Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-21
TESTING NAVAL VESSELS.
Why Newport HarbOr Is Used for the
Purpose.

TESTING NAVAL VESSELS.
Purpose.
SHOULD PILOTS BE USED FOR MEN-oF-wAR-
WHAT NAVAL OFFICERS THINK ON THE suBJEcT-
THE ADVANTAGES AND DIsADvANrAoEs OF THE
PRESENT sYsTEM
The trial Of Capt. O'Kane the commander Of
the new cruiser Boston, for having run his ves-
sci on rock in Newport harbor and thereby
injuring it, has started discussion among the
New York daily papers as to the wisdom Of the
present naval regulations that provides for the
maneuvering of vessels in their trials in that
harbor instead of taking them out into the un-
obstructed depths Of the ocean. The ships are
run at an extremely high rate of speed and
turned and steered in all directions in order to
get them to show their powers.
This, some people believe, is a uselessly reck-
less mode of procedure, and jeopardzes the
valuable property of the government to an al
most criminal extent.
NAVAL OFFICERS SATISFIED,
A STAR reporter had conversation today on
this subject with Commodore Walker, at pres
ent the acting secretary Of the navy, in which
he denounced these claims or outcries as nom
senscal.
The harbor of Newport" he said, sis not
studded with rocks, as they allege. 1t is as
clear and free as any harbor in the country,
and more so than great majority, It is an
absolute necessity to conduct these trials in q
harbor, and we select that of Newport because
1t offers the best advantages and is near to the
location OF most of the vessels that we wish to
try. 1t would be impossible to conduct the
tests in the open ocean, inasmuch as the meas
uring OF distances there is nothing but mere
guess work. 1t is practically impossible to
measure mile out there, and for that reason
our tests would be valueless.
IN THE NEWPORT HARBoR
we have measured mile within an inch. The
first two measurements varied but three
fourths Of an inch. and third one was made
to verify the others. That is practically per-
fect. Our object Is to test the vessels under
the most favorable circumstances, q smooth
sea and no wind. Then, with knowledge of
what she can do with everything to help her it is
an easy matter to try her with unfavorable sur
roundIngs. We want first, however, to know
the extreme limit of a vessels powers. / be-
ieve that these criticisms have been inspired
by the pilots, who hope to get up an agitation
that will bring them the sympathy Of the
country"
PILOTS FOR NAVAL VESSELS.
This reference Of the commodores to the
pilots Is an interesting one as 1t is the voice of
an agitation that has been stirring the navy for
eight years. Formerly a commander bringing
his ship into q harbor would hire q pilot with
out any hesitation, for there is always risk Of
shifting bars and unusual distractions to free
navigation that local pilot only is able to fore
see. When an officer has been out of the
country on cruise for several years his entry
into harbor OF his own country is to some ex-
tent like going into new waters, and though he
may have perfect knowledge of the harbor
WI in fnrr Inx ha sas d.,
OF running afoul Of things of a more modern
growth of which he knows nothing.
But pilots are expensive, and the bills that
used to be presented by captains for this service
were sometimes SO large as to send cold chills
down the backs Of the accounting officers of the
Treasury.
WHEN PILOTS MAY BE ENGAGED.
When Commodore Walker entered upon his
present duties as chief of the bureau of naviga-
ton in October, 1881, one of his first acts was
to amend the naval regulations so that COM
manders could hire pilots only when it was
absolutely necessary, requiring them to sign a
certificate on the bills to that effect. OF course
this discouraged the custom and very few Off
GERS after that ventured to indulge in this lux
ury, for over their heads was always the Damo-
clesian sworn of the disalowance Of their ac-
counts. Commodore Hof's bills were once
held up for payment to pilots in Norfolk har-
Dor, several hundred dollars in amount, and he
Wdc hcpt WdltiuB tOT years IOr reimbursement.
The result is that commander, rather than
sign certificate of ignorance, with the possi-
bility of Its being an expensive admission,
usually undertakes to run his vessel alone, and
seldom, If ever, resorts to the expedient of hir-
ing pilot
DIVIDED OPINIONS.
There Is a divided sentiment in the navy in
regard to this matter. Officers of leisurely
temperament prefer the old system, under
WHICH all responsibility for casualties in har-
bors Was vested in the pilots, and which neces-
STATED little or no harbor knowledge. Studious
officers with ambitious tendencies are glad of
the opportunity to show their skill as naviga-
tors and argue in favor of the new custom.
THE TWO RECENT ACCIDENTS,
that to the Constellation near Norfork, under
Capt. Harrington. and the one to the Boston,
under Capt. O'Kane, at Newport, are sgnif-
cant incidents in view of the condition of the
regulations and have started a popular senti-
ment that may possibly result in less stringent
rules in regard to the line Of pilots.
As is stated elsewhere in The STAR today s.he
general opinion at the Navy department is that
the court of inquiry exonorates Capt. O'Kane
from all blame by showing that his vessel ran
on a sunken wreck instead of a rock, this OBJ
struction not being on the harbor charts