The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-18
UNLUCKY SHIPS.
Why the Battle ship Texas Has Been
Called One.
Philadelphia Times. =

Among the maritime menaces in the fly
ing ing SQUADRON to which Commodore Schley
mas given wings-and second only to the
battle ship Massachusetts i'm fortnida BILE
ness-is the Texas. Regarding her comes
an inquiry as TO whether or not she is
unlucky; whether or not she has not been
the victim of mishapS which have led SUI
perstitiouS sailors-and all sailors are SUI
craft Hfo'' ''si do d ''oo'io'
This probably arises from the fact that a
little less than two years ago the Texas had
collapse of an injection valve-but it suf-
feed as a theme foro that large body of
newspaper writer's who were then making
lIin of Uncle Sans navy and who are now
clamoring for war, The inquiry makes the
subject Of that accident pertinent AS the
TeXas is now upcl the broad seas with
possibility of being called upon to defend
the honor Of this dear country of ours. her
possibilities and her possible defects are of
OF the utmost importance.
The accident to the Texas was one which
might hanpen TO any vessel and might be
me result OF any one Of z large number of
causes. Injection valves have collapsed be
fore and since. But the trend of criticism
against the great battle ship. which was
considered one of the triumphs of Uncle
Sans Norfolk navy yard, was directed
against her design, which was declared to
be faulty, and against the plans, which
fore, from design and plans successful
ship could not be built. This kind of talk
was enuFeiy unWarranted, and has only
succeeded in giving the Texas a bad name
among sailors Anyone who knows any
thing about ship building or who even en-
Joys an ordinary speaking acquaintance
with a first-rate ship builder knows that
all designs of ships and machinery are de.
fective, and all plans more or less erroneous
IN the first instance or as originally devised.
These defects in designs and errors in plans
are discovered upon the attempt to apply
them in practice, and it is a very impor-
tant If not the most important part of the
duty of ship builder to detect revise and
make good such defects and errors as he
goes along. In fact. all contracts for navy
work contain clause requiring the con-
tractor to do this.
design, in the first place. because the law
authorizing her construction placed her
maximum cost at a figure much too low FOR
the requirements as TO character and per
formance. The first and most important
limitation which this imposed was that of
the size, displacement; and the require
ments of the circular. upon which the COM
petitiVe plans were made and offered to the
range of engine power, armor protection
and armament that could reasonably be
compressed into the general dimensions,
which the limit or cost, as provided by
Congress. ineXorably decreed beforehand.
However. a design and plans were made
which doubtless met and overcame these
dltilcultles as nearly as was possible to hui
man skill. These plans being selected from
a number in competition and adopted by
William G. Whitney, then secretary of the
navy. were turned over to a navy yard for
construction Of the hull and TO a locomotive
building establishment for the construction
of the engines. Nine years were then con-
sumed in building the ship. In the mean
time private shipyards. working on business
engine building practice had turned out a
fleet of over thirty vessels, some of which
We're of nearly twice the size and about four
times the lighting efficiency of the Texas
Nothing of any consequence has happened
to these thirty odd ships. which were built
by ship builders. but nothing has happened