Powder Magazines

Cooling the Powder Magazines

In 1914, magazine bulkheads were lined with cork and equiped with mechanical air conditioning. Each grouping of magazines (forward-turrets1 & 2, middle-turret3, and aft-turrets 4 & 5) had a "cooler box" fitted with pipe coils. CO2 would circulate through the coils, supplied by one of two refrigerating plants. Forced air (from electric blowers) passing over the coils in the boxes would cool the air before entering the magazines. Do not know when the cork and mechanical cooling systems were removed.

POWDER BAGS

1914: 4,072 (in 2,018 tanks) "General Information USS TEXAS finished plans 37 & 38". Allowed: 4,000 (in 2,000 tanks). 1945:  4,224 (in 2,112 tanks) - March 2003 counting of tank locations (6 high - 2 bags per tank), by volunteer Wesley Grace.

Powder tanks being lowered to 1st Platform