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| Photo Credit: AP. |
The only surviving World War I and II leaking Texas battleship is being put up for repairs expected to gulp $35 million, The Associated Press repairs. USS Texas successfully fought against the Nazis and the Japanese Army during World War II.
In recent
years the military vessel has experienced a leaky, rusty hull that forced
workers sometimes to pump out about 2,000 gallons (7,575 liters) of water per
minute from the 110-year-old ship, according to The Associated Press.
The foundation
in charge of the operations and care of the vessel towed the ship Wednesday from
its place along the Houston Ship Channel to a shipyard in Galveston for
anticipated repairs. The move is targeted at preventing the vessel from
sinking.
The president
of the Battleship Texas Foundation, Tony Gregory said Wednesday the pulling of
the ship by tugboats and getting it on its final journey was smooth and as
intended.
“It went
smoother than we thought and quicker than we thought … and she’s gone, down the
channel,” he said, according to The Associated Press.
The ship is
expected in Galveston by 4 p.m.
The repairs
would gulp about $35 million to restore the ship, as the ship sails away from
its berth at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in the Houston
suburb of La Porte.
The vessel
will be resettled in a new location in Texas, in one of three nearby cities,
including Galveston, in order to attract more visitors and increase revenue, The
Associated Press reported.
Moving the
ship for repairs is “the major step in getting the ship back to tip top shape,”
Gregory said Tuesday while standing on the vessel, according to The Associated
Press.
“Once we get
going, I anticipate it being pretty smooth... We feel like we’re prepared,”
Gregory said.
THE USS Texas has been located at the state historic site since 1948 where the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution was fought where it served as a museum and tourist attraction. In 1988, the battleship was taken to the same shipyard in Galveston for repairs.