The evening times., 1898-08-01
CLEANING Up TIE fIxAs
OverhasIing the Great Battleship .,
Drooklyn's Dry Dock.

Drooklyn's Dry Dock.
New York. Aug. i,--4Ftssf of. thu Ameri-
can warships to come 70 this port after
their victory before Santiago de Cuba.
the battleship Texas steamed in from sea
yesterday morning. Her decks were orna-
mented with trophies of the destruction
of Cervera's fleet, and her sunburned
crew, as she sailed up the bay, answered
with cheers and waving of caps the well
coming blasts Of whistles and sirens and
the cheers of crews and passengers.
A short stop was made at Quarantine.
Then. with clean bill of health. the
great ship swept up the East River and
moored to the Cob dock, at the Brooklyn
navy yard, from which she sailed to the
war on April Is last. Her officers report
ed a pleasant voyage, the only notable a.
cident of which occurred on the second
day out, when a strange vesssel which
looked like a man-of-war was sighted.
Everybody wished she might prove to be
Spaniard, though everybody felt sure
she couldn't be. The crew was beat to
quarters and stood at the guns until the
stranger was made out to be a British
schoolship.
Orders were displayed from the flag
ship where the fleet was lying In Guanta-
namo Bay last Sunday for the Texas to
get ready for a run to New York, and at
Z o'clock the following evening the bat
tleship started with the mails from the
fleet. As she passed out to sea with a
homeward bound pennant flying the
crews Of the other warships cheered her.
while the bands on some of the ships
played "Auld Lang Syne."
The Texas reached the navy yard
shortly before noon. There were many
persons waiting TO board her, and all af-
ternoon professions OF visitors were led
about the ship and shown the marks of
her fights Maurice OReiIly, a marine,
acted as Capt. Philips orderly. and when
ever he started with a favored party for
tour of the ship. the captains parting
words were: .'Show them that searchlight
we took from the vizcaya." The light
stands aft on the starboard side Of the
superstructure, and takes the place Of the
Texas searchlight, which was blown on
in the big fight by passing Shea An
other searchlight. partially destroyed. was
taken from the Vizcaya to furnish any
repairs that might be needed to the one
in service.
Capt. Philip was met at the dock by
Mrs. Philip and his son. Woodruff. four
teen years old. who spent the greater part
oA tuC ody Will Oil IUc OuIp- Sdpt.
Philip said the only purpose IN bringing
the Texas North was to dock ner. which
is required by the regulations once In
six months. She was last in dock during
holiday week.
I'VE were due to go in again about Ju-
ly L. the captain said, "but we were too
busy"
1t will take about a week to dock the
ship. She will soon be followed by 9TH
xrhf haa
out of dock longer than the Texas.
She Is all right" said the captain, land
there is no 'hoodoo' quality abcC: her.
There isn't a man aboard her VINO would
So on any other ship in preference. She s
proved her worth and 5 alnos. as good
as she ever was. There are few small:
holes here and there, arj I bent stanchion
cussion when the great guns were fired. |
when we fired the Finch guTs |
across the deck in the Santiago fight, nut !
the decks are not strained nearly SO badly |
as has been represented. Whenever one |
of the big guns was fired my coat tails |
few up and my cap flew OIL
There were many visitors on board the |
Texas yesterday. The first objects of |
their attention were the battleship's |
made by an s-inch shell, looks almost like |
an extra port hole. Just within is a stan
chion cut In two The missile exploded |
and its fragments striking the starboard
side caused the plates to bulge for sew
eral inches. This shell killed the only |
man the Texas lost. The shot through |
the pilot house was a small one, probably
made by a 6-pounder. but it was big one
that went into the smokestack. 1t went |
through three plates.
Nearly every member of the crew had
some souvenir of the destroyed Spanish
fleet. On board the Texas were twenty
three sailors from other ships. mostly
from the Newark, who were brough up
for hospital care. Many of them are suf-
fering from malarial fevers. The suffer
ers were transferred to the Navy Yard
Hospital