Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-20
RUSTY STEEL HUlUS
Compared With the Bronze Plating Of the
Yacht Valkyrie.
Naval Authorities Much Interested in
the Use of This New Material
May he Adopted Here.

Naval officers have a great interest in the
career OF the yacht Vigilant outside Of their
patriotic desire for her success In the COM
ing race with the crack British yacht VAL
kyrie for the Americas cup This is due to
the fact that her construction embodies a
principle which many officers think should
be adopted in the construction of naval YES.
sells.
One OF the distinctive features of the YES.
sci which is to uphold the supreme ey of the
U United States in the matter Of sailing Graf,
is that her plating below the water line rs
Of Tobin bronze, with bronze rivets. Her
designers defend the use of this material in
her construction on account OF the superior
smoothness of its surface; that II takes a
high polish. keeps smooth and is free from
corrosion. Her opponents in the recent trial
races ascribed quite as much Importance &c
the peculiar slipperiness of her Immersed
nun as to her rig and model
Now, there is no greater problem among
naval architects than the best method OF
counteracting the tendency of steel hulls 70
rust In sea water, especially in tropical eli.
mates. Chief Naval Constructor Hichborr
has always been a strong advocate OF com.
pcsite vessels, TO avoid this evil and also OF
sheathing steel vessels with copper In spite
OF IN additional cost and weight Secretar,
Herbert is credited with the same views
and two Of the gunboats soon to he CON.
structed would have been of the composite
type but for an unrepealed statute requirins
their hulls to be all steel
Bronze Cheaper.
When the Vigilant was laid down Assist
ant Naval Constructor Steele proc ..ded Il
Bristol to examine the method Of puttins
on her bronze plating. The official report
which he has now made on the subject
strongly favors the adoption of this ma,
tertal for the bottoms OF ships. As to tn,
question OF cost, he declares that 9TH,
yearly expenses Of a bronze ship would b,
greatly reduced, owing to the saving in tn,
amount OF coal necessary to obtain tn.
same speed. and also to the fact that Il
would not be necessary to dock the shir
the hull" ~
1t is said that the chief naval constructo,
Will recommend the early construction O,
bronze steam launch as an experiment
in the direction of a more general use O,
bronze In the hulls of war ships Accordins
to the New York SUM- the rusttng of m.
steel hulls, especially in tropical waters
has been one Of the drawbacks Of our mod
ern fleet. Not only are the plates badi,
pitted. but where the rust sets in vegetabl,
and animal growths promptly follow, anC
the fouling OF the bottom makes high speed
impossible. Our crack cruisers when thu,
impeded crawl along at less than half theil
maximum rate Docking and scrapinS Il
the remedy, but the frequency with which
II mas 10 be resorted to, in spite OF all sort
or anti-fouling paints and lacQuers which
nave been tried on the steel hulls adds {
serious expense, and the vessel may b,
cruising where there are no dry docks avail
able. The Boston. which has been forced q
stay at Honolulu for many months, will. wher
relieved by the Philadelphia, be a long tim,
on the way home in consequence Of he,
dirty hull and when locked at Mare Is
land she may be found in a sad condition.
Another obstacle against sheething hull,
beside the increased cost. has been the In
creased weight which has to be moved b,
the same engine power; although IL hai
been strongly urged that after all, thes,
objections are more than counterbalance<
by the greater quantities Of fuel needed q
produce good speed with an unshea thet
bottom, with the chance that such speet
cannot be had at all when required In al
emergency.
Such is the problem on which a new ligh
Is now thrown by the performances of tn,
bronze yacht Vigilant. II is pretty safe e
expect that before long the navy will a
least have bronze cutter OF it's own witt
which to experiment, SO as to study its re
sistance to erosion and also the question
whether any galvanio action of consequence
Is set up by the plan Of using bronze plat
Ing upon steel frames.