The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-13
SORRY PLIGHT.
eattIeship Texas a ''White Elephant
on Governments Hands.
PLANS BOUGHT FROa ENGLAND
Prove to Have Been a Very
3or investment.

WASHINGTON, Nov. l3.-The battleship
Texas has come to grief in the drydock at
New York, and has sustained injuries, the
exact extent Of which are not known here
Mt present. Thu ship went into the dock n
week ago To be cleaned and painted and TO
remove an accumulation Of seaweeds
which had grown in the pipe gratings
leading to the circulating pumps.
On the sth inst. Captain Glass reported
TO the commandment OF the yard that
frames 43 and 45 In compartment Il were
found to be distorted, apparently from
the straining of tho ship on the keel blocks,
No other evidence of straining appeared,
and an outside examination failed to show
any evidence of damage.
BY direction of Commandant Sicard,
Constructor Bowles made an examination
himself. and on the 9th he reported that
the Texas was resting easily and sup
ported thoroughly in all respects. Still,
as a measure OF precaution, six feet or
water was let into the dock to tighten the
load on her keel blocks. On the 18th
inst, further straining of the ship was re-
ported, and then the dock was flooded to
a depth Of IL feet, as far as the water could
be admitted without danger Of disturbing
.he position of the Texas on the blocks.
Commandant Sicard called for a de-
tailed account of the injuries sustained 10y
the ship, and in return received from the
constructor n report stating exactly and
by number the injured frames and where
they were located. This report was trans
mitted TO the navy department, with the
statement by the commandant that no
delay in the work then in progress on the
ship would ensue, and that the straining
appeared to be due TO the weight OF the
ship on the keel blocks. The department
was not altogether satisfied, and it now
calls for still further particulars, regard
ing the reports so far made as preliminary.
1t appears from these reports that about
81 OF the bottom frames and brackets of
the Texas are now bucklcd from - 10 IA
inches, while the cement lining OF the
double bottom is cracked in many places.
Whether IL will be necessary TO undertake
TO repair these frames and remove the
dents in the bottom cannot be told until
Il further examination Is made, and to do
This ID may be necessary 20 remove all OF
the weights of the ship i'm order TO draw
off the ii feet OF water, otherwise the
strain might again become excessive and
~irreparable injury follow.
Bowles Not Blamed.
In the absence Of full details, which
must in the end be gathered by n special
board, the department officials are not
disposed TO place the blame for the acct
dent on Constructor Bowles. as he has tho
reputation Of being one Of the best dock
men i'm the navy. Instead, there is a belief
that the Texas was too lightly built TO
stand her W weight while in dock, and
IL this should be the case, it would cost "a
large sum of money and much time TO
strengthen the hull.
The vessel was built on plans pur-
chased from England, and it Is said that
the department officials were of the
opinion from the first that they were de-
f~ective. in that too much in strength had
been sacrificed in order TO save weight
and make the vessel Goat at the calculated
displacement.
The first sign of weakness exhibited
was at the Norfolk navy yard, when it
was ATTEMPTED TO fl her boilers. The
saddles which SUPPORTED . +Afe4a-iAHH4eai-
ately settled into the bottom, and IL was
found necessary TO add u number of
braces to carry the weight. The places
where the frames are buckled are directly
beneath the armored casemate and maya
zines, and it is alleged that the great fault
of the Texas is the concentration OF
enormous weights in small portions of the
hull.
When attention was first called to tho
defects of the design q naval board was
created which went carefully over all of
the calculations, and wound up by accept
ing the verdict of Constructor Bowles
that the shin could be built successfully
and upon this finding the construction
proceeded under his direction at the Nor.
folk avy yard.