New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-14
ELECTRICITY IN THE NAVY
THE TRENTON FIRST FITTED wrTH IT.
IScANDEscENr LIGHTS APPLIED TO MANY or
THE vEssELs-ADDING SEARCH LIGHTS

AND MAKING MANY IMPROVEMENTS.
The description Of tho United States frgate Trcns
ton, given In the columns OF The Tribune In
ton with the loss of that vessel in the hurricane a
Samoa called attention the fact that she the
first vesselofwar every lighted with electricity, and
that the experiment had proven successful beyond rst
anticpatIons Her lights were put In IN 1883, and
since then several other vessels have been lighted
The tendency now is 10 furnish all ships. and oven
orpedoboats, with electric lights, and to increase the
number and power of search lights. Commander
Royal B. Bradford, the Naval Inspector Of Elecsffs
Lighting, has practically made the system perfecs
one Where electricity has been applied TO vessels
In the English Navy the dynamo rooms, placed below
the water line, are warm and uncomfortable In
seVera instances that dynamos for incandescent Light
Ing are being placed the upper decks for whom
not In action. But Commander Bradford has decided
that these objections can be by the use Of
fans driven by electric motors.
Tho success Of all electric apparatus largely de-
ponds upon careful attention to details and the
greatest difficulty by far that has ever been expo
rienced with such apparatus on board ship is caused
by faulty conductors being badly placed. On ae-
count OF Commander Bradford's proficiency in ths
proper supervision OF the placing of all electric con-
auctors on shipboard he asked to suggest the
ele@ric signal apparatus for the new gunboat
Yorktown. This he did. He also put In
slide steam whistle for closing water.tight doors.
him. and were insulated with rubber Of excellent
quality. They are inclosed in wooden moulding where
strung about the ship and therefore win be protocted
and accessible.
Next after the Trenton to be fitted with electric
lights came the Omaha, at present on the Asiatio
station. She fitted with 156 sxteen.c andle power
Sawyer.Man lamps. together with dynamo and, q
horizontal engine. Wire, insulated with parasfned.
cotton and then covered with lead, used Al
though the plant generally run only from sunset
TO midnight and there was spare armaturs board,
the construction OF the dynamo was faulty that 70
was with extreme difficulty that It was kept service.
able for three years The paradlned.cotton proved
totally inadequate insuiator, and It was
decided that with such insulating substance lead
cover does more harm than good Then largo smouns
Of eecrielightng supplies purchased for her and
put in, and from the first has worked smoothly and
given great satisfaction.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM
The receiving ship New Hamps was next lighteA
with 1877 electric lights of ande power ten
of thrty-two candle power and seven of 1Oo-candls
power The original apparatus faulty and dan
gerous but this has been remeded by new apparatus
The Atlanta is fitted win 292 sixteen.c andle power
lights Of the Weston type, but they do nos
seem to be as long lived other types used in
the naval service The plant OF the ship continues to
give satisfaction, but it is heavy and occupies great
space However, It is frequently run week at
time continuously.
The plant in the Boston originally placed did
not give satisfaction The armature OF tho dynamo was
OF large diameter and frequently chad against the pole
pieces, necessitstng repairs There also faulx
arising from defective insulation She has total OF 2D
swan lamps, of eghtcandle power and 1880
slxteen-candle power, which type of lamp has g.xEn
satisfaction both In length of life and in branS Of
Illumination. Tho original plant Of the Boston Q a.
recently removed and another substituted. The
dynamo Is practically the same far its els4ucL
dimensions are concerned but IS believed to DO Of
better workmanship 1t is exceedingly light and
compact The engine smoothly and without
noise, and, though the plant has not been running
long enough TO decide upon its value, at present ID
is promising
The putting in of the Chlcago's plant has recently
been completed. 1t consists of two Edison compound
wound dynamos of los volts and 100 amperes. and
two Arlington Sims horizontal single cylinder
Q2 IL by 10 INCH engines. The plant occupies q
space of by 90 feet and weighs 1890 pounds.
II said 10 be the most compact and the best adapted
for marine work Of any that could be obtained al
the time that the contract was made. Though NOT
yet tried by actual service, the Chicago not yet hav4
ing been commissioned. far It has been tested
IL has proved satisfactory. The lamps are Of the
Edison type, there being 121 OF ten-candle power,
303 Of sxteencandle power, eight OF hirytwoeandls
power and six Of fifty candle power. The insulation
resistance of the entire system Is above 100000 ohms
IMPROVED PLANT ON THE CRUISERS
The contract for the Yorktown requires that shs
shall be lighted by electricity and the Edison Com
pany is to furnish all supplies except the fixtures
Ample precautions have been taken TO insure edi-
cheney economy Of space and weight, and noiseiess-
The plant win be placed below the water
line, and the dynamoroom viii be well ventilated by
means of fan driven by an electric motor. All Of
the appurtenances OF the plant to DO Of the best
quality.
The dynamos and engines and some Of the other
aterials for the lighting plant Of the new cruiser
Baltimore now being manufactured. Tho specif-
cations for this vessel mainly like those OF tho
Yorktown, with few improvements suggested BY
experience The Charleston, now being completed
at San Francisco will also be lighted by electricity,
but the details of the work have not yet been COM
pleted. The builders however have contracted with
the Edison Company for two dynamos Similar TO those
The, old wooden ship Pensacola, now being
reattsd as nag ship tGr the NSrth As snsls
lighting plant of moderate cost Tho reason
for this is that she VIII probably be servicesble as
pective career as a receiving ship. She viii have
plant of 26S lamps.
ELECTRIC SEARCH LIGHTS.
Commander Bradford has also given much study to
the Of electricity for search lamps. The Trenton
Atlanta and Boston were fitted with the Gramms
search.light plants and these have occasionally been
used for incandescent lamps at times when the IN
candescent plant was being overhauled The Chicago
has been fitted by the Ordnance Bureau with similar
search.light plant The eghtyvolt compound-wound
dynamo adopted by the Bureau of Navigation In May
1887 and being placed in the new cruisers. WIZ.
II is confidently expected. be higny emciens
for search lights Search lights arc AZ times OK.
ceedinRly useful, but discretion must be exercised
as 10 when and how 10 them During the reeens
English evolutionary squadron exercises, the search
lights Of tho bockading squadron failed 10 detect the
lights out and everything visible carefully colored
dead black On the other hand, the enemy's ships
which were not trying 10 escape used their searck
lights to blind the eyes Of the boekaders and nters
fore with the rays Of the searcheSs
Recent experiments Russia indicate that IL ts NOS
an easy matter to disable searchlght with machine
gun and shoulder rifles account OF the light bnding
The eyes and interfering with the aim 1t is found In
Germany, however, that Il sesrchghts are placed be-
hind men with beam OF light on target good prao-
tice can be made so long as the In the beam.
the sights Of the guns then being Illuminated II.