The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-17
ONE OF THE FINEST AFL0AT
SAYS SECRETARY HERBERT OF THE
 BITTLESHIP TEXAS.

History of the Acceptance of Her Plans
 Reviewed-Shipbuilder Cramp Speaks of
 the Harm of Ill Founded Criticism of Our
 Navy-Its Effect on Ii Hung Chang-The
 Vessel in Every Way Seaworthy and Safe.
 Washington, Dec. 16.-The navy de- partment issued an official statement to-day to demonstrate that the battle ship Texas instead of being in any de- gree a failure ranks with the finest warships in the world, and is not sur passed by any American naval vessel.
 50 many criticisms of this vessel have been made that the public, or part of 1t at least, that many may be disposed to regard her as Valneless,' " says the report.
 The Texas was laid down by MT. Whitney. A board of eminent naval officers awarded to a prominent Eng fish designer, MT. John, the prize that had been offered by the department for the best plans of a battleship of given dimensions. Considerable objec- ton was made by some of the officers of the department to the building or ship on the plans of the Texas, and the question was before more than one board during the administration of Secretary Whitney, and afterward, during the administration of Secretary Tracy, the plans having again been brought in question, were submitted to other boards and they were again and again approved.
 "There have been several accidents to the ship since she was commits stoned. Different parts of her machin- cry have from time to time developed 1 defects, and it at once time became l apparent that her bottom needed stiff | fening. She was sent to the navy yard at Norfolk, and her bottom was stiff 1 fened and her defects have, it is be- lieved. speaking generally, all been remedied except those relating to her turret and the system of water-tight compartments, developed by the recent | flooding of the vessel, as shown by the | finding of the court of inquiry.
 The department has given orders that these deficiencies be completely remeded, which can and will be done l J yard, and at comparatively small cost.
 Tt is believed that we have made fewer mistakes than any nation, and certainly less costly mistakes than most others, in the building of a mod ern navy; yet there were two of our ships, the Castine and the Machias, that had to be cut In two and length ened, There were three others, the ! Detroit, the Montgomery and the Mar | blehead, in which it was found essen tial to make far more fundamental changes than have ever been found necessary in the Texas, and yet the latter ship probably because the ques- tion of her availability as naval war vessel was mooted in the navy from the very inception of the ship, has been subject to an unusual amount of harsh criticism.
 Tt is sometimes stated that there are naval officers who are stealthily and surreptitiously aiding, through the press, to have the public condemn ves- sels of the United States navy. If this were true there would be no con- demnaton too strong and no punish- ment too severe for such conduct
 '"The Texas has been cruising as a part of the North Atlantic squadron for the past four months since her bot tom was stiffened at the Norfolk navy yard. Captain Glass, one of the most efficient and reliable officers of the navy, who has been in command of her, declares that she is the stiffest, most easily managed and entirely sea- worthy ship in the service. Captain R. D. Evans, commanding the Indiana, holds the same opinion. He says that when the fleet, on the 18th of October, was on its way to New York, in a hurricane, in the worst sea he had ever encountered, the Texas showed that she was the most seaworthy ship in the fleet"