Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-17
FLOATED THE TEXAS.
The Big Battle Ship In Apparently
Jnin tured.

The Big Battle Ship In Apparently
Uninjured.
NEWPORT, r. l., September 1.-THE
United States battle ship Texas which
went ashore at the mouth of the harbor
here last night, was foated early this
morning. and is apparently uninjured.
There was no rock under her Four tugs
were required to get her into deep water
The work was accomplished after half an
hours steady strain.
The battle ship was hard and fast
aground for about eight hours. 1t was
at first supposed that she hal struck upon
a ledge and was fast, amidships, but this was
found to be mistake by a diver who went
down to inspect the hull of the battle ship
soon after she struck. The point a, which
she struck was a sandy ridge between the
lodges which abound in the vicinity. hence
she was not punctured nor was she badly
bruised. but there was great danger tina,
she would be badly strained as the tide
receded, II having been about half ebb
when she struck. According TO the state
ment OF an officer this morning. however,
the battle ship settled easily into the bar
as the water receded and it is thought
she suffered comparatively no damage
thorough inspection of the hull will,
however. be made and the exact condition
of the vessel be reported to the Navy De-
partment at Washington.
Aside from the statement given ont last
right. Captain Glass las nothing to say
about the accident 1t appears, however.
that his orders were prompt and effective.
When 1t became apparent that the TXas
was hard on, an attempt to use the port
anchor as lever having been found Use
less, tugs were at once ordered to the
assistance of the helpless vessel. The Ac-
! quidneck, one of the Tvsiest of local tug
boats, was alongside within thirty min
utes. few pulls at the tow line proved
small ri
ward moving the tons of steel which were
| Embedded in the mud Meanwhile the tide
had fallen so rapidly that the bow Ct the
battle ship was we'll out of the water
Then the only thing to be done was to
wait for the next tide 1t was thought
~ many and openly expressed by some of
the spectators. that it would take an
unusually high tide to float the ship never
| theiess 1t was determined to he ready for
the incoming tide whether it should be
high i,s.h or low. Soon after midnight four
| tugs We're ready by 80 O'Clock the tide
had arisen well upon the dark hull of the
battle ship and word was passed for The
tugs to pull together This was done.
the strain was applied for several min
| uteS, with no apparent result then the
enort was renewed. and without a break
IN the strain for nearly half an hour the
tugs pulled, and just before o'clock the
| great ship moved. and few minutes later
| she was anchored in deep water
Capt. Glass Report
Capt Glass, commander of the battle shir
Texas, teleSraphed the Navy Department
this morning from Newport that the shi1
went ashore last evening on the sand:
! while entering Newport harbor and tina
she was floated off at 1 80 o'clock THU
morning. apparently uninjured.
Capt. Glass attributed the accident to :
misunderstanding of the signals in tn
| engine room, but did not place the blau,
| Snpcffirallv ~,
he would send full report by mail
Acting under the regulations, thorough
investigation of the accident will be ma d.
at once, under the direction of the com
handing officer. No action will be take,
by the Navy Department until after tn
receipt of the full details.
Acting Secretary McAdoo sent a tele
gram to Capt. Glass today asking for NOR
details in regard to the error in signaling
In the absence of such Information, tn
officials Of the department are unwilling t
discuss the case. In most naval vessel
the movements Of the wheel are plainl
shown in the pilot house. and consequent
it is difficult to understand why the nav!
eating officer did not see at a glance tina
his signals to reverse the wheel had no
beer complied with in time to have insure
proper communication with the engin
room in case of arrangement of the sig
mailing apparatus The bell signal system
usually employed on naval vessels. but O
some vessels the signals are given by whis
ties. In either case it is difficult to see ho'
the signals, If properly given, were M:
understood by the engineer, If the appara
tus was in good order. An official invest
cation will be necessary to determine tn
responsibility for the accident and cour
martial is probable, If it should be foun
that anybody was careless or negligent !
His duties.
, Mishaps to the Texas.
.. The battle ship Texas, built after plan
secured abroad by Secretary Whitney. an
; modified by American naval constructors
June q, 1872
made up of mishaps. Many Of these hav
| earned for her the reputation of being
Jonah or having hoodoo.
J While building, several men were fatal
. hurt on her. and one man plunged to deaf
J from her deck.
Her engines were scorched in a fire at tn
I Redmond iron works, and her propelle
was broken on her first trip to the yard.
In her dock trial she swamped a lun
Der schooner with the swash from he
| screw.
I Heeled over by the wind and the unequi
weight of a partially set up turret, she wa
! | reported sinking at her dock at Norfoll
! but was all right.
: An accident in the Brooklyn navy var
while being drydocked on November l
last, developed alleged structural weakness
which 1t was said would cost $l250OO
q remedy. She scraped her bilge keel on tt
q sill Of the dock and settled down like
9 bag Of wheat in the basin. The last We
; said to have been due to insufficient sho
) ing.
; On every one of her trial trips somethin
has happened in the nature OF breal
down in some portion of her machfner
8 Either the eccentric strap got hot or h