Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-16
NAVAL ARCHITECTS
Discuss Needs of Our Navy
and Merchant Marine.
Importance of Arousing Interest Of
the People in This Subject,
Value Of Our New Cruisers Compared with
the Fleet Merchant Steamers.

! New York Nov. 15.-The second annual
meeting of the Society of Naval Architects
| and Marine Engineers began at the rooms
of the society, this morning The hall was
crowded with well-known engineers and
naval officers. The officers who served last
year We're all reelected President c.
a. Griscom, after taking the chair, made
short speech, in which he thanked the
members for the confidence they placed in
| him, and pointed out that it was the obvi-
Gus duty of the society 10 create public in
terest in a large navy and merchant
marine for this country. He introduced
Rear Admiral Mead, who read a paper
| entitled Some Suggestions of Professional
Experience in Connection with the Naval
Construction of the Last Ten Years.
Admiral Mead spoke of the great neccs-
sity of arousing public interest in the navy
and told of the opposition to the first steel
ship in the United States navy. THE
vessels that seem the least satisfactory to
| the practical men of our profession" said
he, ''are the Columbia, Minneapolis and
Detroit class. They are unsatisfactory
for these reasons: smaller vessels cannot
cruise in time of war except in home wa
tiers, and as to longer ones, such as the
Columbia, it is feared that vessels like the
Majestic and Tcutonic may laugh ut our
three screw racers, which cannot cross the
ocean at the same rate of speed the com
mcrcial grcyhounds maintain year in and
year out.
The admiral very much doubted if the
lighting qualities of the Columbia would
equal those of the New York or Paris
were the latter suitably armed and man
ned He most strongly recommended the
building of rams and torpedo boats and
lrmored battle ships. Fast cruisers, in his
| opinion, were practically useless, as they
would be bested by the ocean liners in
time of war
l.. f. Bertin read a paper on 1.-The Use
! of Small Models for the Determination of
Curves of Stability. He gave general
description of the methods and rccountcd
the historical development of the subject.
4 paper setting forth 1.-The Obstacles
90 Shipbuilding and Owning in This
| Country" was read by George W. Dickie.
| naval architect and II member of the
| society Mr.. Dickic said u lack of inter
est in naval matters displayed by the peO-
| pie and men high in office was a thing
which had done Il great deal to keep the
| United States from becoming u stronger
| maritime nation. He told how in Eng
| land the launching of battle ships and
| naval manOcuvrcS We're made public func-
| tiOns, and how the youth in the British
school was taught to regard England'S
| naval supremacy as the stronghold of the
nation He recommended legislation and
| spending of public moneys for the pur
| pose of improving American shipping in
| tcrcStS.
Philip Hichborn, chief constructor of
| the United States navy, read a paper on
The Care of New Steel Ships as Regards
are and Preservation. - He described the
'onstant wear and tear on ships of war
md said that many persons were of the
opinion that ships could go a long time
without care. This was fallacious, and he
vas strongly in favor of constant care and
rcquent docking for ships of war. A plea
for larger and more numerous dry docks
ended Mr.. Hichborn 5 address. He showed
that there was no dry dock in this country
.hat could accommodate our four large
battle ships now under course of construc-
zion.
Chief Engineer George W. Melville Of
he United States navy, read paper on
The United States Triple Screw Cruisers
Columbia and Minneapolis He first
talked of the efficiency of the triple screw.
he said: II believe that we would find il
more economical for run one engine of the
,ize for 1000 indicated horse power at
about 5000, than to run two 10000 indi-
Gated horse power engines, even if it did
INVOLVE dragging idle screws, allowed to
revolvc freely" Mr.. Melville gave figures
showing that the gain in speed for a triple
screw of the same power as "A twin screw
ship was very large.