The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30
EXPLOSIONS ON The TEXAS.
RrIOH CYLINDERS or the ~.
INCH GUNS DIDN'T YORK.
shock Caused Other Pipes 10 burst, Dis.
abiinE the Bsttie,hip-Shr Was on
i Her Way tn J,in the West Indian
Fleet Puts Back 20 ia upton Roads.

VVe'Tue DIAM W hampton HOaus.
NEWPORT NIws, Va. Nov 29-Accord.
ing to well-authenticateI inform,tion.
lacking official confirmation ~ yet. the
United states battleshlp Texas. which left
the Norfolk Navy Yard last night 10 Join
the North Atlantic tquadron at Culebra,
after being thoroughly ovarhauled, had "a
narrow escape from bang blown up bet ween
The Virginia cIpes yesterday afternoon while
practising the turret guns. There was an
explosion IN each turret, filling them wit
elycerinc and water. The recoils Of both
guns were shattered. as well a. the founda-
ton upon which the guns rested
terrific shock TO the battleship followed
and water and steam pipes aboard the ship
crashed For "A time great excitement
existed ia the vessel.
The Texas returned to Hampton Roads
to-day when the az cident was reported TO the
Navy Department at Washington. special
board Of inspection il row examining
the injury done the Texas, but the result
"i their inquiry may not Ike made known
un,. late. Newspaper men have not been
allowed TO board the vessel, and Capt
SwintAirne refuses To give out a state
ment for publication.
Tltn Texas will return Ia the Norfolk Navy
NaH for further repairs and will not Join
tie squadron now al Cuebra One of the
Engines was disabled just before the acct
dent To the guns, but the damage was re-
paired before she returned To Old Point
The guns which caused the accident are
of Nh" l2-inch type and are both new. Tn,
'pNplos.on IL said to have injured both No
one was hurt.
NORFOLK. Va, Nov. 20 Naval Con.
structor Robert Stocker declares that IN,
accident to the Texas could not have hap
I"ned, as il given out. if nobody wa- Killed
An explosion of the cylinder would have
THROWN fragments abou, the Interior of
the turrct and endangered every lif" thrre
Where are about ten gallons of glycprln,
sn the recoil. which would have scattered
with terrific force had the cylinder burst
The same guns were fired repeatedly
during the Santiago CAMPAIGN. thereby
stand ng a shock of battle surely as great
as that Of peaceful practice. There may
have been too little giycarine and water
in the recou cylinders to take up the KICK
II the guns. but that is a matter to be- de-
'ermined by the supervisors of the Ord
nance Bureau The information here about
ths Texas is that she passed ia the Cape
after a test at sea.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 20. The Navy Depart
nent has received a despa' oh from Capt
Swinbune OF the battlcship Texas. at Nor
folk, reporting that during sea target prac-
lice the turret mechanism of the vessel
was damaged by explosion. II is not shown
clearly by the despatch whether the damage
was Ia one or both turrets but the context
indiUtos that 1t was III both. The exp %
sion was in the Hydraulic cylinder which
IL used TO run the turr,t guns into position.
After the gun has been forced forward
by water pressure, the water is alloweo.
TO run out Of the cylinder 30 that il vii.
not r.tard the recoil Of the gun.
1t appears, however. from Capt. Swia-
burne's despstch, hat the wlt"r was not
withdrawn from the cylinder. ~ q the rYr-
upon being fred, recoieL with such force
that the liquid. being W.ahic to pass out
of the cylinder fast enough, expanded und
hurst the cvlindcr.
The Texas has .wo tu-rets each contain
ing one Pinch gun. Capt. Swinburnc
spenl>s OF crachs ia the running cut ~ liHder,
of 'lS and Is inches respectively" ana
this i taken by the naval officials here as
indicating that the cylinders in both turIcts
we're injured.