The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-03

cut hole ABOUT TWO llltuS tAo oi~O - 80
ordinary port hole at point midway BE-
tween the gun deck and the main deck.
On the starboard bow of the Texas, al
most directly opposite the hole, Is
great swelling outward. The shell that
did this damage came into the Texas at
the bombardment Of Santiago. IL was
G-inch shell. After penetrating the port
side &c struck a hve-inch steel stanchion'
snapped this I'm two and init the other
side OF the ship. but hadn't enough force
20 get through SO It flew BACK ana eS-
pIoded. killing a sailor who was on the
forward gun deck. The man was blown
into three pieces.
Another she'll which struck the Texas.
however ala a great deal Of damage and
came pretty near blowing the bridge
away. with Captain Philip on It. When
the Spanish ships made a dash out or
Santiago harbOr the Texas let fly at the
Vizcava There was a lively exchange
of shots for a time. and then the rexas
let the Oregon take care OF the Nzcaya
while she tackled the CristObal Colon.
Toward the wind-up OF the little encoun-
ter between the two ships. however the
Vizcaya sent n 6-inch shell with surprls-
ingly good aim at the Texas Inc sneh
struck the starboard ash hoist, which Is
lust under the bridge went through three
compartments. penetrating steer piates
each time and finally exploded under
the smokestack The machinery Of the
ash hoist was ruined and the thin armor
plates were badly torn by the shell.
The officials of the Texas say that most
OF the Spaniards shots went high ana
that Il seemed TO be the purpose or the
gunners 70 hit the vicinity of the bridge
LOADED WITH MEMENTOS.
The Texas Is loaded down with me-
mentoes of the fight. In the aft clubhouse
on the main deck there IS a souvenir OF
her work in reducing the forts at Guam
tanamo that the men would just as soon
not have picked up. It Is big sub
marine contact mine The Texas was
forcing her'way through the channel az
Guantanamo on the way up 10 the forts,
when the propeller struck the mine, cut
ting it's anchor cable The mine was
hauled aboard. It Is just Ike the one
the Marblehead picked up. and had SIX
striking pins. all set. The pins press
against a thin glass vial containing sui
phuric acid. Beneath this was mixture
OF sugar and chlorate Of potash. then
quantity Of illuminate OF mercury, ana
finally about 100 pounds Of gun-cotton.
Contact with one Of the striking pins was
supposed 20 shove It In with suihcient
force to break the glass. whereupon the
acid would fire the chlorate OF potash ana
set of the whole thing. The blade or the
Texas propeller hit striking pin with
sufficient force TO explode the mine but
the pin was 50 covered with barnacies
that IL didn't Yield 10 the blow SUFFICIENT
lv 10 break the vial containing the sui
nhurio acid. Later on the Texas hauled
about fifteen more of these mines from
the channel at Guantanamo, but the ono
now I'm the aft clubhouse IS the only one
she ever really got tangled up with.
VIZCAYAS SEARCHLIGHT.
on the aft starboard quarter OF the
Tevas Is another interesting souvenir IL
is one of the Vizcaya's fine big search
Iigbte. one Of the searchlights on the
Texas was smashed in the naval nght'
so. after the Vizcaya gave IL up captain
Philip decided 10 appropriate one or her
searchlights. which ne did. on brass
plate on this searchlight is engraved;
Taken from the Spanish Armored cruiser
VIZCAYA,
or Santiago de Cuba July g. 1898.
Captain Philip says the searchlisho ~
n very fine one and much better than
the one the enemy smashed for him.
on the brass plugs in the Pinch guns
two of the Texas men have stamped n
record of the fights in which they have
been used. The records reads as fol-
lows. Vizcaya. Reina Mercedes, la So
capa. Cristobal Colon. Oquendo, Santiago
de cuba. Guantanamo, Pluton ana fu'
ror. Cabanas. Maria Teresa.
The men on the Texas are all IN good
health and happy. They are sinsulariy
Young looking lot OF men and seem 70 Dc
away above the average in intelligence.
A sun reporter talked 20 NUMBER OF
them Yesterday and there wasn't one
who had a complaint OF any kind TO
make. They were all proud Of the Texas
and the work she had done, and didn't
mind how often they had to recount the
story OF her fights for the benefit OF VS.
ftors Captain Philip looked the picture
OF health as he stepped from the battle
shin and said he had never feit better.
After tho customary call on Admiral
Bunce he returned TO the Texas, where
he was seen by a Sun reporter
A GRAND SHIP.
'syVe are very proud Of the Texas" he
said "sbe proved herself a fine ship
when we called on her. AS 10 the men
under me. / have already officially ex-
messed nv opinion of them. They acted
ike the brave, true men that they are.
and did their duty. What more can DO
said about them2 The Texas is in splen-
did shape, considering what she mas been
through She took some hard knocks,
and the conclusion from her own guns
did her some damage. But she can be
put into shape again in a comparatively
short time"
CAPTAIN Philip has an interesting col
lection OF Spanish trophies In MS CABIN
on the Texas. one Of his chairs ana MS
wash basin were broken by the concus-
sion from the big guns In their places
he secured from the cabin Of the Cristo-
bal Colon a carved teakwood chair and
A marble washstand. both Of which he
has been using since. He also has
large number OF Mauser rifles and bull
lets. Spanish swords, knives and daggers,
and a number OF brass bullets taken
from the wrecks OF the Spanish var YES
sells.
DEATH-DEALING GUNS.
There was an illustration Of the power
OF the Texas Pinch guns. even when
man IS q good distance from II, In the
fight on July 30. Ensign Pressy OF the
Texas, was standing by the forward stan
chion on the main deck. when the star
board turret gun was fired out TO sea.
The gun was aimed at almost right
angles 10 Tressy but the blast knocked
him fiat on his face. ripped his coat and
trousers into ribbons and took a lot OF
hair off the right side OF his head II he
hadn't had cotton in his ears he would
probably be stone deaf now.
The Texas will go into the dry dock
to-day in all probability. and the work
on her will be done as rapidly as possi-
BILE. The work may take longer than vas
expected, as the Texas struck n rock at
Dry Tortueas last March. and the
amount OF damage done at that time IS
not known.
NORFOLK. VIRGINIA REACH AND