Kenneth E. Harker
1999 Visit to San Jacinto and the U.S.S. Texas

In March, 1999, while attending the IEEE Virtual Reality '99 conference in Houston, Texas, I took off for a few hours one afternoon to visit the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Park and the U.S.S. Texas, nearby. These photos were taken on 14 March 1999.

These photos are copyright (c) 1999-2003 Kenneth E. Harker. All rights reserved.

	The San Jacinto monument, east of the city of Houston, TX. The monument marks the location of the 1836 battle of San Jacinto, which concluded the Texas Revolution. The obelisk is topped with a massive star. They are apparently cleaning it.
	A view from the observation deck inside the tower. This is facing approximately WNW, over the ship channel. You can see the reflecting pool and the battleship U.S.S. Texas. Downtown Houston would be just out of frame to the left. The cable in the foreground was part of the rigging being used for restoration of the monument.
	Another view from the observation deck. This view is approximately NNE, looking over the ship channel and the bayou.
	The U.S.S. Texas is the only ship to have fought for the United States Navy in both World War I and World War II. It was the last of the American "dreadnoughts." It is now in a permanent mooring next to the Houston Ship Channel and the San Jacinto Monument. This is looking at the stern of the ship.
	This is a view from the main deck, port side, about amidships, looking to the stern. On the left of the frame, you can see the steam stack, and to the right of the frame you can see one of the two cranes on the ship. In the center of the frame is the stern superstructure.
	On the main deck, port side, looking to the bow. These are anti-aircraft guns, added in World War II before the ship entered the Pacific theater. You can also see the concrete walkway now used to board the ship, and the Houston Ship Channel beyond.
	Standing near the stern of the ship, looking back toward the bow. The large radar antennas on the stern superstructure were added during the second World War.
	The radar room. This was on the deck immediately below the main deck. There was a metal screen in the door to this room.
	A bunk space. This was not actually a separate room, just an alcove of sorts off the main hallway on the starboard side of the ship. I was standing in the hallway, and there were lockers on the wall behind me.
	A view from about halfway up the stern superstructure, looking out over the bow. The U.S.S. Texas was the last of the steam powered battleships to enter service in the United States Navy. Originally, this was a coal-burning ship, but was converted to oil before the second World War. The steam funnel is in the foreground here.
	On the other side of the stern superstructure, looking out across the stern of the ship. The San Jacinto monument is on the small hill ahead. The U.S.S. Texas is now painted entirely in a dark blue camoflage, the same color scheme it wore in the Pacific theater at the end of World War II.
	The U.S.S. Texas was commissioned in 1912. It has two heavy cranes, one on each side of the ship. The cranes were used to lift the ship's sea planes and small boats out of the water and bring them back aboard. You can also see a ship travelling past the mooring in the Houston Ship Channel.
	This is as high as one can get on the superstructure of the ship. While it's not obvious from this photo, to go higher requires climbing ladders on the outside of the three columns that hold up the higher portions (which of course are off limits to visitors today.)
	Some of the anti-aircraft gun emplacements.
	The view, looking stern, underneath the stern-most big gun, at the San Jacinto monument.
	Standing near the bow, looking toward the stern. This is a good view of the forward superstructure.
	This is a view inside one of the big guns. This is the left of two firing chambers in the gun. Shells were brought up from the magazine below the turret.
	A better view of the stern superstructure.