New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-17
THE TEXAS SHOWS WEAKNESS
A TIMELY DISCOVERY PREVENTS CATAs-
TROPHE.

Washington Jan. 10 (SpeclaD.-Naval officers
gave n long sigh OF relief when the Inflated bat
tlo-shlp Texas got safely away from the New
York Navy Yard Saturday afternoon. on her way
TO the Dry Tortugas and their anxiety about her
will be altogether dispelled when she gets back
there several months from now, II she suffers no
mishap in the mean time. The regularly recur-
ring accident 10 the Texas is now overdue. and
there is end Of guessing where or no" II VIII
develop the next time.
II transpires that she exhibited signs OF falling TO
pieces in the drydock at Brooklyn within the last
ten days. and also that she perhaps never would
have Joined Admiral Sicard at sea had not the Navy
Department adopted the drastic and unprecedented
method OF notifying Commodore Bunce. cormanu-
Ing the Navy Yard that not single voucher Tor
work on the ship would be approved after O'CLOCK
Saturday January Is, 1885 Any bills for TABOR OF
material would have to be paid out or some one ;
private pocket after that hour, 50 the IeNas h'a
nothing TO do but to get away. This policy WORKED
ca u,ou in this instance that Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt will hereafter put 1t into execution on an
che chronic hangers-on at repair stations, the ch'e
-, the, heing the cranky namesake OF the Lone
Star State. -. oo,,onsod
and had TO have another bottom put m occut L
49,, :. ,veek ago I'm Dock No. ,. ana showed tnht
her former structural weakness. which was sqI
posed have been long ago nycr in spite Of
he hracing she got and the expensive s'n'"'"s
Accc"rding to the reports that reach the Depart
~. 49,. ,nnorfunltV Wal seized while the TEXAS
, T., icck 10 supply her with new ser OF iilJec-
-, ,,tnas with outlets higher up on her sdeS iHi
,hosc an which she has here oOrc pceh depciluViL'
III we're directly under her bottom near the
- =, baro they never should have DeTh IN Il sup
~ always exhibited a tendency api'u'tlS "
on rho bottom OF harbJrs QrfsumapI! 70 ,f,,r.
weary oyerstralned ribs and SKIN IN H't & .r,
haunts the Texas mas lhNatldOs H'iua . iiaIln
iIt on soft mud banks when they were aVaiIto1S.
' ,SI,. ,nsInp her weak backbone ara 6ehera"S
ovcriaxed muscular system o,o II hor
such attitudes while inspiring cohllucnssc tra,,,nc
o,i3cors and men had the disadvantage or cionil's
on Tntscfion mines which were rendered uhie-
uP III - tho necessities OF her Internal machln
~ y,hen IL was desirable TO go on cruise ai.u
~ ract probably explains why her crulss IA.
,, 'irreoIllar and nfrcquent. 1t was dscldeu ~
-, =, ,hrsc pipes and holes were ma lie ~ s.
tle| in her outer and inner cuticles for the
,,,.,,asi md wooden temples were started one udS
s ,,,irh 70 make the requisite pipes ana con,
.iO,t The next day when workinen returned
~, ,ho iob OF making the templates. II was touhu
10 the Jo v.ork which had been fitted the previous
LA ,d NOT it, Short lengths had varied haIt an
tms:h which multiplied by the length or other on,
,,"o~sions Of the ship. demonstrated tnat the nun
49,, No. hing distorted In on alarming degree ire
cautions were promptly taken, ADDITIONAL supports
,,nrc hurriedy secured. and extra men were en-
n,oyoa 70 rush repairs and get the ship speedily
mo IT, '' ncw inlet pipes were hastily but accurately
10 and adjusted the dock as soon as possible
,vos flooded and the immediate agony OF those Re-
w an was ended. But when in the water the
1!oxns resumed her normal shape ana mucn OF
,'ba ,,ipo work had to be taken down ana dOn"
o~er again with great difficulty. IL Is sald tnai
come measurements OF a rev icet Hhi dittiv1u
dti.cso,nrv there Is no telling what sort OF catas-
tropho might have occurred. but az II was IL ma,
sbaken a good deal Of confidence In the reported
improved stability OF the Texas.