Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-05
DATTLESHIP TEXAS.
Her Crew, Her Armament. and Her
Richmond Engines.

NORFOLK, VA, September 4.-(Spe-
cial)-The United States battleship
Texas, which went into commission
August 18th, will leave the navy yard To-
morrow morning for her first sea trip.
She will leave at 100 and remain OUT 81.
day. This trip Is not an official one, out
IL intended to try her engines.
The Texas Is the first armored battle
ship ever built in this country. and Is
one of the finest Of her class. She carries
twenty guns and Is a model OF battle
ship architecture and a great credit 10
Portsmouth mechanics.
She will carry 100 tons Of coal. ana
will consume according TO speed required
from co to 20 tons per day. Her armor Is
I6 inches thick and practically impene-
trable. Now the work Will follow of put
ting aboard her supplies. and In about
four weeks she will be ready for sea.
A BIG CREW.
The shin has a crew OF 800 enlisted men
and thirty marines. Her officers are as
follows: Captain, Henry Glass, Lieuten-
ant-Commander. ]. ID. ]. Kelly; First
Lieutenant, w. c. Neville; Lieutenant. j.
4. Newton; Lieutenant, J. c. Coiweii
Lieutenant. J. c. Heilner: Lieutenant
Stockley Morgan; Lieutenant, A. Gleaves
Ensign. A. NJ Bucker: Ensign, w. n.
else. Ensign, X. S. Douglass: Surgeon. Z.
A. Se,gfried: Paymaster. Stephen Ranu'
Pay Clerk, o. Hubbard: Chief Engineer
A. Kirby; Assistant Engineers. z. X. Pol
lock. T. ID. Read. and ]. r. Brady;
Passed Assistant Engineer. T. w. nm
kaid: Acting Gunner. j. w. Ballas: car
penter f. w. Craig; Boatswain, >. Nc
Carthy.
While the battle-ship Texas. which has
been under construction at the NorloiK
navy-yard, will go into commission under
the command OF Captain Glass, Thursday.
with all but ten or q dozen OF her iull
complement Of officers and men on boafo.
IL IL not at all probable that she Will
toin Admirable Bunce's squadron or evo-
luton. certainly not In time to engage
in any OF the movements along the New
England and Middle States coast. There
are several important matters yet to be
settled before the Texas will be ready
10 20 to sea. The bids for her stores
were not opened until July 31st, and not
a single thing has been placed aboard
OF her. At best. II is stated, that three
or four weeks must elapse before she
can be fitted out with the necessaries OF
sea life.
QUESTION OF SPEED.
Then there is the question of speed to
be settled. The engines and boilers were
furnished by the Richmond Locomotive
Works, and the company wants a test to
decide whether or not they are entitled
to premium for excess Of speed. A
dock trial of the machinery produced a
greater horsepower than the contracts
required, and the engine builders think
they can make the ship do better than
seventeen knots an hour. How this trial
shall be conducted has not been deter
mined. and in view OF the Joint construc-
ton Of the ship by the government and
private contractors, may be a difficult
question to decide. The completion OF the
Texas settles a controversy that for a
time threatened to seriously strain
the relations between the Bureau
OF Construction and Repair and Naval
Constructor Bowles, who had charge Of
the vessel
THE PLANS.
The plans were procured in England
by the Naval Constructor, and the bureau
officials declared that the vessel. when
constructed and loaded with her arma-
ment and armor, would be overweighted
TO the extent OF COO TO 800 tons, and that
she would not float on the lines laid
down for her. Constructor Bowles as
serted the integrity and reliability OF
his figures. and the controversy was
finally referred by Secretary Tracey 70
Constructor Nixon for report. He told
the Secretary that his figures showed
Mr.. Bowles to be out OF the way about
sixty tons. Now that the vessel Is CON-
pleted and loaded, except her stores, II
IS said that she Is very much short OF
Mr.. Bowles's calculation.