New-York tribune., 1895-07-28
CHILDREN LIKE 1T.

ret proper has but nine inches OF armor. yet as
It's ammunition hoist passes down through the To-
inch turrct, IT, OF course has the protection of the
l6-inch armor of the latter. This is unques-
toned advantage 1t is partially offset. however,
by the necessarily increased complexity OF running
the double ammunition hoist through the heavy
turret. for not only must the ammunition OF the
heavy guns 30 up INTO that turret but the am
munlton OF the superpOscd s-inch guns In the upper
tl-ret must also pass through the lower turret In
addition II IL urged that the smaller turret,
even in the combined structure. has only nine
inches Of armor. thus giving but nine inches OF
protection to the guns and the guns crew II seems
hardly necessary to give the ammunition MOIST a
greater protection than that afforded to the men
and guns.
Again in favor OF the double turret Is urged the
military advantage Of concentration of fire. both
the heavy lower guns and the lighter upper guns
being trained the object by one man ana deliver
ing the effective fire of four guns at practically
single point As against this. the objection Is ad-
vanced that the four guns must necessarily IRE AT
the same point or rather at points In the same
vertical plane When vessels are a considerable
distance apart. they would be when beginning
fight tsay about mile,, 1t Is iHpractcape ~ ann
any particular point OF the enemy NesSe'' anu
SO long as this condition OF affairs continues there
can be no special objection TO aiming all lour guns
at the same point But when the distance Is re-
duced IN one-half or ono-quarter OF that at which
the engagement began. the condition OF aHalrs u
considerably changed. Al such snort range " pe-
comes entirely practicable ana even very des"aD'e'
TO select certain definite portions or the enemy aS
the object Of fire In this case the heavy guns
would be- almost certainly directed at the enemys
,urrote and n the aim were good Il would result
practically I'm throwing tn. s-nch guns "ntlre'y ou'
OF action. because from their location "h'le tney
can shoot above or below. In a vertical straight
line. the point aimed at by the h"aVy gums
yet there IL nothing In such straight nhe
that Is vulnerable the s-!nch gun II they
nr. ahov. the ttIrrct there Is nothing but vacant
air. n ,hey fire at the turr.t they can do no
damage: II they fire below the turret th'y Will "''
either the armored deck or the heavy pate afn'or
all OF which are entirely invunerable TO the S-hch
gun II the s-inch turret were mounted separa''Y'
AS proposed by the Bureau of Construction ana He-
nalr f. might do some damage against the lighter
armored or entirely unarmored portion o' the
enemy. while the heavy guns were hrins al the
onemy's trrrets.
In case there were two hostile snips ,ii',oent ti"
~ ,he heavy and light turreis would be sun
49, VI % ,nniher "bf.ction urged against the double
turr.t system the often quoted one OF pu',hms ing
"aI ones eggs In BASKET" meaning IN l ths
r~t-turning gear four guns would be thrown OUT OF
action instead OF two. likc"se u eth.s III. M
or the lower turret were disabled by the ehsiny,
Hre the chanccs are that this dsabemsnt rrn, w0asa
involve that OF the otherwise urinjuted o,ig' .ns,
Oi the objections tHat mas v''" " o. ,h ,,nnS
having the tufrets separate j. that "nen tnr guns I
of the s-uch iurret nre over IN. hea'S ',, rs, - -
approximately for" Ani an mn e n'e b. mon
,kese guns woud be- so s' aviT a, 70 n}rt To %.
ae ,h- blast plate of rln one lncn mex. wa. ,hs
f.. b. --curcir fastened about Two t'et hD"'. % tne
higher slnch guns from eNorting any ~ ~cnecuvr
pressure through the pep n"l'S nor - the ,,rret be-,
i.vy some difference oi opinion has rNlstei as ~
the efficiency of such blast pae. og, 'ig'v nronrrIv
framed /; would 'unll Is INTENDED purpose s,s,e,o
Another adyeniag. OF the doubIr-turr't - ,Mn' sno
a., a.
b.,nx but one slrh -.t ~ machinery FOR the dou,e
,urret as against iNo independent sets ior lne
s~u,r;. turr.is BUT this again IL to a certain eN
tent IN set by the necessarily in'rraSeI "''snn "a
the single gear and by The greater daInasT ,hr
is embodied the principle ,atrIy ptoip oi ,,c,.,eI -,
Bureau u Construction AMI Repair anu a. 80
by The bureau Of Ordnance so TO shap. the 'ur
rets az 70 balance them about thrr '"n.trs % i ~ ,D
...,.r 4, M. cas-. Of a circular turret TINS Is I'M
tr,rficaiIe because Will. tn" tutr"i proper anu
the armor are perfectly bAan'"i aDou M m, ~" sie o;
yet the prrs"nc" oi me hra'> guns Oh Jarre J and
this iurr.t entirely thro"S out su'n nt'i''' -
very heavy strains. rtesu,atly ~ "r'.pn ,nny h
disproportiouatoly heavy machinery ior tufh"k t.r
turr.t In the Iowa this was obNiatei 10y mhhns
The f,rr.ts oval In shape. their centre Of revolution
coinciiing with their crntre oi nsrr, ac' "a, ali
h ,hs 80 ,.eb,s ie about Itself Ths same scheme has
been agreed upon by IN" bHrean7 OF ,,i,s
and has been approved by the secretary OF inc
There has been considerable discussion as to the
relative merits of the double and separate tri'1
systems ana IN ofaoF sccra,srv "rber recently
reourstrd the opinion ~ six seven distinguished
officers of the Navy. These oinrcrs mac a ~
study OF the plans and OF the arguments adf ancrd
FOR and against them and submitted their opinions
I'm writing to the Secretary. majority OF thr ON
r,rs con suited gave IL their opinion that the
iouble-dcck turrct system seemed better ahu mo'r
fully to meet the requirements ne Srr
has finally been settled by the decision OF seer
tary Herbert that the doubledeck tufrrt Is 10 De
used for the new baitle-ships Opinions i1 Hi,iIni
naval officers are. however st very inuch dlHiuei
on this point and both satisfaction ana resrst are
cislon having been reached II nov remains TOT tnc
Bureau OF Construction ana Repair III "noSe ha,iuS
Inc details OF such design are placed by regua-
lions 10 work out all the problems connected Win
the double-lrck system. and TO produce tne p.st
results possible under the approved plans To this
end Chief CONSTRUCTOR Ichborn ana his aDle ana
Jealous assistants Will devote their eHortS ana
under their direction the work Will be inteIigenty
and faithfully pushed TO compeuon