The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-14
STARS AND STRIPES AT SEA.
TRIAL OF THE TEXAS AND ORDERS
OF OTHER WARsHIPs.

The Performance of the BattIeship
Declared Entirely satisfactory.
The Maine TO Be Ordered to Join
Admiral Bunce's Squadron of EvO-
IutiOn-Trinidad the Nearest Point
10 Venezuela to BE TOuched by the
Fleet.
Washington, Dec. 13.-The trial yester-
day of the government built battleship
Texas, whose several misfortunes have
given rise to many conflicting opinions as
10 her capabilities, resulted in an entire
Iy satisfactory performance, according to
Capt. Henry Glass, her commander.
Capt Glass says: with a moderate
wind and sea on bow or quarter she is
very steady and a speed of 10 to ia knots
was made with engine revolutions from lis
to 12i At these speeds, the absence of
excessive vibration in any portion of the
hull is very marked. The ship handles
with perfect ease at any speed, and pos
sesses, 1 think, great manouvering
power"
The engines of the Texas were run at
fun speed for four hours, excepting sew
eral times when it was necessary to slow
down or stop them for a few minutes, be-
cause the journals became overhedted.
The trial was finally discontinued On &C
count of this, and Capt. Glass says that
certain journals of the main engines will
have to be overhauled and put in thor
Ough order. He recommends that, as the
Texas has had two days of sea trials, no
further preliminary trial be directed until
the board of engineers has been appoint
ed to conduct the official trial. as in his
opinion, when the work on the journals
has been completed, nothing further can
be done to put the engines, as now ar
ranged, in condition for service.
OruerS We're ISSUED by the navy depart
ment this afternoon directing that the
official trial of the Texas should take
place on the 18th inst.
The armored cruiser Maine is practi-
caIly ready for service. A telegram TO
the navy department, dated at Newport,
X. l., to-day from Capt. George Dewey,
president of the naval board on inspec-
sea and ii will not be necessary to send
her to any navy yard for repairs or any
thing of that nature. Bad weather has
prevented her from leaving Newport.
Capt. Dewey says that the board have
completed the inspection of the vessel,
including a successful full speed trial,
nring the turret guns and testing her
hydraulic machinery. The telegram
leaves doubt as to whether the torpe-
does were tested, and Acting Secretary
McAdoo has wired Capt. Dewey on the
subject. II the torpedo test has been
made the Maine will be ordered to coal
and join Admiral Bunce's squadron of
evolution at Hampton Roads without de-
lay. The squadron is scheduled to sail
Dec. o.
Tie itinerary of the fleet, subject to such
changes as Admiral Bunce may desire TO
make is as follows:
Hampton Roads, st. Thomas, Santa
St. Lucia, Barbados, st. Lucia, Porto
Rico, San Domingo. Port Au Prince, Kings
ton. ia; Colon, Chiriqui, Port Limon.
Greytown, Dry Tortugas, Key West, Flor
ida Bay, Key West. Hampton Roads-ar-
irving at the latter port on May Y.
Chiriqui and Port Limon and Greytown,
Admiral Bunce states, may be omitted.
Coal will be taken on at St. Thomas. St.
Lucia and Key West. During the stay at
Trinidad, the squadron will have drill and
target practice in the Bay of Paria.
Much attention has been drawn to this
squadron by rumors that its voyage to
the tropics hinged on the Vepezuelan
controversy, and the warnings of the
British newspapers that a visit by the
squadron to any Venezuelan port would
be looked upon with disfaVor by Great
Britain The itinerary shows that Trini-
dad, a days sail from the Venezuelan
coast, will be the nearest approach to the
territory in controversy, and it may or
may not be of significance that thirteen
days VIII be spent there. Admiral Bunce's
squadron will consist of the. New York
the Columbia, the Raleigh and the Gin
clnnat, all cruisers, and the Maine, some
tmeS described as an armOred cruiser,
but more frequently as a second-class
battle ship.
The cruiser Minneapolis, under orders
to proceed to Smyrna, Syria, in connec-
ton with the protection of American in
terest, arrived at Gibraltar to-day.
The Minneapolis passed through the Vr-
ginia capes outward bound on Nov. q, and
was therefore sixteen days in making
the voyage. AS she is considered the
fastest ship in the new navy her low av-
erage rate of about nine knots an hour
causes some surprise, although the vessel
was not ordered to proceed with dispatch