Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-14
PASSING OF FIRST RATTLEsHlP.
Texas Dropped From the Navy After
Stormy Career.

recently retired from active service in
the navy, formed part Of the beginning
Of Uncle Sans new navy. Although
she covered herself with honor at the
battle Of Santiago she was so unfortu-
nate in time Of peace as to earn the
title OF "hoodoo ship Of the navy"
The end Of the Texas does not come
suddenly. For year or more she has
been little more than floating board
ing house for enlisted naval men, sta
toned most of the time at Charleston.
Ever since the Spanish war she has
done nothing but cruise up and down
the Atlantic coast, taking the midship-
men on their annual practice jaunts to
the New England regions, and steam
ing around Hatteras in all kinds Of
weather for the fall and winter man
oeuvres in the tropics. During the
jamestown exposition she was at an
chor in Hampton Roads.
Now that she Is no longer consider
ed even good enough for a station ship,
she will be assigned to some state for
the use Of the naval militia, several
states having made application for her.
At all events she will be saved from
the fate that threatened her last win
ter when a congressman prepared bill
authorizing her use as a target for a
new kind Of dynamite shell which was
to prove that the greatest effect Of a
shell is obtained by outside explosion
rather than by penetration.
The necessity for more powerful ships
in the United States navy was demon
strated by the battle between the
French and Chinese fleets in August,
1884, at the Pagoda Anchorage, Min
river, when the Chinese ships were
sunk in half an hour. 1t was decided
that this country should have a mod
ern naval defence force as soon as pos
sible.
On August 3, 1885, President Cleve-
land approved a naval appropriation
act which directed the building Of the
Texas, a second GLASS battleship; the
Maine, an armored cruiser; the Vesu-
vius, n dynamite cruiser, and the Cush-
ing. a torpedo boat. With the excep-
ton of the protected cruisers Charles
ton and Baltimore, built later, the Tex
as was the only vessel constructed ac-
cording to designs purchased abroad.
A prize was offered by Secretary Of
the Navy Whitney for the best designs
for battleship to cost $2,500,000. Many
naval architects competed, and the
prize was awarded to an Englishman,
Mr.. John.
The Texas was constructed at the
Norfolk navy yard, being the first and
only battleship ever built there. Work
on her was so slow that although the
keel was laid down in January, 1889,
she was not launched until June, 1892,
and by that time the plans had been
altered so much that she was practi-
caly of American design. r--
The Texas showed up badly almost
from the start On her dock trial at
Norfolk one Of her propeller blades cut
into and sank schooner. When she
was brought to the navy yard and put
in dry dock 1t was found that she was
not strong enough to bear her own
weight.
She proved herself a poor steamer
and burned great quantities Of coal.
On November 9, 1896, while she was
lying at the cob dock in the Brooklyn
yard one of her sea cocks became un-
fastened and she sank.
So much criticism was directed
against the Texas after this prank that
Secretary of the Navy Herbert made
an official statement to demonstrate
that the Texas instead Of being in any
way a failure ranked with the finest
warships in the world and certainly
was not surpassed by any American
vessel. Among other things Secretary
Herbert said:
1.-The Texas has been cruising as part
Of the North Atlantic squadron for
the past four months, since her bottom
was stiffened at the Norfolk navy yard.
Capt. Glass. one of the most efficient
and reliable officers of the navy, de-
clares that she is the stiffest, most cas-
lily managed and entirely seaworthy
ship in the service. Capt. Robley D.
Evans, commanding the Indiana, says
the same thing.
He says that when the fleet on Oc-
tober II was on its way to New York,
in the worst sea he ever encountered,
the Texas showed she was the most
seaworthy ship in the service. The
Indiana was just ahead Of the Texas,
and the Maine, her rival ship, just be-
hind. The Texas rolled only degrees,
while the Indiana rolled 80 degrees"
In that storm the Indiana's turret
lock bolts broke and her 13-inch guns
rolled from side to side. The Texas,
on the other hand, was a perfect gun
platform and could have fought her
guns easily.
The Texas went ashore in the Tor
tugas in February, 1897, and in the
winter Of the same year grounded in
Wallabout channel. In Boston harbor
an engine in one Of her launches ex-
ploded and hurt six men.
1t was only by a miracle that the
Texas was saved from being rammed
and sent to the bottom by the Brooklyn
in the battle with Admiral Cerveras
fleet off Santiago July 8, 1898.
Admiral Sampson had issued stand
ing orders that if the enemy tried to
escape the ships were to close and en-
gage as soon as possible and to sink
the Spanish vessels or send them
ashore On the day of the battle the
American vessels moved toward the
mouth of the harbor.
When the Marie Teresa started to