osmigo@cs.utexas.edu (05/08/89)
From: ut-emx!osmigo@cs.utexas.edu () Since so many of you appear knowledgable about naval vessels, I was wondering if anyone could tell me the current status of the battleship Texas, which is a stationary tourist attraction on the Houston Ship Channel. Some time ago, it was closed for major reconditioning, which was supposed to take quite a while, since the ship was reportedly "sitting in mud." It's a nifty ship to run around on, especially the engine room. Kids love it. There's one particularly interesting display on the ship: the Accountant's Office. It's a small room about 6' X 8' with a table, a chair, a hole in the wall, and a 12-inch shell lying on the floor. Yep. He was sitting there writing in the books when a 12-incher whammed through the wall and just laid there on the floor, right by the table leg. It's interesting to speculate about his thoughts at that moment.....|-: At any rate, any information regarding what's been/being done to the ship, if it has been re-opened, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Ron =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ > Ron Morgan {ames, utah-cs, uunet, gatech}!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!osmigo < > Univ. of Texas {harvard, pyramid, sequent}!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!osmigo < > Austin, Texas osmigo@ut-emx.UUCP osmigo@emx.utexas.edu < =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
steve@uunet.UU.NET (Steve Nuchia) (05/12/89)
From: nuchat!steve@uunet.UU.NET (Steve Nuchia) In article <6350@cbnews.ATT.COM> ut-emx!osmigo@cs.utexas.edu writes: >Since so many of you appear knowledgable about naval vessels, I was wondering >if anyone could tell me the current status of the battleship Texas, which is >a stationary tourist attraction on the Houston Ship Channel. Some time ago, The third Texas, a veteran of both world wars, was saved from the scapyard after the second by a lunch-money donation drive among Texas schoolchildren. She was moored in a cut off the Houston ship channel on the San Jacinto Battleground, site of the decisive battle in Texas' war for independence from Mexico. >it was closed for major reconditioning, which was supposed to take quite >a while, since the ship was reportedly "sitting in mud." It's a nifty ship She had considerable mud on both sides of her bottom after all those years of silt on the outside and neglect on the inside. The state parks service ran her, at least in recent years, and did not have enought buget to keep her up throughout. They poured concrete over her decking to reduce maintenance costs, very probably preserving it in the process. They fixed up a tour route through the hull and topsides and maintain that, letting the rest of the ship sit pretty much in mothballs. The spaces on the tour route are nicely restored, including a fair amount of "museum" stuff. >to run around on, especially the engine room. Kids love it. The engines, I understand, have been declared a "national engineering landmark" or some such. The largest multi-stage reciprocating steam plant still in existance. Generations of young engineers have leaned on her main-space rails and dreamed of restoring those engines and going for a drive. That won't happen though. Not enough money, and plenty of other spaces to be restored first. I don't recall the accountant's office, I'll have to watch for it next time, thanks. The main guns, 14 inchers, are plugged as are most of her secondary batteries. One section of 5 inchers is fenced off and at least one of these is kept in repair for firing blanks in ceremonies. >At any rate, any information regarding what's been/being done to the ship, >if it has been re-opened, etc. would be greatly appreciated. She was moved late last year or early this to a drydock in Galveston for an estimated year of repairs. This followed extensive internal cleanup and repair to make her seaworthy enough for the trip, about 50 miles of protected water. The repairs are being funded from a motley assortment of sources, including organized and individual volunteer labor, a grant from the US Navy, direct donations, parks department budget, and an aluminum can collection drive. I don't know the name of the yard she is in but it can't be hard to find out. It should be possible to get a look at her from the road or from the Galveston channel, and I would be surprised if there wasn't plenty of work for able volunteers left. Shipyard insurance probably prevents random walk-ons though. I look for her to be opened to the public at her old berth sometime next spring. If anyone has first-hand knowledge of the situation at the yard regarding voluteer work or gawking let me know. If anyone is seriously interested in volunteering I'll do some legwork for you. It would be an interesting vacation for a history buff, modeler, whatever. -- Steve Nuchia South Coast Computing Services uunet!nuchat!steve POB 890952 Houston, Texas 77289 (713) 964 2462 Consultation & Systems, Support for PD Software.
SKI%RICE.BITNET@rutgers.edu (David Palkowski) (05/12/89)
From: SKI%RICE.BITNET@rutgers.edu (David Palkowski) The battleship Texas is currently in dry dock in Galveston undergoing extensive repairs. Upon complete of these repairs sometime in '90, it will be towed back to the San Jacinto Monument area south of Houston where it will re-open for tours. I saw it recently from a small airplane I was flying just north of Scholes Field - it looks kinda odd sitting up out of the water with its rudder rust-stuck in a 10 degree starboard turn position.