Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-20
Naval Officers Opposed to Admiral
Meade's Proposition.
IT WOULD SERVE NO GOOD PURPOSE
Beside, There Would Be the La
bility to Accident.
AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY

Officials Of the Navy Department take q
far from favorable view Of the proposition
attributed to Admiral Meade commanding
the North Atlantic squadron for an ocean
race between the twin screw cruiser CO.
lumbia or Minneapolis and the ocean
greyhounds, Majestic or Teutonic. In the
absence OF Secretary Herbert IL is lmpos-
sible to obtain an official statement to
the possibilities of speed contest of the
character indicated, but 1t is manifestly
certain that IL he is influenced by his as
sistants in the department, naval officers
and others, he will sit down hard and en-
phatically on the proposition.
Not an Admirer of the Cruiser.
Admiral Meade is not a special admirer
Of the cruiser type of naval vessels. He 10
Of opinion that the money expended on
them could be used to much better advan-
tage In the construction of battleships.
In paper recently read by him before
the Institute of Naval Architects he as
sumed that position and was severe IN his
criticisms Of the cruiser class of ships,
even going SO far as to assert that they
were practically incapable of doing what
they were designed for, that is. capture or
escape from an enemy. as the emergency
required.
1t was in this connection that he asserted
that the swift cruisers OF the navy could
not catch any of the swift transatlantic
merchant steamships. On the subject of q
lows:
1--WE need more active practice in the
navy. We ought to have such speed con-
tests as / suggest once in. q while. My idea
and unless there is objection from WASH
ington l shall carry II QUITS to lie or
quarantine some time with the Columbia
or Minneapolis and walt for the Majestic or
Teutonic to come out, and start out with
her. Let her know that we will test her
metal. Go with her to the bar, and then
We ought to cross the bar close under her
lee and race with her clear to the banks. II
the cruiser is the best boat, and can get FAR
enough ahead we could cross her bow and
maneuver; just as we might be called on to
do some day in real service. We ought to
know exactly what our boats In the navy
could do. Put one of them In the best pos
sible condition and go out with the regular
force and with the coal that 10 always used
and see what is in them. And, added the
rear admiral, ''the rear admiral should be
on board to take the responsibility Tor the
trip and to see that steam was kept up.
Naval Omcers Against the Test.
The consensus of opinion among naval
officers on duty at the department 10
decidedly averse to the test imposed
by Admiral Meade. Tho main objection
was on the ground of expense. 1t is esti-
mated that the Columbia In crossing the
Atlantic and back. at her maximum speed.
would consume about 5000 tons of coal.
costing about $30.OOO, and would then have
to undergo the expense Of thorough
overhauling There would necessarily be
a great strain on her boilers and machin-
cry, with the always present possibility OF
an accident. Another strong objection to
the race Is that II would serve no special
ed It: THE Columbia has been thoroughly
tested and her powers are well known
without resorting to the questionable and
expensive test of running her across the
Atlantic at full speed merely to crafty 4
whim. to say nothing of the great danger
that might result to the merchant ship
with her precious cargo of passengers.
The merchantman would undoubtedly do
his best to beat the warship. and If push
ed might add more steam than was pru-
dent.
In case Of an accident to either shin the
consequences would be dreadful and even
should no accidents occur. what would be
proved? Why, merely that one ship was
raster than another in q long race under
certain conditions. The Majestic might
beat the Columbia across the Atlantic, but
that would not prove that the Courbia
could not get near enough to destroy under
different conditions"
An Expensive Luxury.
such a race would be q most extensive
luxury" remarked a naval bureau chief.
"and would be utterly devoid Of any prac.
tical results, except to shorten the life of
the warsnip. Our vessels are not made
for speed alone and are too expensive to
be used for profitless experiments. They
make their cruises under the most ceonorn-
ical circumstances. and are never pushed
to their highest speed. except in emergen-
cies. We know thsir capabilities.
why, then, should We go to a great ex.
pense to demonstrate what has been prov.
ed already. Experience with several Of
our new ships has shown that they old not
develop their highest speed on their trial
trips. This is especially the case with the
Bennington, which has shown increaseA
speed. The expense, the wear and tear Of
boilers and machinery, to say nothing Of
the dangers ontailed by such o test as the
one proposed by Admiral Meade, are alto
eether out Of proportion to the simple satis-
faction that would be derived by the knowi-
edge that the Majestic could beat the Co,
lumbia In a trip across the ocean. We have
trouble enough AS II is to get money from
Congress for coal and other necessary
naval supplies without plunging into an
entirely unnecessary expense like the one
suggested by Admiral Meade, and appar.
emily receiving the serious consideration
Of the press"