The Washington herald., 1910-06-18

Fearing the monitor Puritan viii stick
In the mud, the Bureau Of Navigation
has decided 10 move the ship 10 Hampton
Roads from her berth at the foot of
Seventh street.
For the first time in three years the
war time monitor had nearly her full
complement OF men yesterday. Her decks
presented a busy scene. During the next
ten days she will be freshly painted from
stem 10 stern. and her engines and arm
ament are being overhauled
At low tide the Puritan is aground,
and for months naval experts have been
anxiously watching her, predicting that
if she was not given sailing orders she
would sink in the soft Potomac bottom
hopelessly.
Cost Million and Half.
The Puritan cost S,50O,0O0 nearly twenty
years ago. and she is equipped with four
modern twelve-inch guns and starboard
and port batteries OF light armament.
The staff officers Of the navy feared
that If she was allowed TO go out Of
commission here the example would be
used In telling way by the enemies Of
the two battle ship schedule and greater
navy plans of the administration
The monitor has remained stationary
so long that many people believed she
was aground anyway. Up to very re-
Gently her crew has consisted OF three
or four jackies and a warrant officer
When she gets under way and swings
down the river for Hampton Roads next
week. she VIII have a fun crew and Of
fcers yet to be chosen.
Just what is going to be the fate of the
Puritan is more or less a mystery in the
Navy Department. She would be about
as helpless as an oyster sloop in an en-
gagenent with a modern battle ship.
As a matter of fact she is a white
elephant on the hands of the modern
navy.
Not to Be DisarmOred.
Chief Constructor Washington Lee Caps,
head Of the Bureau of Construction and
Repair. declared yesterday that there had
been no order issued that would give
grounds for the belief that the Puritan
is going to be picked to pieces
Secretary Meyers order last week dis
posing OF a number Of the old hulks that
include the Puritan.
On board the monitor. the engineers
who are putting her machinery in work.
ing order and cleaning up her guns be-
lieve that she Will merely be taken 20
Hampton Roads or Norfolk Harbor 10
lie until the department gets ready 70
dismantle her. She may be used Al a
target at the next deep-sea practice of
the Atlantic feet of the Virginia Capes
AT any rate the ship that has been a
fixture OFF the wharves for so many years
will be seen no more by Washingtonians.
1t was admitted that whatever happens
10 her she will not be brought back into
the Potomac, unless she goes 20 the
Washington Navy Yard for repairs or to
be destroyed.
Expensive and Useless.
a monitor nowadays is worth practi-
csly nothing 10 the navy. Though she is
splendidly equipped with guns, all OF
which will be in good order and ready for
action before she steams, it is admitted
she would be worthless in time Of war.
Even the old-style battle ships could
not fire their forward guns under full
steam or in a heavy sea. The modern
ships are built high forward, and their
turrets can be used under any condi-
lions.
Monitors lie so low in the water that
their decks are awash in moderate
sea, and when they are under steam,
with seas sWirling around the turrets
constantly, only their light guns can be
fired.
The Puritan draws nine feet. and at
low tide there Is not more than eight
feet of water at her present anchorage
She cannot be loaded with coal and
supplies here because her water lire is
four feet above the river now, and the
additional weight would put her hard
aground.
There is a wide difference Of opinion
as to whether she can be moved at all
Some officers argue that her keel has
worn It's own berth. and that she will
go in the mud when she attempts to
swing away from anchorage
Attracted by the unaccustomed activity
on board, many visitors inspected the
monitor yesterday.