New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-15
A BATTLE OVER BArTLESHIPs
CONTROVERSY WAKES HIGH OVER THE DESIGNS
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A BATTLE OVER BArrLEsHIPs
CONTROVERSY WAKES HIGH OVER THE DESIGNS
OF THE NEW WAR VESSELS.
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
Washington. July 1.-THE controversy between
the naval authorities In relation to certain features
OF the proposed battleships has become both
interesting and animated. The discussion has been
going on for some time and Secretary Herbert has
finally appointed himself the umpir. In the mat
ter The controversy Is engaged In more especially
by the Bureau Of Ordnance and the Bureau OF Con-
struction and Repairs. The question involved has
several phases. but that relating to the location
and construction Of the l3nch gun turrets has
developed the iivelest interest Some time ago the
Bureau Of Construction and Repairs recommended
that the vessels carry eight S-inch guns Oi
this number. two OF the guns were to be placed
In turret above and abaft the forward 13-inch
gun, and two were to be similarly mounted above
and forward OF tho after l3-inch gun To this ar
rangement the Bureau Of Ordnance objected. urg-
ing. among other things. that The blast Of the
S-nch guns would be so terrific as to result In
the great discomfort. II not the actual injury or
death OF the crews In the turrets Of the l3-inch
rifles. With equal earnestnsss. Chief Constructor
Hichborn and his assistants maintained that no
danger from the blast OF the S-inch guns need
be apprehended 1t 10 with respect to this feature
Of the controversy that the ordnance experts and
the constructors are at odds.
Recently, with view 10 the practical determine
tion OF the effect Of blast from heavy gun mr.
ing over a protective plate Commodore Sampson
had a series OF experiments made at the Indian
Head proving ground. The results sustain their
position the question. tho ordnance experts say.
while the constructors contend that the tests were
unsatisfactory. and prove nothing. In this reia-
ton Secretary Herbert comes in. He IL to decide
on the practical and technical points involved. Tho
Indian Head experiments were interesting. and are
the FIRST OF the kind ever held In this country or
abroad. Lieutenant Mason. the ofhcer In charge OF
the proving ground. conducted them. An E.
inch gun employed. Under Its muzzle was
placed a finch armor-plate. which was eight
feet square. and weighed about eight tons The
centre Of the plate was twenty inches in front Of
the muzze and about four feet below II. Over the
plate and nearly parallel with IT, secured l.
inch wrought-ron plate "a inches long by ss.5 inches
wide. 1t weighed about two-thrds OF a ton and
supported at each corner by a Pinch armor bolt.
screwed into the corner holes In the back of Z
inch plate below. The corner holes in the bottom OF
the plate not directly below the holes In the
corners OF the wrought-iron plate. Consequently
they were bent TO bring their upper ends into proper
position. The centre line down the length OF the
i-inch plate was parallel with the axis OF the bore
Of the gun. prolonged % OF inch to the right and
twenty -four inches below. the surface OF the plate
being inclined degree with the horizontal. the
same the gun The muzzlc OF the gun projected
from the Of the i-inch blast plate I75 inches.
Two rounds nred
In the nrst round the charge OF powder was 40
pounds tho muzzlc velocity 2ois foot seconds. and
the pressure sixteen tons. The elevation OF the
gun degree. The wrought iron i-inch plate
was ben, downward at risnt angles TO the line OF
fire. along It's central transverse llne the centre OF
the plate being forced down by the bast 3s5 inches.
slight rotary movement the left also
given TO the plate. The finch srmor not
moved at all In the second round the charge OF
M Sa<o
foot seconds and the pressure and elevation the
Same as In the preceding round. The blast pate
was In the position produced by the nrst round. The
effect OF the second b.ast was merely augmen,a-
ton OF that OF the frst IRE The lower plate
not moved In the least After the second round the
support Of the right hand corner retained
nearly It's original position. The other three bolts
had twisted to the right nearly forty-hve degrees
The second round crushed the plate dow award about
seven inches making the extreme detection about
ten inches ..
As stated the ordnance experts regard the trials
as showing that the crews OF the i3-nch guns could
not. with comfort safety. remain In their turrets
when the s-inch guns fred. II the proposed
arrangement Of the naval constructors were adopted
Tho Bureau OF Construction takes a radically differ
ent view OF the matter In the battleshp designs
prepared In that Office the Birch turrets pro-
vided with a blast plato one inch thick extending
over practically the whole top OF the turret the pur
pose being To protect the inside the turret
The naval constructors contend that the conditions
OF the test al Indian Head we're unlike those
that would obtain on the batieshps II their design
IL adopted that the results practically vslueie.s
twenty -four inches below the axis OF the gun.
while IN the proposed turIe, designs 1t IL ATTY
that the strain due 10 the b.ast OF the gun varies
approximately. inversely as the sqrsre OF the dis
the strain WHEN wond follow Pc r,n. 70 ,9p on. rn
"A leSg abD 4
times as great a. that due to firing two guns
1t is further eontended that the experimental
plate was held by only four bolts. with doubl.
bolts was manifes'y disadvantaseous TO the blast
plate as no more effective arrangement could have
support except It's own Transverse strength to re-
s!st bending strength said to be too slight to be
bending strain The small size Of tn, the expert
mental plate is also regarded as n condition I'M
reason of this contention is said to lie in the fact
INA. IL the e., large PLATE the tensile
plate comes t Bay 's to local. %etormS
lion: while the small plate inadeauaiey supported.
assistance or value. Then the manner OF support.
Ing the sxpe,m.entai plate at four widely separated
wa: not a. ma approsch to the sup
The '1c "s
the view Of the men men. weakly supported blast
strains by its own unassisted transverse strength
than the outside plating OF ship. Secretary Her
bert has been informed by the naval Constructors.
az 1t Is not so much question OF the thickness OF
the plate as OF thoroughly and firmly supporting
the plate. In their criticism Of the Indian Head
tests the constructors conclude by saying that the
experimental plate was nat and that had It been
crowned. arched upward. even slightly, much
better results would have been obtained: and that
while the design OF the Bureau OF Construction
fat plate. and while this is stil be-
lieved TO be sufficient yet much stronger arrange
ment could, II required, be readily made by giving
the plato fair amount OF crown thus enormously
Increasing its ability to resist downward deforma-
tion.
vICToRIA's REVISED TARIFF SCHEDULES.
Washington. July 1.-THE British colony of VIC
tora been revising It's tariff and proposes to ad
nit the following articles. among Others free OF
duty:
American miners gum boots. horses. carpeting
and felt drugEetng. certain drugs bleached Hes. |