Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-02
LESSON OF THE TEXAS.

LESSON OF THE TEXAS.
Eyewitness Tells of the Recent
Remarkable Target Test.
Out of the reduction of what was a
81, 100000 United States battleship in
come a big certainty-wooden decks
must be eliminated from our war
ships. Had there been a crew on
board the battleship Texas during her
destruction, not a man would have es-
capped death by the splinters which
filled the air at every broadside, writes
Dudley Harmon in Leslie's Weekly.
(Mr. Harmon Is stationed at the State,
War and Navy departments in Wash
ington by the United Press associa-
tions, and is one of the newspaper
men who were eye witnesses to the
blowing up of the Texas). In the in
terests of humanity and to save hun
dreds of American sailors from horri-
BILE deaths by flying splinters, naval
constructors are determined to insist
upon the change. One glance at the
shattered Texas tells the story. Jagged
gashes two feet wide have been torn
In her decks and sharp pointed splint-
ers lie everywhere.
With the wooden weather deck
gone, the danger from fire in battle
will be greatly reduced. Frequently
shells from the guns of the New
Hampshire set ablaze the woodwork
on the Texas. Naval constructors
have long clung to the wooden deck,
and it still exists in every navy, but
even its American champions are now
convinced by the ruined Texas that
its retention Is impossible. 1t Is prob
able that steel will be substituted,
though experiments will be made with
fireproof compositions.
But these are not the only lessons
drawn from the destruction Of the
Texas. The results are the most far
reaching ever attained In the history
Of the American navy. This amazing
test has also shown that our battle
ships are in desperate need Of armor
protection below the water line, that
the coming tower must be strengthen
ed, that the present explosive shell. Is
faulty, and above all, that even more
efficient gunnery is imperative.
The blowing up Of the Texas forci-
bly, demonstrated the theory that the
below the water line. Engines and
magazines, the vital parts of a mod
ern battleship, are almost certain of
destruction in our next naval engage
ment, unless this Is done at once.
Shell after shell that struck the wa
ter near the Texas continued its down.
ward course and pierced the side Of
the old battleship. Any one Of these
shots would have been sufficient to
put her out Of action, by flooding the
engine room or exploding a powder
magazine. In half-hearted manner
the navy is at present extending the
armor belt somewhat below the water
line. Necessity demands that full pro-
lection be given the underwater por-
tions of the battleships Immediately.
1t is no less apparent, after the fir
ing on the Texas, that something must
be done to strengthen the coming
tower. In this steel tower, found on
every battleship are not only its
eyes and ears, but it's brains as well.
From this point the captain watches
the progress of the battle and issues
orders directly to the engine room and
the gun turret.
The coming tower Of the Texas lies
| in pieces on the deck, its nine-inch
steel walls smashed by shells. Two
projectiles did the work. The first, an
eight-inch shell. penetrated the side
and smashed the delicate instruments
the tower contained. The second, an
explosive twelve-inch shell, complete
| ly shattered the steel walls and the
structure toppled down. The crum-
pied coming tower of the Texas caus-
ed every young officer. each a pros
pective commander. to realize the
dreadful dangers the captain of a
warship Is exposed to.
As a result of the destruction of
this powerful sea fighter. the coming
towers of future battleships in the
United States navy will be built of
thicker steel. The search for tough
er material. of greater shell-resisting
power, will be prosecuted with renew
ed vigOr. But it also means that the
navy must learn to give up some of
its dependence upon the coming tow
ers as a point of control and center Its
lines of communication in some other
less vulnerable though less advanta-
geous part of the battleship.
1t seems probable that the shells
which destroyed the turrets of the
Texas were the death blows Of the
movement i'm favor Of three-gun tur-
rets. The turrets were not only
smashed. but the adjusting gears were
jammed, rendering movements Of the
guns impossible. Delicate range-find-
ers and other instruments essential to
the effective operation Of the guns
were destroyed. Similar mishaps to
| three-gun turret would put three guns
out of action. instead of only two.
Ordnance experts admit. with visi-
| bic disappointment. that satisfac-
| tory explosive shell. with delayed
action fuse. has yet to be found, bas-
| ing their conclusions on the Texas
tests. Great secrecy Is maintained re-
garding this feature Of the firing, yet
| it is known that the new fuse tried out
was not a complete success. -Four
| fired at the Texas exploded in midair,
others failed to explode at all. Those
that did function properly wrought
| fearful havoc.
The effectiveness of the Texas firing
and the havoc wrought by the shells
IamaZed the fleet. Her ruin, under
battle conditions of rapid firing. would
have been effected in ten minutes.
The first two salvOs which struck the
Texas were sufficient to sink her. She
was wholly crippled as fighting ship
| in less than two minutes. Though
greater effectiveness in gunnery is
now, more than ever. the aim Of the
navy. il must be remembered that the
accuracy of the shooting at the Texas
SURPASSED that of any other navy.
The gunners of the New Hamp-
shire hit the Texas at will. while
steaming rapidly past the ill-fated
Tighter. seven and one-half miles away.
The Texas seemed only a gray blotch
on the horizon at that distance, yet.
at the word from Mr. Meyer. secretary
of the navy. the gunners hit her masts
and broke them off. When Mr.. Mey-
er asked the gunners to destroy the
coming tower they responded by
hurting two shells through its side and
It toppled to the deck. Hit the tur-
ret" said Mr.. Meyer On the next
salvo one shell burst the upper plate
Of the turret. and another smashed
the gear below. putting the two big
] guns I'm the turret out of commission.