Evening star., 1950-01-30
Some Personal Impressions
or Plight of the Mighty Mo
To the Editor nf The star.

Readers of The Star may find interest in
some observations concerning the as yet un-
accountable grounding of the battleship
MISSOURI in Chesapeake Bay near the en-
trance to Hampton Roads, The writer long
was a resident of Old Point Comfort the
son OF late sea captain stationed there
and engaged in navigation in the Bay and
nearby waters, and is familiar with the
ships courses out of Norfolk Harbor and
going up the Bay or to the Capes.
Assuming that the sketch in The Sunday
star is accurate, it is obvious that the cap
tain OF the ship, if on duty, or the naviga-
tor directing the quartermaster approached
the marker huoys on a Northeast course,
directly toward shallow water If it were
possible for the course of approach to have
peen from a point reasonably near Old
Point dock, the ship may have passed North
OF the South buoy on a Northeast -by-east
course ana have made an immediate turn
10 Starboard of few compass points. thus
remaining in the channel.
II not routed through the marker buovs
by the Navy, as lighter draft vessels have
oeen routed, the ship, on leaving the Naval
Base on Hampton Roads, would pursue the
Hxeo northeast course to point between
Old Point dock and Fort Wool and then take
q course East Northeast, passing Thimble
Shoals Light five miles beyond Old Point.
several hundred yards to port and continu-
Ing on to the Capes.
Steamers from Norfolk to Washington
ana Baltimore take the same course. giving
Thimble Shoals Light a wide berth before
turning to port and proceeding up the Bav
Inc ship is lying with the stern pointing
southwest and the bow pointing Northeast.
Sha!ioW water is before and behind It will
oe dl1ncult to drag the ship backwards. as
mas oeen SHOWN, and 1t would appear that
snere is no way to turn her to have the
Seern pointing South to the channel. in
oroer TO drag her toward deep water. She
Is Is no oouot embedded in hard sand rather
tL t,.all niuo. Inere is strong tide wash
there resembling, at times a nillrace
around Old Point dock, and dredging NAV
not oe expected to help greatly as more
SAND Will be washed up against the shin.
IL may be that phase of the moon wil,
oring sufficiently high tide to float the
snip on February 2, but it is doubtful and
an possible Tightening of the ship will not
greatly reduce the heavy draft of 37b feet.
osually violent Northeast storms reach that
secIion curing the autumnal and vernal
equinoxes, but they are more likely in the
1aH. During these storms very high tides
result from the wind blowing the water
ooWn the Bay and in from the Capes.
ihere Will be little trouble for the board
OF inquiry IN fixing the responsibility for
tne mishap. AS for all inland waters
Cneasapeake Bay and Hampton Roads are
iuiiy charted with depths shown in great
detail and at inf1nitesimal distances.
mere glance at the chart would indicate
that a ship with the draft Of the MISSOURI
would be grounded pursuing a Northeast
course beyond Old Point dock In unknown
and uncharted waters the captain of a shin
finds depth by soundings while proceeding
at lowest possible speed.
1t is not possible to believe that member
OF the Virginia Pilots Association, had he
been aboard, would have taken the ship
through the buoys, regardless of a routing
by the Navy for the purpose of testing
underwater acoustical devices.
T. r. BONNEVILLE.