Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-21
WEAK ENGLISH SHIPS.
War Vessels Break Down and Cause
a Serious Naval Scandal.
PROTESTS MADE WITH M EFFECT.
Big Boats Ifioat With Boilers That Are
Entirely Worthless.
REPAIRS ARE RELUCTANTLY MADE

The talk of war that has been heard in
all quarters of the globe has concentrated
the attention of the nations upon the navies
and floating engines of destruction. Pic
lures, descriptions and statistics concerning
the naval forces of each Government have
become so common that even the school
children are more or less familiar with the
subject From more than one quarter
recently we nave heard sensational stories
with respect to the breakdown of large
number of the more important of our war
vessels, says the Pail Mall Gazette The
scandal is crying one in the service, as it
has been notorious that some 16 or IL ships
which have been supplied with boilers of a
certain class have been quite unable to
approach the speed with which they are
credited. Protests, we have been informed,
were made by officers afoat, but without
effect.
The boilers which have proved so worth
less are double-ended, and have common
combustion chambers. When put to the
test the tubes have leaked frightfullv, and
1t was found altogether impossible to
carry out the forced-draught trial.
Enormous sums of money have been abso-
lutelv thrown away on these boilers, and.
what is worse, the effective strength of our
feet has been seriously reduced. Who is
responsible for the bungling? Lord George
Hamilton, in his statements on the navy
estimates last year, gave praise to the Off
cial who has sought to remedy the defects,
but did not offer one word of censure or ex-
PLANTATION with respect to the frightful waste
of money and efficiency.
Responsibility of the Engineer in Chief.
He said: "The Engineer in Chief de-
serves high credit for the assiduity and in
genuity which he has displayed in over
coming the difficulties connected with the
designs of boilers which he cid not orig
mate. The specifications and details Of ma
rine engines are of so technical a character
that none but trained and practical engin-
eer can adequately supervise or criticise
them. Thus an unusually heavy response
bility is centered on the Engineer in Chief,
which cannot be shared by members of the
Board Of Admiralty The dimensions of
ship, its armament and equipment, can be
criticised, altered and discussed by naval
officers, and laymen even, although they
may have little technical knowledge of the
principles of shipbuilding.
''Such a discussion or examination is not
possible, to the same extent, except by
trained experts, upon the specifications of
design for marine machinery. The hasty
adoption Of a faulty principle in the designs
of engines might not be detected outside the
department preparing or initiating the de-
sign until the actual working of the en-
giEes themselves revealed the mistake
made" This is an attempt to eNculpate the
Board OF Admiralty, but if the boilers were
experimental. why should so many vessels
have been furnished with them before they |
were thoroughly tested? Even the layman |
would see the need for that precaution. |
Lord George Hamilton also stated: "When |
the designs Of the machinery for the first |
ships to be built for the naval defense act |
were under consideration three inspectors of |
from the dockyards, as represent |
ing the latest views of seagoing engineers |
were formed into q committee to cooperate |
with the engineer in chief.
EectifyinS the Blunder Slowly.
'The result of their Joint deliberations was
a large increase in the boiler power of the |
cruisers, and the addition Of weight by the |
substitution Of single or common combustion |
chambers The blunder was thus clearly |
seen last year, but the work Of undoing it is |
proceeding slowly. The money that it will |
cost must run into hundreds of thousands of |
pounds. The Vulcan is now 'funder repair"
and it is said that the cost of replacing the |
boilers and attendant alterations will cost as |
much as ESQ, 900. The Devastation and the |
Thunderer are to undergo similar. treat
ment