The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-09

The men who are placed in charge of the
big modern battle ships and cruisers live
In continual fear of mishaps and disgrace.
They become nervous. anxious, timid.
Nothing but timidity could have prompted
captain Taylor TO turn tail and run for port
with the Indiana because her turret showed
trouble appears 10 be quite as much with
the newspapers as with the ships OF the
new navy. 1t has become the fashion for
the newspapers to sensationiZe over every
trifilng mishap 10 a naval vessel They
make so much ado over small matters that
me-, .ne commanders I OF vessels lose their
Secretary Herbert talked about this to-
day. AS a matter OF fact he said 1.-The
trouble with the Indiana IS not at all seri-
Gus. 1t amounts practically to nothing al
all. Yet see how the newspapers take IL up
and use big headlines and pictures, and
make the world believe another battle ship
and the makers of paragraphs add TO the
fire. They would convince their readers
that the new navy is a failure, that all our
ships are going 10 pieces. naval vessel
that cost 5000 600 is a precious piece of
property. The man placed in charge of her
must meet great responsibility. If let
alone and treated right by the press there
Is still enough in the situation 10 make him
cautious. His reputation depends upon his
success. But the sensationalism of the
newspapers makes him timid
when the New York first came out"
continued Secretary Herbert, "a newspaper
started in TO write her down. She was a
failure. OF course a few trifing alter
ations were needed. Could anything else be
expected of a great complicated machine
tiveS and similar machines need changes
and fixing We sent the New York TO the
kiel maneuvers, and the foreigners de-
clared her the best ship of her class there.
That was the end of the newspaper outcry
about the New York
Later it was the Texas. Well, the Texas
is not failure. She needed some slight al
terations, but she is all right. In few
days the Texas will be seen in Galveston
harbor and if she does not make the voy-
age in good shape, crossing the bar and
behaving herself well under all circum~
stances / shall be much surprised. That viii
be the end of the outcry against the Texas.
So with the Indiana. So it goes with ship
after ship.
Il confess that the treatment which the
press accords the ships is discouraging 10
those of us who have pride in the navy.
And yet L suppose we should take the inter
est which the press displays in the navy
as a compliment. There is such popular
interest in the ships that the newspapers
are compelled to keep their readers in
formed. Thus 1t comes about that trivial
mishaps or defects, which would never be
mentioned if discovered IT. a merchant ship,
are magnified into sensations when found
in one of the vessels of the navy
Secretary Herbert called the chief con-
structor and a number of the officials OF
the Navy Department into consultatio to-
day respecting the Indiana, and as result
orders were sent TO Captain Taylor 20 sail
with his ship at the earliest possible mo-
ment TO rejoin the squadron. A thorough
examination of the turrets was made Sat
urday and yesterday by Constructors Tay-
lor and Stahl. Ii found that the Sc
curing gear of the turrets was in good
order and was fully sufficient for the pur-
pose for which it was designed. Therefore
no alterations were MADE and the ship was
ordered to sea again. When the ship rolled
the turret moved slightly last week. the Of
ficers feared that there would be "A repeti-
tion of the happening of last fall, when the
turning locking mechanism broke down ana
the big guns swept back and forth across
the decks. AS a matter of fact the play
of the turrets was much less than allowed
in. the British turret ships and at no time
was there danger of their breaking loose.