New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-09
A PLEA FOR BATTLE-ShIPS.
NAVAL. ARCHITECTS LISTEN TO PAPhft
ON THIS SUBJECT.
VOTING DOWN A MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS FAVOR
ING TIE NICARAGUA cANAi~MANf

IT,, ,os,,c sessions of the third general meeting
r, ,,o Society Of Naval Architects and Marine En-
pineers were held yesterday at NO Il west nm
Arst-si Many important papers were reau nv
discussions following the papers were a'''"au
and many members took part owlhs 10 o
several of the persons who were expected 10 'eau
par,ers at the meeting were unable 10 De pl
,rheir naners were read by Secretary W. H. OuPps
President Clement A. Griscom presidco'
Tho days session was opened by the reading OF
q naper on Tactical Considerations lhVoNeu "a
Warship Design" BY Lieutenant A'o''
Nihlack Lieutenant Niblack said that the reid''o"
OF the tactical qualities of each snip uee
those both building and built should oe o''s
considered Il is Of more Importance wa"
units Of A feet and vessels OF each class sa'u
tenant Nlblack. should have ldeh'c"i 100
pouors and speeds than that they should oe pei
fect,v IN 10 date in every detail Eacn mehoe' -
a eeet II weak in any particular scales uo"" '''N
whole fleet to It's capabilities , e..o.
..pacor, Designs of Vessels for the United states
Navy" was the subject of the paper "'i''o =.
pbilin Hichborn chief constructor Inc paper wa"
read bv Secretary Cupps. Mr. Hchoorn present
s,rong arguments in favor of a comprehensiNe ~
tomato programme for obtaining a hoi"ose"
opd effective feet peculiarly adapted TO America"
necessities rather than the method oil popu'"' '
r,fces TO secure the very latest 'h'"s'
SEVERAL TYPES OF VESSELS
.rhe oues,ion as TO the types Of vessels, sa'n
HichbOrn NnlCN sHO"i" N''''f1
a country such as has been discussed d, go GO.
length We have gradually settled down 10 'he io
lowing tvpcs seagoing battle-ships. low ireepo'iu
barbor-defence armor-claas. armored cru,se'''
ers gunhoats and topedo-boats lie ao"e' ID,
with the above classification as a genera a.
We have nnued gradually TO build up our on
but until recently. with zoe dmuthh e reai nrhting
cruisers and little regard foT te ar ssrme3
machine OF naval warfars1ne proP pc anv na"ai
and armored batue:shlp-whiSh mus r % Ihe brunt
war be it one OF offence or defence pear '"' ''
OF battle. .o,.. sar,.,ca,n,e in peace. and
have a definite useful function IN wal, eseeis and
viii not decide battles Coas,-asitI0e in Sefending
har6or dsoising an enemy aISne ai through battle
ianod entrance put II rs a met and vanqushed
6fore he has even sighted our coast , un ousI
pa,te oay ne made against the enemys principal
seaports and thus by iaknE scbSme Of defence
Ia w6rd bsttle-ships the real bone ana s''leM
Of naval force ana n9 Without fully ac
ceptng this amos; automatic sta'em Sich embraces
nearly i've thousand mics Of coast line wont4 C
almost appalling in aIy scns 1gr d water har-
hors are not proporonaeiy numerous. IN IST. bs IL
is hardly an exagseraton to assert Ihn WeWEne
iando fewer available harbors than CIreat dafn1ce
This Of s% n1i any P'V ecen blockade
bv an enemy much less difficult statement wnnSn
sde of the ports Of the Southern States during our
late Slv Y sbsne NJ coast defence involving vessels
Of war We have also consider the limited ue 59,
of water at the entrance Of our harooIS' ~ ' naval
Condition being OF vital consequence 70 the &c
sycbiec since II limits him in one Of the most nm
poriant dmenson our ol harhors is due in grea,
ure the DEVELOPMENT Of the second type VI '
Wi, 1 cruisers we are fairly well supplied and 1t is
be hoped that in few yea ch an ou Extent as TO
enable US fully to supply any defciencrs M 'I am
part of feet should naval war max ongress by
which the general Government has IN tIn s, OIL tsi
requirements u a proper O'et'i''ite
in the line Of building UP ormiqao.e nd ana nroue-
porting naval reserve, and continued uuer Re
regulations will in time unquesonaDy Iars seconS
tinted States with reserve fleet OF cruisers seoo'''
When those already built and authorized are ready
demands although still further increase is neces
sry order hat PeaGs police als can crs
ers and battle-ships being quite mprac'ica i Of
not entirely useless. for such duties III 'Ine VI
The last type enumerated above che torpedo
This class. in conjunction with our land batteries
and low freeboard ronclads that we mus MANY
depend in defending our harbors from the S't s
of a powerful naval adversary. ara iack OF iore<
sight IN proydng a9e9uae for ba hs sra 1an'T With III
serious consequences IN the advent Of war
NEW ur,nODS OF SIGNALLING SUGGESTED.
After the reading Of the papers Admiral Meade.
retired discussed some points in question and advo-
Gated the adoption of the German system OF send
ing directions by numbered balls through tubes He
believed that the flag system OF signalling was
clumsy and must soon he superseded by some other
method Severa. other speakers advocated the
provision Of protected signal tower. Papers were
then read by Secretary Cups on Engineering Re
,earch in the Navy" which was written by Profess
sor William s Aldrich. Of the University OF west
Virginia and on The Performance of the Twin
Screw Steamer City % Lowell. by Professor James
f. Denton. Of Stevens Institute Rear-Admiral
Meade then announced that majority OF the
special committee appointed TO report upon the ad-
visibility of sending a memorial to Congress asking
favorable action the Nicaragua Canal project
under the auspices OF an American company were In
favor OF such a memorial
Charles II. Loring formerly Chief Engineer OF the
Navy representing the minority, opposed the send
ing Of the memorial TO Congress on the ground tnat
the society proposing TO wander from its legiti-
mate aims. After considerable discussion the
memorial was rejected by a vote OF "a TO u. 5000, .
At the afternoon session Secretary Cupps read a
paper on The Ventilation Of. ships by r. Is.
ESpermen al Test Of the Armored SIDE of the United
States steamship Iowa - ,,
night at the Hotel Brunswick. Covers were lad
c SF mTre 4 ' Grisco 9S presided resided '''''
The" toas, Of The Nayy, responded to by by
comm ommander j " Miller spoke to the toasts OF
The Mercantile Marine" and The Naval Re
modore Sicard, W H. Webb. Charles II. l.oring A.
Vanderbilt Professor j. Denton and j. F. HOBO
In the course OF his remarks. Admiral Meade said
the extension Of the American flag upon the seas
Once IL everywhere, now il was hard 10 ma
In cruise Of over 5000 miles | met but five OF
xix American ships. II is necessary 10 have ships
Ipon the ocean in order 10 have skilled captains
and seamen who could warships in time
81 war. The growth Of the merchant marine is
o-day Of more importance than the growth
u the Navy. Above all things citizens OF this coun
ry should without regard to party, be Americans
~ do want to more before / die the
Yankee flag where ! saw II when | was boy
said Admiral Meade he took his seat
In the course Of several OF the speeches compl
meniary reference made Russia, as the
friend and natural ally Of the United States ant
the health OF the Emperor or Russia drunk
standing.
CLOTHING SOLD AT HALF PRICE,