The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-20
NOW FOR TIE 1Exxa
The First OF Our Battle ships IL AIuo->
Ready TO Take 10 the Water

WASHINGTON. June 18-The Texas. ybich
has SO long been under construction at tina
Norfolk Navy Yard. is the next OF the vessels
OF our new navy to DO launched. and this cere
mony will be performed before the close Of thu
present month She is n steel-armorod bat.
tic ship. having two steel turrets, and her keel
was laid in 1880. Hor length on the v-tsu
line is 3O1 feet inches. hor breadth "a f.st 1
inch her mean draft 22h feet Her disnlaco-
ment is $500 tons. Her maximum indicated
horse power is $500 produced by twin screw.
vertical, triple expansion engines which are
expected to give hor q speed OF seventeen
knots. Her main battery consists OF two II.
inch and six 0-inch breech-loading rifles.
while hcr secondary battery will inclnie
twelve B-pounder and four 1.pounder rapd.
fire guns, four Hotchkiss revolving cannon.
and two Gatlngs
Her nrmor is n foot thick. both on her stio.
and her turrets. The limit of tho cost Of tbe
Texas AS fixed in the act Of Aug 3 1885. an.
tho izing her construction. is S25Op.OO cx.
elusive OF her lattery ,.,
The story OF this vessel ispeculiar and inter.
esting When Congress autho lied the con.
struction Of two seagoinG double hottomcd AR.
mored ships. zach OF about 5000 tons dispiare-
h n,.I eyer been hui, in this eonntry, Accord.
the best, designs for the, M pos, ,wheSeSerr
they might originate. and offered 10000 Tor
he most acceptable plan of = battle ship and
On the lst Of April. 1887. about sisjt mor.a.
after the ,appI9yal Of the act Of cons,yss. no
thosS for tho armored cruiser proved ac.
ccrtablc. and she was aft"rwari built from
tho a sS nl
Ted y William ponsoss d qalyesoa I"Fi''i /.
York, aud John Watt the Thames lion worSs,
1n n,, the barr row Shinnu'ldnE company. ali Ok
Norton, Toms. and Watt DID not conform 70
the sspecifcatlons and in thrron,est between
~ represented by their wrl..knDwn designer.
ar ar liam John. proved sncGc-sfn!. and ear.
sisig Of naval officers and " nSI r"Eo THn
it's opinion that such a shin would be- a
SSlGpais fdi'ion to eur navy The ct tie:
this hattie ship have been verified Wy COM
accepted. II dispute arose between experts Of
our navy as towhether these calculations real
inksm By S?F CS ss g" III
other by, Assistant Naval Constrlctor BSwes.
who had been q member Of the lioard that
supcrintenh the construction Of the vos sci uthe
Norf3iS Navy l1ri. 1t was ayerr"d on the ono
that miscal uations ofwcichts had been NADIA.
and IN fact that it was doubtful whether she
would not iins 50 low IN the water as to I've a.
about twenty fect amidships., After Prs.
appointed to con slider the question This
Bourd found that there had been some misnn-
der>tandings as to what was required 10y the
plans OF the Texas. and tn. alterations RECON-
mended were not of tho ia iical character at
first proposed but OF n minor character Thus
the Texas as launched will lie practically built
according to her original designs But the
settlement OF the DOUBT AS to her disrluceInent
greatly delayed her construction.
The general plan of the Texas had been
mnde familiar IN some OF the big Italian iron.
clads. 1t placed the armor in a helt at tho
wnter-line. and again around the guns in The
upper deck. but left the intermediate space as
containing nothing Of Importance. without FRO.
lection. The two turrets were put en- .,'Leltn,
or on opposite sides Of the middle line Of the
ship. So as to secure forward and aft fire.
Inc Texas has an nnsheatt ed. double bot
tomod steel hull. divided into numerous water.
tight compartments. She has a complete
protective steel deck above her machinery.
, The Texas offers q noteworthy instance Of
the rapid advance in naval construction. She
has fallen almost behind the times before
being put into the water. 1t is quite certain
thRt no other vessel like this or like the Maine
will ever again be built In this country. It 10
found that with little more expense very
great gain can DO achieved in various ways,
Inc additional displacement Of the Indiana,
and Oregon permits q great
Increase both OF armor and armament Still.
The TeXnS Will he II welcome vessel. She would
have heen great source OF reliance had she
been ready for service in last winters CHILEAN
troubles. and with her Pinch guns and
- inches OF armor will have her sphere Of
usefulness.