Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-03-22
bATTLESH|P TEXAS
SHATTERED BY
RAIN Of SHELL
REMARKABLE DISPLAY
OF NAVAL MARKMANSHIP
Gaping Holes Torn in Thick
Amor of Once Famous War
Vessel by Great Guns Of Her
Newer Sisters.
IBy Morning journal Special Leased wirsi

on Board the Torpedo Boat String
ham, Lower Chesapeake Bay. March
by storm OF she'll
the old battleship Texas. now the
San Marcos, rests tonight on the mud
OF Tangler Sound, The veteran Of
the United States navy sank under the
spectacular craftsmanship OF her
newer sisters.
Gapeing holes in her port side and
two jagged wounds In her forward
armor where shells passed complete
ly through her showed how she sue
cumbed. Part or both her fighting
masts were shot away and her deck
was q mass of debris.
The broadside delivered by the bat
tleship New Hampshire at varying
distances of from six to seven and one
half miles We're considered remarkable
by ordnance officers. More than "ne
third Of the shots were said TO have
gone true, although nothing official
was given out.
A half hour after the sun had risen
the first shot was fired. This was fol-
lowed by another but both were mere
lly TO determine the range. Then be-
gan n beautiful exhibition of marks
manship. A salvo directed to the
stern of the Texas raised huge col
umns of water and deluged the yes
! sle. leaving her unscathed.
Then. to show the control OF the !.
and S-inch cannon another hail o.
shells was dropped Immediately II
front of the ship. The miss was inten
tlonal, but the shells struck so clos'
! as to give rise at first to the BELLE
that the first hit had been made.
The shooting then began In earnest
The New Hampshire, followed by TN
battleship Mississippi ESQ yards In hel
wake. drew off approximately Z j.
miles and began firing. All of thu
broadsides were delivered against tn
Texas while the attacking vessel wa
steaming back and forth along tn
line at ten knot speed.
After the seventh broadslde TN
Texas plainly was in distress. IN
two naval tugs that lay alongside TN
monitor Tallahassee on which wer'
stationed the naval observers, race'
10 her assistance. The shells. pre-
sumably, had set the vessel afire 10
the hose was run over the sides ah'
the engines were set to work pump
ling. She also had been driven out o
broadside range by the force OF IN
New Hampshire's shells and the tug
straiphtened her out for her furthe
ordeal. Twice afterward the sheii
set the hulk afire.
What was practically the flnlshin
blow came in the nineteenth broadslu
when four of the 12-inch and TOUR .
inch shells were hurled at her Jus
as the sun was setting. The shot
poured so thick around her that
was impossible to determine nov
many of the eight struck the vessel
Arrangements were begun at ono
10 prepare the old warship In readl
ness for further tests.
trpon the conclusion of the examl
nation by the expert observers as u
the effect of the fire against the Tex
las a report will be made to Secre
Itarv Never. Admiral Schroeder y
command Of the fleet, declined to ais
cuss the effect Of the shell fire on IN
Iarmor the chickens and cats wlthl'
1.-The turrets or upon the mannlkln
placed in the fighting tops, turrets o
bridges.