The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-05
STORY OF THE / TEXAS
Er-Judgs Advocate William Il. Stayton Says
She Is a Complete Failure.
TELLS ALL ABOUT Her CONSTRUCTION
English Designer, Rival Schools of
Experts. and the Jealousy of Par.
tisans-Tracy Would Not Repair
Defects Layton Says Little
aotchkiss Gun Could Sink Her.
(New York Journal)

(New York Journal)
AS the Texas stands to-day. she is
an utter failure. A shot from little
Gotchkiss gun or from a little naval
rifle could put hole in her that would
SINK her In short order"
The United States battleship Texas,
which has cost the Government 81 1885,
600 already and Is still costing. is thus
described by naval expert. The secret
of that long list of accidents which hav>
given 30 this monstrous failure the SOU
briquet of the Jonah OF the Navy" Is
out at last.
Incompetency, jealousies. fraud, com
bined IN the conception and con-
struction of this utterly worthless mass
of steel and iron. Rivalry between naval
schools, partisan jealousies OF different
Administrations. and the trickery of an
alien-an expert in the employ of a
rival maritime power. make up the sad
history of the battleship Texas, a ship
q battle.
Yet only recently Secretary OF the
Navy Herbert declared that the vessel
was all right, and would prove a credit
to the navy.
The Texas was hoated out of the tim
Der dock at the Brooklyn navy yard yes
terday. and with the assistance of two
Government tow boats, moved TO the
dock where she sank about two weeks
ago.
Particular caution was taken in the
work OF removal. The work of floating
the dock and breaking away the shores
that supported the vessel was begun af-
ter working hours on Wednesday, when
the yard had been cleared of visitors.
Men from the construction and steam
engineering departments were still at
work in the interior of the vessel all
day yesterday. She will remain here
for some time. 1t Is u current rumor
In the navy yard among the officers
that ..he ship will shortly be put out of
commission and her Cttlcecs and crew
transferred 10 other ships.
CONFLICT ON ALI. SIDES.
This great 'la"-ot va. can never be
counted among the list of battle ships
oi the tnlteh States. The story OF her
construction Is u series OF remarka BILE
mistakes. J: is a story of how an Eng
lish designer fooled a commission of
American experts into accepting plans
that We're based upon n trick, plans that
all the naval geniuses of this country
have found il impos zibe to remedy.
More than this, IL is story OF rivalry
between .:he champions OF the two
schools of ship building in the Navy De-
partment at WaShinEton-a contest in
which the old American school of clip
per" builders was pitted against the
modern European school of naval theo-
rists and mathematicians.
1t involves two successive admins
shows that Secretary Tracy declined
positively 10 remedy any mistakes that
his predecessor of a different political
faith, Secretary whitney, might have
made, saying. Let the blame rest
where II belongs
Thursday night former Secretary
Tracy sat ut dinner given 10y former
SectetC Whitney, and many of the
most prominent officer: of the navy were
there. Among them the present guar
90
Hilary a. Herbert. Al thi; dinner, In
the home Of Mr.. Whitney. the story Of
the Texas was introduced By the ques-
lions which the Journal sought 20 have
answered. and which developed this
battleship's most remarkable history.
Lieutenant William II. Stayton. for
merly assistant judge advocate of the
navy. tells, in detail. of The defects of
the Texas and the story of her construc>
ton. He handled all of the correspond
ence which bore upon the acceptance
of designs for the construction OF the
ship and upon her completion. He has
since retired from the navy and is now
practicing law IN this city. with an Of
flee at No. 40 Cedar street. When asked
yesterday for the facts in regard TO the
matter Lieutenant Stay;on gave this
account:
STATIONS STORY.
The story of the construction of the
Texas Is one in which 1t was sought to
cover up one mistake by another one in
which the old school of warshp builders
contended with the scientific teachings
of modern experts. TO begin with. an
appropriation OF $4,000. 900 was made for
the building of two tirst-class battle
ships. Secretary Whitney decided to
have one built according to the plans
or the Navy Department and the other
on plans selected in a competitive con-
test. commission made up of eX-
perts and officers of the Navy Depart-
ment, was appointed to pass upon the
plans submitted in this competition, and
prize Of $4,000 was offered for the
successful designs. Builders from all
over the world entered. A large num-
Der of plans were received from Ameri
cans, and some from officers in our NAVY
Department. The commission went over
them with great care, and finally So
lected those submitted by William John.
an engineer of the Barrow Shipbuildinr
Company, of England. They were sub
mlt!ed In Johns name and he received
the $4,000 prize.
Our Government had not built any
battleships In twenty years, and as a
consequence the engineers and experts
OF the Navy Department, at whose head
was the late Theodore d. Wilson, repre-
sented the old school. They know how
10 put up the old clipper style of boats
which they believed We're the best for
lighting purposes. On the other hand
Wilson's assistant. Francis Il. Bowles.
had been sent abroad to study the
methods Of naval construction in the