Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-31
S ERIOUS BLUNDERS
Made in the Designs for New Naval
Vessels.
Important Alterations Believed to BE
Necessary i'm the Cruisers Detroit,
Montgomery and Marblehead.

Much concern is displayed at the Navy
Department over well authenticated reports
that important alterations are necessary
to insure safe sea-going qualities to the
cruisers Detroit, Montgomery and Marble
head. A blunder was made in the design
OF each of these vessels, but by whom COM
mitted Is not revealed The fact that the
Detroit has made the passage from New
York to Bahia without any reported trouble
does not lessen. 1T is said. the gravity Of the
mistake.
The Detroit Montgomery and Marble
head, three sister cruisers Of 1900 tons dis
placement each, were designed, 1t is an
nounced, to have metacentric heights of
four feet. OF the three ships the Detroit
Is the only one SO far commissioned but an
examination of the actual metacentric
height possessed by the Detroit reveals it,
1t Is declared. to be only fourteen inches.
The Montgomery and the Marblehead
Detroit. There is. consequently, no reason
10 Del1eve that either the Montgomery or
the Marblehead will be more stable when
ready for sea than is the Detroit.
1t is further pointed out that in the de-
signs for the Detroit she was to possess a
oraught, when down to the mean load water
line, Of two feet more aft than forward
The mean load water line was assumed at
eAS oAdu6ht cdCh OI the Sn1pS OF the De-
troit class would require when coaled and
provided with stores and ammunition suffi-
cient for a cruise.
With her bunkers filled and the ship
ready Tor sea, the Detroit draws two feet
more forward, 1t Is announced, than she
does aft From the fact, as reported that
the vessel was designed to draw two feet
more aft than forward. 1t is evident that
the department miscalculated the draught
or this fine ship by just four feet.
The trouble is that the armament is too
heavy for the ships and can only be rene
died by reducing the size of the guns.
Several OF the best sea-going ships Of the
navy, including the Newark and San Fran
cisco. were designed by the construction
bureau. The English hull designed vessels,
the Baltimore. Charleston and PHILADELPHIA
are not deemed nearly so good craft in
point OF ceagoing qualities as are the out
and-out American craft.
The fact, however, remains. 1t is declared
that an error has been made in the designs
OF the Detroit and those Of her two sisters
and that, too, to a degree which means that
the eff1ciency of these vessels as fighting
craft must be lessened in order to make
them safe seagoing ships.
AS If 1t was not enough that the new
navy should suffer by the bad calculations
made on the 2OOO-ton cruisers the news
now comes that the big armored cruiser
New York has been made to suffer by bad
calculations. The New York, 1t is stated
was designed to draw considerably more
water aft than forward. AS a matter of
fact. 1t is announced. the big ship is so
much down py the stern as to prevent the
firtng OF the stern above water torpedo
tube.
IT is now proposed. in the case Of the De-
rrolt, Montgomery, and Marblehead, to
strip these fine cruisers Of their and stern
six-inch breech-loading rifles and also to
reduce the number Of spars carried 1t is
proposed, in addition, to shorten the fun
nels. and to arrange. further aft than
at present, lockers for the storage of
the heavy chain cables