The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-11-21
THEBATTLESHIP TEXAS
Serious Injuries Sustained in
the New York Drydock.
STRAINED BY HER OWN WEIGHT
Her Frames Distorted and Cement Lin.
ing of the Double Hull Badly
Cracked-Plans Were English.

Her Frames Distorted and Cement Lin
ing of the Double Hull Badly
Cracked-Plans Were English.
Washington, Nov. 14-The battle.
ship Texas has come to grief at the dry
dock at New York, and has sustained
injuries, the exact extent of which is
not known at present. The ship went
into drydock about week ago to be
cleaned and painted, and to remove an
accumulation of seaweed which had
grown in the pipe gratings leading to
the circulating pumps. On the 18th
instant, Captain Glass reported to the
commandant of the navy yard that on
the regular weekly examination of the
vessel, made that day, frames 4S and
A, in compartment B, were found to
be distorted, apparently from the
straining of the ship on the keel blocks
No other evidence of straining appear
ed, and an outside examination failed
to show any evidence of damage.
By direction of Commandant Sicard,
Constructor Bowles made an examina-
ton, 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 of
water was let into the dock to tighten
the load on the keel blocks. On the
18th, further straining was reported,
and the dock was flooded then a depth
of eleven feet, as far as the water could
be admitted without danger of disturb
ing the position of the Texas on the
blocks.
~Commandant Sicard called for de-
tailed account of the injuries, and, in
return received from the constructor a
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 that no delay in the
work then progressing on the ship
would ensue, and that the straining ap-
peared to be due to the weight of the
ship on the keel blocks. The depart
ment was not altogether satisfied, and
has called for further particulars, re-
garding the report so far made as pre-
liminary.
1t appears from these reports that
twenty -one of the bottom frames and
brackets unbuckled from quarter OF
an inch to an inch and a half, while
the cement lining ON the double bot.
tom is cracked in many places.
Whether it will be necessary to under
take to repair these frames and remove
until further examination is made,
and to do this, it may be necessary to
remove all the weight of the ship in
order to draw off the water safely,
otherwise the strains might again be-
come excessive and irreparable injury
follow.
In the absence of full details, which
must in the end be gathered by spe-
cial board, the department officials are
not disposed to place the blame for the
accident upon Constructor Bowles, as
he has the reputation OF being one OF
the best dockmen in the navy. In
stead, there is belief that the Texas
was too lightly built to stand her
own weight while in dock, and if this
should be the case, it would require a
large sum and much time to strengthen
the hull. The vessel was built on
plans purchased from England, and it
is said department. officials were of the
opinion from the first that they were
defective, in that too much strength
had been sacrificed in order to save
weight and make the vessel float at
the calculated displacement.