that
Congress has appropriated $4,000 to re-
pair her In the meantime. in order not
to delay work on the Florida 10 ton
floating crane has been towed from the
Boston navy yard and has taken up the
work the Hercules was performing.
The report of the accident to the Her
cues caused great CONSERVATION in naval
circles. for the telegram from Admiral
Leutze, commanding the New York navy
yard made It appear as If the Florida
and not the Hercules had turned over.
The dry dock Dewey at Manila is prov
ing to be another Jonah. She. too, has
mystery attached to her and Congress
has had to make an appropriation of
81, 900 to raise and repair her. Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Winthrop said
today that just what recently befell the
Dewey cannot now be explained and pro-
badly will not be known until labored
correspondence has been received from
the board of inquiry.
the Atlantic, Mediterranean, through the
Suez canal. the Indian ocean the China
sea and into the Pacific to the Philip
pines. a bit of seamanship that attracted
Worldwide attention and applause. has
had q run of hard times Her sinking
month or two ago prompted the spread
ing of alarming reports that the acct
dent was the result of maliciousness on
the part OF Japanese employed to work
on the craft. When she went down "
was first denied in naval circles that
there had been an accident. 1t was
said then that she would be speedily
raised as her stop dock had been left
open.
Although not officially reported it Is
known that the Dewey has a hole in her
side. How this hole came there no one
seems to know. The naval officials have
cabled from Manila asking that the
| first amount of $4,000 necessary to raise
and repair the Dewey be increased TO
$50 900, as a patch would have to be made
| of the hole In her SIDE
| Assistant Secretary winthrop has had
the records of the Dewey gone. ovec.
but there Is no reference to her having
ever had hole stove in her. The Manila
| officials claim the present hole Is all
old one. that had been patched. There
| Is such a mix-up on the question, that
Mr. Winthrop has given up his efforts
|
and will patiently await, full mailireports,
which will not be Forthcoming until the
EMO of August
| It seems certain. though. that the
Cewey will be raised and put In work
| ing condition. She Is expected to b.
temporarily patched and pumped clear
of water by the middle of July. The re-
| pair work to make her operative will con-
sumo several additional months Near
while the question as to whether Japar-
csc spies had hand in the accident, is
being considered.
Secretary OF the Navy Meyeris in favor
of selling all the obsolete warships OF the
navy. At his direction; the general board
of the navy has completed a survey O..
all vessels to determine II any of them
can properly be sold. This report has
moi vet been made public. The gunboat
Detroit. for instance. has been out of
commission for several years because she
Ia too expensive to run. When the gem
eral board makes public its report Sec
retary Meyer intends to take the mat
ter up with Congress- 1t is too late to
have the matter settled at this session.
but It Is one that Is sure to be put up
10 Congress- next December. Legislation
will, Of course be necessary for the
solo of any navy vessels. In discussing
this subject, Secretary Meyer said
= believe 1t would be great saw
ms of money II Congress would author
IL, the sale Of a great many OF our yes
sells, yachts, cruisers, etc. I find that
the appropriation for repairs which was
made last year will show that a very
small proportion goes for hattleships and
frst-class cruisers. and that an enormous
proportion goes for tugs, yachts ard
small cruisers, etc. fr
TT seems to me- Mr.. Meyer concluded