The Forrest City times., 1896-12-18
BATTLESHlP TEXAS.
Secretary of the Navy Herbert
Issues a Statement
DESIGNED TO CHECK CURRENT REPORT
Rejecting on the Stability of the Texas
She Ranks with the Finest Warship
in the World and is Not Sur
passed by Any.

WASHINGTON, Dec 1.-THE navy de-
partment has issued an official state
ment to demonstrate that the battle
ship Texas, instead of being in any de-
gree failure, ranks with the finest
warship in the world, and is not sur
passed by any American naval vessel.
The occasion for this announcement is
Secretary Herbert's approval of court
of inquiry record, which found no one
responsible for the unfortunate
laundering of the vessel recently at
the New York navy yard. Secretary
Herberts statement is as follows:
In giving out the action of the de apartment
on the findings of the recent court of inquiry
rs To the accident. which resulted in the sink
ing OF the Texas at the navy yard New York
have concluded to depart from my usual Gus
tom aud make q general statement about this
ship.
Of course the public knows that the acct
dent about which this court OF inquiry was
held could not have occurred al sea. that 1t
happened because part OF an injection pipe
had been taken out for repairs, and that the
ship was promptly raised without having SUI
fered any material damage.
$50 many criticisms Of this vessel have been
made that the public. or part of it, at least
may be disposed to regard her as valueless
Of the officers of the department to the build
Ink OF a ship on the plans OF the Texas. and the
question was before more than one board dur
Ing the administration OF Secretary Whitney
and afterwards. during The administration Of
Secretary Tracy, the plans having been again
brought in question were submitted to other
boards and were again and again approved
and so the construction OF the ship proceeded
at the Norfolk navy yard until during this ad :
ministration she Was completed and sent to
The Texas was laid down by Mr. Whitney
A board OF eminent naya! officers awarded TO a
prominent English designer, Mr. Johns the
prize that had been offered BY the department
Tor the best plans OF battleship OF given
dimensions. AT the TINS, and for some years
afterward. the navy department, through the
bureaus Of construction and repair and OF
steam engineering. was expending consider
able money annually in the procurement of
drawings, plans, etc, from abroad: we were
Rvailing Ourselves Of the experience OF foreign
nations.
There have been several accidents to the
ship since She COMMITS Toned. Different
parts Of her machinery have from time To time
developed defects. and it at one tirae became
apparent That her bottom needed stiaening
She was sent 10 the nav yard ut Norfolk and
aer bottom was stiGened, and her defects have
1t Is believed. speaking generally. all been
remedied, except those relating To her turret
and the system Of water-tight compartments
developed by the recent 400 ling of the vessel
ss shown by the finding OF the court OF inquiry
The department has given orders that these
deficiencies be completely remedied. which can
aud vii be done In a few weeks at the New
York navy yard and al comparatively small
cost
1t would, OF course be very desirable il all
our ships when first completed. could be
turned over to the government by contractors
and 6y navy yards in absolutely perfect condi-
ton, but this has never yet been done either in
our own any other navy.
"A modern war vessel is an aggregation OF
complicated machines, and no expert expects
ship TO be at It's best until it has been shaken
down by cruise OF months and T. led thorough
y in all its parts.
The secretary then cites statements
made by naval officers showing that
the Texas is the most seawortby ship in
the navy, and then continues:
Il do not mean to assert that the Texas is a
model ship. She was laid down ten years ago.
Many improvements have been made since that
time in turret and watertight bulkhead sys-
Gems and also In the distribution of batteries
What do mean to say is that the Texas will
prove herself to be valuable naval vessel
The press of the country has been generally
loyal to the navy, and has been largely in
strumental in its successful upbuilding and
developments; its services in this direction
San not be too heartily acknowle iged But
injuries to American interests are liable to re-
suft from charging upon minor mistakes that
may nave been committed. even though at
other times full credit be given for the great
and substantial successes that have been at
tanned"