Show CURIOUS FACTS ASTO BARNACLES I The Limed States cruiser Bennlngton was for some tie m the harbor of L Union In Guatemala and In so short a time as lxt > three days the growth here represented was effected The growths are technical > called barnacles but as a matter or let they < omprise several orients ori-ents of htil ash iir imin nt amonir a conies th < ui6ie oyster In the ease in point when IK Bnnington was placed In the dry dock at Mare Islandmavy art It was found that oysters large enough oyen Iae 1 for the table were of frequent occurrence These growths must be removed while the ship is in div dock b removed while tilt ship is afloat by divers the protecting protect-ing paint tomes off with the barnacle unit leaves the metal > f the hull unprotected The regulations it the navy department prohibit this being done except in case of great emergent The barnacle grows to a length of three sos and four Inches conical In shape anti from the partiall closed apex of the cono project a pair of strong mandibles always ill motion in search of food These tilL are not difficult of removal when in dock for they non die out of water Many of the barnacles are pink in color some ao black and many are white being sooil mens of different families They not only gather and grow on tho ship bottom but even on the propeller and rudder trorc propler roT experience in the tropics it would seemi that the water is full of spat or embryo em-bryo shell flsh incessantly in search of a resting place Various paint and mixtures which have been applied to ship bottoms with the object of preventing these growths have not been very successful When a ship has been a short tune In tropical waters the bottom present th ippearance of hiving been sprinkled with sand the marine life Is co evenly distributed Hut the tropics arc not tho only part of the world where ships but toms get foul In th > waters of Alaska and even farther north inimal and ve retable r-etable growths interfere with the peed of our ships to in extent little dreamed of before hEto advent of steel or Iron for shipbuilding Besides the animal growths of barnacle bar-nacle oyster and kindred life I Jars and rich vegetable growth causes almost a much trouble This grass as it is technically called Is swept away in large measure when the ship steams at full speed which is lot the case with tho animal life Ordinarily a short run in fresh water will kill off the adhering growths when the vegetable matter will drop off but the shells of dead barnacles remain to bo scrased off in dock Many of our ships have had their speed reduced onehalf by these growths The remedy for all this expese and trouble Is to sheathe the bottom with wood and then copper that sheathing is with the old fashioned wooden ship The expense of docking and painting a ship of 10000 tons is about 1500 As a safe average I think the cost of docking our snips which a has ben said must take place twice a year will not b far from SI 000 for each docking or E2COO a year At the present tame there are seventyfive ships tit fo cruising and requiring this semiannual docking A brief calculation shows that thee insignificant in-significant little barnacles cost the treasury treas-ury department the tidy sum of not fa from JluOOOO each year HLBEK WEBSTER Commodore L S N |