It survived both World Wars, but
corrosion is a deadlier foe:
Battleship Texas BB35 is a New York-class battleship that has the distinction of having served in both World War I and World War II. The 104-year-old ship is facing possibly its toughest battle as it fights a two front war against time and budgetary constraints.
The aging battleship is currently closed to the public as it undergoes repairs. Corrosion has caused leaks in the hull of the last remaining WWI dreadnought. Officials have stated that they are pumping 300,000 gallons of water out of the hull every day.
That's a lot of water.
5 comments:
Seems they wasted a huge chunk of money on studies, instead of action. Can't help thinking some folks got rich off donations.
There's been a couple of options discussed for her. Dry-docking her to do "proper" repairs would be hugely expensive, on the order of tens of millions. There was quite some worry that she might not even survive the tow to the dry dock. Another discussed option is to fill in the slip she's sitting in, which still requires some repair to the hull, and probably a concrete wall to encase the hull.
Any way you look at it, this is going be very expensive. I know the Iowa has extensive measures in place to protect the hull, like active cathodic protection, and also extensive inspection and preservation measures. They built a cofferdam that lets them go around the hull about 8' at a time, at the waterline, and do whatever work is required.
I'm a Texan but thought they had spent a lot of money on this ship years ago in the late 80's or so. I may have visited it as a teenager but I'm not sure.
These things are simply too costly to maintain.
Even worse is the Olympia. But both of these ships have suffered from bureaucratic dithering and sheer stupidity for far too long.
Both, I fear, have reached the point of no return, unless something is done now (like in the next 6 months max) that the issue will solve itself, in not a good way.
Like that sub up north that was a floating museum piece, but now is basically scuttled.
This totally sucks.
300k gallons a day? That's so past scary as to be almost unfathomable.
For those interested in classic era warships there is a Youtube channel that has great histories of same. Here is Drachinifel's take on the USS Texas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eoJCs3_Q9g
I like to think I know my history but "Drach" always comes up with things I knew not. Recommended.
TW
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