New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-19
FOR BATTLESHIP DESIGNS.
A srRrccIE OF WHICH FRIDAYS GUN
TESTS WERE THE BEGINNING.
ARRANGEMENTS OF ARMoR AND BATTERIES
UNDER THE PROPOSED PLANs-THE vExEp

ARRANGEMENTS OF ARMoR AND BATTERIES
UNDER THE PROPOSED PLANs-THE vExED
QUESTION OF MAXIMUM cALBRE.
Washington. May M-The fight over the battle
shin designs in which the first shot was fred from
the thirteennch gun against sighteen-inch plate
at Indian Head Proving Grounds yesterday. waS re-
sumed at the Navy Yard Department this morning
and continued without interruption AL day. the main
difference In the occurrences OF the two days oe'hs
that Secretary Herbert controlled the conditions
TODAY instead OF the Ordnance officials
The all-day session was held In Commodore samp-
sons office and those present we're the secretary
OF the Navy and the chiefs OF Construction Ensi-
neering Ordnance. Equipment and NaVai i"te"'
gencc Chief Constructor Hichborn hah some 'i',,e
ago submitted four tentative designs differing ony
in minor details with memoranda which had been
met with sharp criticisms from Chief OF ordnance
Sampson and these memoranda were prough' VII"
der discussion. No result. however. was reacheu Wy
TO the hour VI adjournment. Secretary iieroe'''
who has to make the decision. declined 10 act has-
tily II is expected that the points at Issue Will not
he desnte,v settled for some time but the best OF
feeling is manifested between tho adherents OF the
different sides OF the case and all the omcers are
determined TO have the new ships superior III "s"'-
ing power to anything likely to be aioat IN the next
ten years.
The most important part OF the official memoran-
scnble more closely the Indiana class than the
Iowa in general appearance but In many sssen'iai
qualities. they are between the two. WhEe tney
have not the additional deck forward OF the Iowa.
they have three feet more freeooard at the %"
than the Indiana, and the heavy guns forward are
carried eighteen inches higher above the water
The armor has been distributed over wiicf area
than on the Indiana. The side armor has maxi
mum thickness amidshiJs OF fifteen incnes instead
OF the eighteen inches of the Indiana the speed Is
intended TO be sixteen knots at normal displacement
under forced draught
Weight is allowed for the same torpedo ou'n. a'
tina, Of the other battle ships The Bureau CONSIDERS
however. that torpedoes dischargng above water
are OF doubtful: value upon a battie-ship ioi ."e
reason that such ship would doubtless DC !" ac'.o"
some time before reaching torpedo range anu '.
chance Of above-water torpedo gear surviving until
/, cou,d be used would be hardly sufcient to JUSTIFY
thu risk rim by exposing the large charges OF nigh
explosives carried by torpedoes to gun hre II Tor
pedoes are to be retained upon our patNe's"'ps' S
marine discharge should be developed as Is now De-
ing done abroad.
on, that the development Of the larger calibres OF
r,n,d-are guns has materially reduced the value OF
the smaller guns Of secondary batteries louBht III
the omen or with the very slight protection WHICH
can be given 10 such guns
After much consideration the cahore OF inc
heaviest guns 10 be carried has been fixed at Twelve
egn practice. $780,,
The table of penetration prepared by the Bureau
q. Ordnance gives the normal penetration OF 'he
twelye-inch guns as 'wenty-one mches Vi e'ee'
armor. with the ordinary backing. While the PEN
etrat,on would be less in Harveyized armor, the
p,,r.au makes the significant statement that the
,r,ount Of armor ahoat to-day. or likely 10 De
oaoat In ten years from now, that cannot be per-
forated by the tweve-inch gun. at ngntins RANGES
is practically nil. This being the case. IL does
not appear that the additional power OF heavier
guns will warrant their adoption IN view OF the az.
d,ional weight they require. and he additiona
difficulty OF loading and working them win inc
d,s,red raridity The calibEe Of the rapld-hre Dat
terry was fixed five inches, since this Is the Id
est calibre of rapidhre guns that can use hNeu a'
muni,cn on board ship and hence reaiy DESERVES
10 be called rapid-fre. These guns must De pio-
tected The bureau investigated the practicapI's
of mounting them in pairs in small turrets. Inc
advantage OF this Arrangement is that each CUR
can have a greater arc Of train and that the pairs
of guns are isolated. The Disadvantages are t"e
slightly greater weight. the increased amount Of
mechanism and liability to arrangement the greatei
interference with the larger guns. the dincuity OF
control and the very great difficulty OF Adequately
supplying ammunition In order to keep UP rapid
fire.
AS regards armor, the tendency at present Is u
reduce the thickness of hull protection and spread
it over a greater At present the best sin
a
gun. on the same basis, the eght,inch gun Is
good for about ten incher OF the best armoi,
N paTs of the he largest q with amor least
six inches thick, but II is not, ana wiz NOT, DC
pGssb to Pr0a Tmo any
larger than yet attempted are adopted. a..
besy d.s guns can on weii-baansed snip be
ried to advantage IN two positions only Two guns
s-inch gun positions These guns cannot be pro,
Iecled well as the heaviest guns, and i y sound
| policy 10 supply sufficient number OF them 10
provide for some damage In the earlier stages Oh d"
IL Is stated that a battleshp, proposed In one
Of the plans Of l9 tons opposed to ne ba most rs
cent lS"9Ion Pe,asS Of AMI four snch rapid
IRE guns opposed 10 Two Finch ana four sl n1
be- 'inorougy, ana he 6,ineh guns farly we'll pro-
teclet aaalnat The o,lnel guns %, y III siny
| Inc English Simon aua pfeleplloh' "Wph '" s'
,am IN 'e sp eD sin'f All sehl S-ineh guns 70 ou'
lg.neh ana As e.noh The eineh 'n' n,,1 r"",
| nnni"ieeied ig'lounielu and smaller guns carried
IN the Epalsh nsconl,fy battery ss,o,, s,y If IN,
more recent French ani Russian veSSel' when "f'
"n Wsnnodore sampson memoranda Of The nodn
cations recommended hy Tho 1tdnance mvrssm ar
al OF charlcer hn s,lnnGnm moun, ,hn, ro,
Of them vii he agrced to-, The most imporinn
relate o ,ng The number ana arrangcmcnS
urre,s ana Tho position OF the arinor belt, IN ~,
| opinion the Arnof Dfil hHoulh -. !. "I
| ho showed the top Of the belt. when inc SNIP M,
~ Soo ,ons Of coal aboard would be but eighteen
inches above the watcl.ine commonofe s "a,
| 900 rounds OF ammunition for the lS-inch guns "
FOR the S-inch and 800 for the b-,nch. incrs s
| The weight OF ammunition carried by each snip y
| as tons He also expressed himself dech,hy u
! favor OF the i3nch cabrc for the principal guns
giving among others the following reasons; .oo,oJ
| An armor plate which would withstani repcate,
| blows from a i2-inch gun would be perforated, o.
| dcstroyed by single l3-Inch projectile, notwith
standing the accumulated energy OF the i2-inch pro
| Kettle might be much greater than that or th'
| single l3-nch proiectie. 49,, -. -, ....,,,.,,,r
Under the present state OF the ART OF M
| Tor n I9.inch proIcctile under normal Impact ut
range OF 1000 yards. Under service conditions o
| mnect even AT the short range OF l,vV yadsi ~
inch nlae viii keep out nlne-enths OF all such pro
jcctes To secure the same degree OF &c, S
| niate much be increased at least ~ per cent:
It Is further contended that there does no, seen n
| In he any good reason why l3nch gun cannot d.
| served with equal facility with a Pinch, A..
|