The Portland daily press., 1894-11-16
ADMIRAL MEAD'S VIEWS
Shows a Defect in American Un-
protected Cruisers.
HE CALL FOR RAMS, BATTLE
SHIPS AND TORPEDO BOATS.

The Ocean Greyhounds Are Far Swifter
Than the New Cruisers and Would Be
More Powerful inTime of War-Smaller
Cruisers Only of Use in Home Waters.
New York, November 15.-The second
annual meeting of the Society of Naval
Architects and Marine Engineers, began
at the rooms OF the society this morn
ing. The hall was crowded with we'll
known engineers and naval officers.
The officers who served last year were
all reelected. President Clement A.
Griscom, after taking the chair made a
speech, in which he thanked the mem
bers for the confidence they place in him
and pointed out that it was the obvious
duty of the society to create public in
terest in large. navy and merchant ma
rine for this country. He introduced
Admiral Mead, who read paper entit-
led Some suggestions of professional
experience in connection with the naval
construction of the last ten years.
Admiral Mead spoke OF the great ne
cesslty OF arousing public interest in the
navy, and told of the opposition that
was had to the 6rst steamship in the
United. States navy. "VesseIs that seem
the least satisfactory to practical men
OF our profession" said he, ARE the CO.
lumbia, Minneapolis and Detroit class,
They are unsatisfactory for these rea-
| sons: The smaller vessels cannot cruise
in time of war, except in home waters,
and as to the longer ones, such as the
| Columbia, it is feared that vessels like
the Majestic and Teutonic may laugh at
our three scrw racers, which cannot
cross the ocean at the same speed these
commercial greyhounds maintain year in
| and year out.n The Admiral very much
doubted if the fighting qualities of the
Columbia would equal those of the New
York or Paris, were the latter suitably
| armed and manned. He most strongly
| recommended the building Of rams and
| torpedo boats and armored battle ships
The fast cruisers, in his opinion, are
! practically useless, as they would be
| hested by the ocean liners in time of
war.
! L. E. Bertin read paper on aThe use
| OF small models for the determination
| OF curves of sta bility.n He gave q qener-
| al description of the method and recount
ed the historical development of tine SUBJ
| ject. A paper setting forth "The obsta-
| cles to shipbuildingsand owning in this
country" was read by George W. Dickie,
naval architect, and a member of the So
ciety. Mr.. Dick:e said lack OF interest
! Az AoNaA mooeCIS olaDldy6u DY G16
| people and men high in otfi ce was the
thing which had done a great deal to
| keep the U nited States from becoming
a maritime nation. He told how, in
| England, the launching of battleships
| and naval manoeuvres were made public
| functions and how in the British schools
| boys were taught to regard England 's
nation. He recommended legislation
and the spending of public moneys for
| the puprose of improving and fostering
American shippingei q terests.
Philip Hichborn, chief con-
structor of the United States navy, read
| paper on "The care of new steel ships
as regards care and preservation. He de-
| ships of war, and said many persons
we're of the opinion ships could 90 long
| time without care.
| This is fallacious, and he is strongly in
| favor of constant care and freq
docking for ships of war. A plea for
| larger and more numerous dry docks
| ended Mr.. Hich born's address. He showed
that there was no dry dock in this coun-
| try that could accommodate our four
| large battle ships now under course of
| construction
| Chief Engineer George W. Melville Of
the United States navy. read a 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 we would
fndi it more economical tosrun one en-
| gine of size of 1000 horse power at
about 1000. than to run two 10, 500 indi-
Gated horse power engines, or even two
5000 indicated horse power engines, even
| IT it did involve dragging the idle
screws, if allowed to revolve freely.n Mr.,
Melville gave figures showing the gain
| in speed for triple screws of the same
power as the twin screw ship was very
large.