The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-10
THE NEW YORK ALL RIGHT.
Z HERoIO test PROVES HER TIE
PERRE1 TROY OF STABILITY.

Although She Draw. Twenty.six Feet At,
Her stern Can he Lifted with Trira,uinr
Tanks. and she Can be Docked In at
Least Six Navy Yards Fault. In Other
wsr ships which Can be Remed,ed.
Recent announcem ents regarding the ton
heaviness and instability OF several new gun
boats have directed attention to the cruiser
New York. and II was asserted that owing to
faulty construction she had two feet greater
draught than she was designed to have. and
she would be unable to dock anywhere in this
country.
Capt. Philip and other officers OF the ship
were highly Indignant yesterday when oues-
toned on this subject by a SuN reporter: Capt
Philip said:
Il cannot imagine the foundation for such
statements There are ak dry docks in this
country into which the New York could be
taken. There 10 one at Mare Island Navy
Yard. one at San Francisco. one at
Newport News. one at Norfolk. one at
League Island yard Philadelphia. and
the dry dock here In this yard now occupied
BY the Miantonomoh Below In the ward room
are four pictures OF the New York shored up
in the Philadelphia dock When she was
there she did not have on her after turret
nor all OF her forward turret. but there
dock to have admitted Of their being aboard
complete. The New York's mean draught was
to be twenty-four feet. She has now not more
than three or four tons Of coal In her bunkers.
and forward she draws about nineteen feet.
and aft q trife less than twenty-six
feet. She could easily be made to
draw but twenty i've feet astern by filling tho
forward trimming tanks with water. The
knuckle-shaped keel would not interfere to
lt,,o
from the fore foot to the knuckle were
prolonged. 1t would be found to fall
but six or seven inches below the
heel OF the rudder II any one wants to learn
the truth OF these statements he may come
to me. and will take great pleasure in going
on the cob dock with him and proving what
say. The figures at bow and stern Indicating
her draught seem to me enough to speak for
themselves.
The torpedo tube astern was said to have
been rendered useless owing to the cruisers
increased draught. l had that tube taken out
because did not consider 1t OF any value. 1t
could not be trained. and in order to strike an
enemy's vessel the Inter would have to be
dead asterp. and then the chances OF striking
eSd be shase Ss h nothing
When Capt Philip was asked about the sta
Sility Of his ship he answered.:
VA, s determined to ties, the sship's sta;
and '' p Ss her rudder hard 70 I ssar.
board. and. Immediately aftergard. hard to
not evtnce decided Heeiins When that is done M
30 q naval constructor was stationed forward
and aft With sw to the
they i'm pat lently sent word to know when the
experiment was to be tried" ,
been tried, while he was looking at his ap,
iaid he had not noticed the least slanting OF
tho deck, In their report l believe they said
the ship had leaned about seven degrees out
THE, transverse ,metacentric height. about
wnh there has been ss9me n Gd f.
S n over y Ss sW
true and Hd shall telegraph in regard to these
matters to Secretary Herbert; It is al pity that
Sew York. that was characterized by Admiral
Fir Jonn o. Hopkins. commander of the Brit
ish cruiser Blake rs one OF the finest vessels
A naval authority said yesterday that what
oss 81 the shps Of our new navy mas
SsasSS es h s whss . RET
engines WI have upon tho displacement
States the N ost careful and minute cacula,
and the centre of gravity Of a vessel are intiu-
encsd BY The dhsPOsisOn Of the TeGhts
was com posed Of officers whose only training
IN naval architecture was obtained ut the
!ee for the 81
wooden ships. but possessing limited know-
edge 8 psn 81 ndonea o senns e tbs
best graduates OF our naval school to be in
structed abroad III naval architecture The
were selected after careful investigation.
About twenty-four such naval constructors
have been graduated from the foreign schools
:, Tho law regarding the appointment Of Chief
'h'e eorps s0 ths TWO csptan
GoaRss: ss prsRS hs h ' Ts.H
in his report advocated and recommended that
the office OF Chief Constructor be not limited to
to the law would have enabled a future score
tary to select chief from among one Of the
But. owing to the short session of Congress. a |
pm to that effect. although approved o. by the
With the building OF the cruiser rhiladelphia
It was discovered that serious miscalculations
had been m1ds in she de-
topheayy to such degree that it became nee.
essary to remove her steel military masts and
substitute wooden spars. 1t is now said she
dare not be taken to sea without loading her
down with water ballast to lower her centre OF
It has been declared that. since the con.
struction Of our new navy. there is not single
ship which has not undergone from one hum
dred to Ave hundred changes in design
owing to vario miscaculations. Secretary
Tracy. it will be remembered. was continually
inluiring OF the Bureau o! Construct ion the
effects produced by the imperative changing
Of weights. The hrst-class battle ships Indiana
Massachusetts. and Oregon were designed to
carry l3-inch guns. but in the case OF the Iowa.
OF the same class. Secretary Tracy required
that she be armed with but l2-inch guns. He
also required o weight margin of 24O tons. 1t
has recently been learned that the margin
had increased.
The primary batteries OF the Detroit Mar
blehead. and Montgomery were originally in
tended to he Of 4-ineh rifles. but after a re-
calculation the Bureau OF Construc-
tion suggested 5-inch guns. as the latter
Had been demonstrated TO be so far
superior TO the guns Of the smaller
calibre. What decided effect the change will
make has yet to be determined. The Cunboats
astine and Mnchias have not been changed
since their launching and thtir bad traits It is
thought. must In some way be due to an error
In weight calculations.