The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-07
DGSCRIPTION or THE BOIT.
The Scenes Presented as She Wcnded Her
WAY tn the sea.

y
Notwithstanding all the lugubrious pre-
| dictions and insinuations fired at the
| Texas by invidiOus critics. that stately
| battle-ship, Captain Henry Glass COM
manding, pulled out from her moOrings
| al the navy-yard yesterday at 30 o'clock,
that being flood tide, and started on
her maiden trip to sea to spend the
day outside in testing her machinery.
As she steamed away from the yard the
! Texas salutcd the pcnnant of Rear
Admiral Gersoe Brown, and the salute
was returned by the ST. Helena battery.
| The majestic war-ship set the water
| gracefully, beautifully, and evenly Oh
| her lines, and slowly moving down the
harbOr, attracted to the wharVes and
piers great crowds of people, who, anX-
| ious To see the first battle-ship aiOat,
waved a greeting with hats, handker-
| chiefs, and umbrellas, while tugs and
steamers saluted with screaming whistles
| the superb fighting ship Of the navy.
Several experts from the Richmond Loco
! motive Works. where the engines were
built. were on board TO witness tho
working of the machinery. The Texas
will remain I'm the Roads for several
days. and on the ninth instant. she will
make another trip 10 sea. and be Of
hcially inspected by the Board Of Naval
Inspectors, and a special board from the
inspection Of her engines and machinery
for the department.
The Texas is the first armored battle
ship ever built in this country, and IS
| one Of the finest of her class-a steel
/ armOred. twin-screw, secOnd-class battle
ship. Of 63S tons displacement. She
carries a battery OF twenty guns There
are six torpedo tubes. one In the bow.
one I'm the stern and two on each side;
r|.HIH
powers. She is fitted az a flagship, and
carries a complement OF 3sS officers and
men, her spacious decks affording much
greater accommodation and comfort Tor
the crew than IS possible on cruisers
The Texas holds q prominent position
! in the development Of the new navy. Ihe
majority of the ships laid down prior 20
the Texas were more or less reproduc-
lions Of the best cruisers built IN Lu-
rope but when the first battie-ship ana
armored cruiser were authorized tlc
Secretary of the Navy offered prize
of $1,000 for the best design Tor either
vessel and Mr.. william John, an hhs-
1isb naval architect of the highest Icpu-
tation. secured the prize ..,,,.
rho shin is driven by two sets OF triple
e,,orsion engines. capable OF deNelop'nE
sao borse-powcr. with natural uialN
| ana 500 with an air-prcssuIe VI '"'
inches OF water. ,..,...,,
The Texas IS 20 feet In lentih n,'~e,n
nerpcndicular: extreme breadth % lse',
,,,,rt1od denth. SO feet When cariylhE
i',, lno"i,'. -oo to,s Of coal With which amount
~ can steam !. .110 miles at her esunattn
,tobest sreea seventeen knots or o'o''
lies al ten knots. There - puhNer
na,ocitv however. for 40 additional tons.
The hull IS Of steel throughout, anu -
built Of the cellular system. a uou"io
hottom extends under the engines, poi'i' .
and magazines and Is DIVIDED po'h ions'
tudinally and transverseiy INTO hun''ious
watertight compartments lhe polieIs
and engines are contained I'D slN "a'e'
tiaht compartments below the pro'ec-
,f3o deck three on each side, with a CEN
tral passage providing protective coInInu-
uication between the eXtremites OF the
ship. Above the turrets Is Tying
deck for navigating the ship on "hlch
boats are stored: two second-class TOT
nedo boats are to be carried, IN adul-
lion 10 the usual complement Inc siip
Is lighted throughout by electrlclty anu
carries two powerful electric search
lights and two smaller search HShts LOT
boat use There is a steam steering
engine below the protective deck.
AT the time the building OF the leAas
was authorized the navy-yafd Was en-
tirely lacking in the mechanical aPp'i-
ances and other necessary facllities oi
modern shipbuilding plant. ana 'ho ,, Moin
men were totally inexperienced III puA"
ING steel ships Much time was heceS
sarilv occupied in forming the hu0ious Vi
n plant and in organizing ana lhs'luc..
ing tho workmen, ana IL was no -.
Tune nth. 1889. that the nrst heei pld'e
,,os laid The contractors for the struc-
t,,rsI nlating of the Texas caused excess
80 delavs by their irregular deliveries
and she was not launched until June -oth,
1892. A.. g..
hattle-ship of the new navy. \ single
sbot can totally disable a cruiser, but the
armored battle-ship has much greater
endurance and can take the risk OF re-
ceiving the fire of heavy guns, knowing
mat the vitals of the ship are protected
hv at-ror. In cruisers armor is sacrificed
to speed and coal endurance. and they
are expected TO use their superior speed
10 escape from more powerful ships. IN
battle-ships speed is sacrificed 10 armOr
and armament Two or more large
guns are carried and the loading mech
anism, crew and machinery are protect
ed from immediate destruction by armor;
they are expected to take part in hotly
contested sea fights where hard blows
and stubborn endurance Will win the
day. The success OF the Texas demon
strates the ability of the heads which
have planned and directed her building
and is a great triumph for our mechan-
les.
The following are the officers OF the
Texas:
Captain-Henry Glass.
Lieutenant -Commander-J. ID. J. Kel-
ley.
Navigation Officer-Lieutenant l. &.
Heilner.
IAeufenants-J. T.. Colwcll, John T.