U.S. sends ship to watery grave

GULF OF MEXICO — As hundreds of veterans looked on solemnly, U.S. navy divers blew holes in a retired aircraft carrier and sent the 270-metre USS Oriskany to the bottom of the sea yesterday, creating the world’s largest man-made reef. The rusted hulk took 37 minutes to slip beneath the waves, about 4 1/2 hours faster than predicted, after more than 227 kg of plastic explosives went off with bright flashes of light and clouds of brown and grey smoke.