New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-14
DEFECTS IN THE TEXAS
SECRETARY HERBERT TRANSMITS INTER.
EsTING DATA TO CONGRESS.
AS SHE STANDS SECRETARY wHITNEY's ENGLISH
STYLE OF BATTLE-sIIIP IS PRACTICALLY
woRrHIEss-A LONG LIST OF CHANGES
THAT MUST BE MADE TO REM
DER HER SERVICEABLE
fly TELEGRAPH TO THE TRfgUNE.1

fly TELEGRAPH TO THE TRfBUNE.l
Washington, Feb. 13-Persons who think that the
English des. gned Amercan-bu!t battle-ship Texas
is a credit to the Navy or to ex-Secretary Whitney
who purchased the plans from the English Navai
Construction and Armament Company, will revise
that opinion after carefully reading Secretary Her.
berts reply the House resolution calling for in-
formation in relation to the vessel In his letter 10
the committee Mr.. Herbert was careful not to ex.
press his individual opinion as to the Texas. He
recited at length what others thought and con.
Guided the letter of transmittal with extract
from a report from Captain Glass. who. after point.
ing out the palpable defects in the structural ar.
rangements and machinery of the vessel, sad tina,
when the many repairs found necessary have been
made the vessel VIII be efficient. II is said that
the Secretary himself does not regard the Texas
as a satisfactory ship lie realizes that to put her in
good condition will cost the Government about sl2
coo. The plans for the Texas purchased IN
the first Cleveland Administration and the Score.
tary IS Cabinet Minister in the second Cleveland
Administration He, therefore, cannot probably
speak with complete franlsness. Besides 1t is said
that the President has exhibited much feeling con.
corning the criticisms of the Texas. 1t is understood
that Mr. Whitney, before purchasing the plans from
the English company, consulted Mr.. Cleveland and
secured his approval Of the step. The truth Is that
1t mistake to go to British constructors for
the designs of the battle-shp, when American ski
and experience could have supplied drawings OF a
plantations ard apologies cover up that fact
That the Texas is defective many essential
points and that to make her stanch and otherwise
satisfactory about $4,000 will have 10 be spent upon
her are set forth clearly in the reports Of Naval
officers and boards The Texas in commission
about six months During this period Captain Glass
was her commander An interesting part Of the cor
respondencs sent to the House committee by Mr..
Herbert is a report from Captain Glass submitting
recommendations relative to the Texas which he
says are necessary to render the vessel sanch and
efficient. Under the head Of necessary changes
Captain Glass suggests improvements coming under
the construction department ordnance department,
cqipmcnt department and steam engineering de-
partmcrt In the way of construction. he says Il
is necessary that the bottom Of the ship should be
strengthened In wake Of the arrnor belt Tor some
distance forward and abaft it, or for total distance
Of AS feet In the length Of the armor belt. IA feet
ere carried al the heavy weights OF the ship-the
tweiye-inch armor belt rcdou5t and its supports
turrets coming and It's supports. twelve-nch
guns, stx-.nch guns twelve-inch ammunition. boil
crs machinery, coal. boats, military masts. But
the frames and outside plating arc no heavier than
In other parts OF the ship. This is extraordinary
and Captain Glass says the necessity Of additional
strength to support these weights was SHOWN IN
docking tho ship in November. He suggests that
watcr-tlght doors be fitted IN bulkhead No z5, oe.
tween the fire rooms. Now there are no openings
in this part OF the ship and the engineers have 20 90
on deck in passing frOra enc fire room TO another
He also suggests that means of Transporting coal
from one SIDE of the ship 10 the other he provided
by tunnel with water-tght doors under the twelve
inch magazine passage No such means are no"
provided means OF communication from tho
coming tower TO the redoubt and lower parts Of mo
ship ought to be made. for at present, with the
baltic plates shat down. the commanding officer
would have TO depend entirely on voice pipes ana
telegraph instruments TO give orders IN acton Hno
these may become unservceable at any moment
Captain Glass says that the capacity OF fresh-
water tanks in the Texas is entirely inadequate.
It beins impossible to carry In them more nun
65S gallons. HIS report speaks OF me excess.yffy
high temperature found in the redouo;, reioaDt"
chamber. tweye-inch magaz.ne-room ana me 1y-
namo and hydraulic rooms; The temperatures IN
nave produced dangerous conditions. Temperatures
c5ab ere Of iS srees and in the hyraut
Of 6o degrees. while the ordinary range 81 te!niesa-
tan Glass suggests ways In which this defect can
be overcome and regards the conditions as HeseI'-
ing serious and prompt attention. Speaking Of no
battle plates in the en- sreroom hatcnes and yenti.
lat.ng trunks on the line Of tae protective aecK ns
aid great ana unnecessary weight and cannot W
used for close them down would lcave me en-"
The era lies for slowing the bow anchors are en-
rey TOO light AMI orfh; sss be b maze is owa
D,on.s are placed 50 ow on the sides OF the sap
70 rnter pnsate o eary b a, sea- out 20
permit q the o%srnG OF boats az Sc" of %f the ss
ar ports the gun deck have not battle plates 9?
they should have that the steam wncnes located
on the flying decks for handling boats TOO heavy
and ought 10 be made lighter: that the see. Jokes
control OF search.ights. should be removed ana
that all cofferdams around openings in the Pro-
tectlve deck should be filled with ~aier-exciulAs
material
Referring to the construction OF the turrsi caps
tain Glass says that IL is such that me rollers di.1
roler-paths under the turrets are inaccessible ior
examination and ong, although ordnaase .'is,Ius-
tons require that they should be oiled This Gefect
Captain Glass remarks Is important ana sAOuii 70
rcmeiiel. He further says that the ports N ne
Impossible TO pass badly wounded man into ne
redoub;: thar no scuttle IS fitted through the nyns
secondary battery on THAI deck and in the military
TOP that the drAlnage pipss from The crank pts 4
directly to tle b..ge pumps. AMI thai ne presens
syStem OF ming ne iresAwatsr 'an~s from from t ~
quired in tho ordnance department. the report 4
Captain Glass points out ina; the after mechanical
hoist for the slx-nch ammunition should b. re-
moved the present arrangement produces cesy
ho s5'sG ocknE 5os for " tutrei o. pattern:
submitted TO AMI approved by the Bureau oi ori-
EucA delay was experfnced on he Texas WIKI
e present arrangements OF pacing amnuniiion-
IRIS In position 10 receive ammunition ior 20
t%elve-inch guns ard Captain Glass Ih.nks an M
provement In this direction Is nsees AIRY lie SAYS
that the means OF communication ana eyiHs OTIS
Of importance In action by means OF voice PICS
and telegraph instruments are eniir,iy inade4uai.
and 80 much work Is thrown upon the eenira So
ton. located in the passage under the prote.tiEe
deck, as TO render the rap;d ana certain t'ahs'n
OF telephones FOR communicating with the tGr:es
and engine-rooms /: telephones not pu, IN
place. he suggests the placing of additional voice
tubes.
Next tho report refers TO the department OF steam
| engineering. Ii says that the location o. ne
| hydraulic plant for working the ,urrcts OF no
twe.ve-inc1h guns and the ammunition ho.sts and
hammers is radically defective. ard under the most
favorable conditions this important machinery cam
not be kept In reliable condition. The high te.l-
| peratures always existing in the hydraulic roc n
render efficient Of the machinery mposs be
when in The long lead OF pipes from ne
boilers will prevent water in pressure pipes being
kept az temperature low enough 20 prevent de-
teroratlon. the distances from the stations % re-
sensible officers rendering effective control innpos-
slbe. AS at present arranged no protection y
given pressure pipes for ammunition hcisis ani
rammers between the belt armor and rcdCubt. TO
oinfa IN wen n ~ AZ