New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-29
NEw-YORK TUESDAY, AUGUST 90, 1893 TEN PAGES
PERILS OF BIG WAR SHIPS.
THE RECENT NAVAL DISASTER DIS USED
IN THE HOUSE IF COMMONS.
STRONG CRITICISM OF The CONSTITUTION OF
GREAT VESSELS OF THE VICTORIA TYPE
-ALLEGED NEED OF SrGFNGTHEN-

ING THE NAVY.
London. Aug 2S-In the House Of Commons to-
day. Edward r. Gourley, member for Sunderland
weil-known shipbuilder asked whether. since the
sinking OF the warship Victoria. the Govcrnments S
attention had been directed to the criticism Of cX-
ports at home and abroad to the utility of SHIPS
OF monster size. and whether an inquiry would 30
made regarding the capability Of the lower struct-
ure Of such ships to prevent capsizng In the event
Of some Of their compartments ;''i'1S WIN water
He also asked whether the Admiralty officials were
aware that the lower structure of these shrs when
pierced might. in the Of the Victoria, dls-
turb the centre OF gravity AMI cause then To ;urn
turtle"
| Sir L. Kay-Shuttleworth. Secretary to the Ad-
miralty answed that the Admiralty had not failed
/ to consider the criticisms referred TO- but that u
was decidedly Of the opinion that II would he ad-
visablc to build more ships of the dimensions al
ready decided upon. in view Of the strength OF
these they might encounter in case Of war. The
Admiralty no reason for special inquiry INTO
the subject. the question Of the lower structure
had necessarily been dealt with in designing the
ships
Sir f. j. Reed. member for Cardiff. who was Tor
several years chief Constructor Of the Navy de-
olared that the disaster the Victoria was just
what had been anticipated in regard to this class
of vessels for years past ship with a large
armored centre citadel and unarmored ends was
bound TO capsize If badly injured in tho ends How
size before the Admiralty up the construction
of such vessels? Owing to the requirements Of
these vessels the space taken up 10y the men :
quarters and so forth it was impossible to provlde
them with Trustworthy watcr-tght compartment
Mr. Goschcn formerly First Lord OF the Nd
miraltv said he regretted the tendency shown by
the Secretary OF the Admiralty TO make light o me
loss Of the Victoria In view Of the opinion Of OK
pcrts that like fate might ov"rtak" other vessels
= fun and immediate inquiry into the construction
Of this class OF warships was desirable
In the course Of a general reply the Secretary to
the Admiralty said that . further inquiry in re-
card to the loss Of the Victoria would be Instituted
if tho Admiralty should considc- 1t desirable
ON the navy estimates coming mp for consideration
Lord George Hamilton Conservative. member for
the Ealing Division of Mlddlesex. and lately First
Lord Of the Admiralty. attacked the Government
for neelectIng to maintain the efficiency OF the
nav. He declared that unless determined
cfor. were made to construct now warships En-
glands supremacy the would vanish within
three years Already the French and Russian
battleships together reached the total OF twenty
five against TWENTY-FIVE effective British vessels or
that class France and Russia have ten battle
shius i'm course Of construction while Great Britain
has only three In nrst-class cruisers only was
Great Britain slightly superior to France and
Russia lie suggestcd that supplementary csu-
mates bc allowed for the purpose OF pushing on
the work Of building warships.
Sir william. Vernon Harcourt. Chancellor ~ the
Exch~quer In reply held that the superiority OF
the British Navy over re nayies Of other coun-
tries was never go great now. He denied tho /
accuracy Of the figures presented by l9rd George |
Hamilton and closed his speech by declaring mat
the Government was iuiIX awe 40 s's ,as OIL,
of Great Britain