New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-27
TINE rycLTsH NAVAL PLANS A FAIL URE.
SECRETARY wHITNEY's UN.AMERIoAN COURSE
DTsPRovED BY THE WORK ON THE TEXAS


Improved BY THE WORK ON THE TEXAS.
Washington, Nov. 20-The policy OF building an
EnclIsbA American Navy. which has been so frequently
aaoca,od nv Secretary whitney and his Bureau OF
Naval In, -ence,' does not give promise OF sue
coss ca o. he great battlc-shlp Texas IS concerned
Whom y tribune first criticised the Navy Depart
meut for oohing TO England as the principal MARKET
for Mans designs and ideas Of modern war vessels anu
for Offering rewards In London ana raris ior 'u."
designs rather than to own American Navy ana CIV
an engineers It was credited with having as l's SOLO
purpose an attack upon the Administration VI" 'n0
contrary The Tribune looked upon this uh-Ahiero""
policy as a compromise of the reputation Oh INC eou"
try and dsparagement of American dasisoS III '""'
trading with British naval architects.
But what are the facts regarding the afnore"
battle-sbp Texas for the designs Of which the Navy
Department paid the Barrow ShipbuIlding Company
SIS 600? What about those prepared by he eh-
nent naval architect. william Johns: or the S'ooo
ones Of Mr.. Brycc-Douglas who designed the engines
Of the Cunard steamship Etrurla? 1t IS reported 'ha
gross errors have been discovered in the plans ana or
that work has been entirely suspended upon 'ho
Texas at the Norfolk Navy Yard. visitor 10 tna'
yard will find that all the work which has been actua'
done upon that vessel IS practically at all The
eelbocks have been laid the east side of tho yard
workingshed has been put up under which there Is
tandem-compound Corlss engine two upright boilers
for furnishing steam have been put up; part OF the
iron flooring has been laid under the shed. and there
are one two machines ready for punching the plates
The working plans which have been laid of In the
moulding loft at the Norfolk Navy Yard show that
serious blunders have been made which Will not only
retard the progress CT the vessel but will cause loss
Of money to the Government. which closed the con-
tracts some time ago for much Of the material for the
vessel as originally designed 1t is found that there
are numerous errors In weight and dimensions, ard
the plans for the interior arrangements are so con-
hcng that the construction Of the ship by them is not
only mpractcable, but impossible. IL IS decided that
the vessel must be lcngthened at least twentyf0ur
feet, and the question IS now being considered
whether the original plans must be discarded alto
gether, or altered II they altered, there Will
need be many changes that the original plans will
hardly be recognizable. This would necessitatc con-
tracing for a lot Of new materials. including many
expensive steel castings. Then the question of
cost Of the vessel The act Of Congress Of August 3,
seG, which authorized the construction of the aInored
cruiser Maine, and the aruored battle-ship Texas,
limited the cost Of construction Of each to 100000,
exclusive Of the cost Of the armament
1t IS said that these defects in the designs Of the
Texas would not have been discovered at this time
except for the failure Of English vessels Of correspond
ing designs to develop than threefourths of the
speed expected Of them in the recent manoeuvres of
had been continued aud completed without knowl-
edge OF the failure Of the English vessels the failure OF
the Texas to produce the speed and develop other
qualities promised by the designers would have been
laid upon the shoulders Of the American Navy En-
gneer Corps, Notwithstanding the fact that line off,
GERS who are not expected to be experts, have the
supervision Of building the Texas and the Maine. In
communication addressed TO the House Naval Com
mittce explaining his for going TO England for
designs for war vessels, Secretary Whitney said: "
think policy IS TO borrow the ideas of our
neghbors so far as they thought to be in all
OF ours, and give them shipbuilders In the
shape of plans and having this object In view have
been anxious TO acquire detailed drawings Of the
latest machinery in abroad and should feel at
liberty spend in the way in getting hold
OF the latest things far possible for the purpose
OF utilizing them But there many who believe
that the Secretary influenced to this not from his
own personal knowledge much as by the appeals
Of Lieutenant Commander Chadwick of the American
Legation I'm London, Commander John G.. Walker and
the cOterie OF officers connected with the Bureau OF
Naval Intelligence If such is the case. Mr. whitney
unwittingly imposed upon. As member OF
Congpss remarked al the time the appropriation was
made for the Maine ard the Texas: We don't need to
go abroad for ideas ships for our Navy" II Is
acknowledged abroad and at home that the American
naval engineers and constructors have not their SUI
pcrors IN any other country. But the Navy Depart
mcnt has recognized this on the contrary IL not
only has purchased foreign designs for vessels and
but II recently imported foreign draughtsman 10 do
work I'm the Navy Department to give the impression
that no American could be found capable TO do the
work.