New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-04
MEADE ON THE COLUMBIA.
..or THE BEST TYPE OBTA1NABLE FOR
THE OUTLAY, HE THINKS
ann OF HER RECORD. But STILL HOLDS TO
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN HIS PAPER

noor,p OF HER RECORD. But STILL HOLDS TO
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN HIS PAPER
OF LAST SPRING.
admiral Richard W. Meade. who has just
~ rs,,red from active service in the Navy, was
'.a at the Fifth Avenue Hotel yesterday morning
~ reporier and was quite ready TO discuss the
,,ons arising from the record-breakinS trip OF
~ cruiser Columbia. The Admirals paper, read
-" the Society OF Naval Architects and Engi-
w. IN which he sharply criticised some of the
NJ es of the Coumbia's construction which
"a N him Objectionable, is remembered. When
.. raner appeared the ship was fresh from the
IS and but short time before had made her
'...d trial and been placed in commission. Ad-
teal Meade's criticism contained these state
ments:
.rha vessels that seem to be the least satisfactory
- the practical men of our profession are the CO.
h,a and the Minneapolis" And again: 1T is
800 that vessels Ike the Majestic and Teuonic.
-. instance may laugh at our three-screw racers.
s,cs cannot cross the ocean at the same speed
.,.s. commercial greyhounds maintain year in and
wear out.
..0,ogize for according to his idea. and while ex-
...,ne himself as proud of the ship. her crew,
-. ,,,ne screw arrangement and OF the record she
.ss established. he still holds that the Columbia
., not the very best type to be obtained for the
money expended. The Columbia he said. made
81, run on a maximum horsepower OF some
.s,,s over fifteen thousand while her extreme
s.r.iclty is 2loeo horse power, and only used
-. boilers and two screws. Here the Ad-
ia, Is in error for Chief Engineer Harris has
800 that all of the boiler power was utilized,
=. veil as the central screw. III she had set the
,,,s screw at work. the Admiral holds. II would
s.r. dragged and thus have lessened her speed
.o,dserably instead OF contributing TO It's in
.,se He quoted her chief engineer. who Is
alarmed ir his oelief that the triple screw Is
~,,csllv an ,mpediment This is just the re-
s that the Admiral expected. Looking at the
r.umbia's coal capacity. the Admiral put her
.inary capacity at 100 tons; but for this record
~vaRe S25 tons additional were taken on board
,,d distributed about the ship in various tempo
,,y bunkers. To keep her maximum speed she
ru,t consume 800 tons day. so that 1t was neces-
.,r 10 make temporary bunkers in space which
.,,.r,v belonged TO the crew. Captain Sumner
rred 70 the inconvenience of the regular. as we'll
q. Of the temporary bunkers and OF the dii'icuity
sxnerienced in getting the coal TO the pohers'
That defect Admiral Meade said, he pointed
out In his paper last spring But In al
dillon he held that the armament or the 90
mmbia is not what II should be. for she was con-
,,ruc,ed as a compromise between the type OF
hirhest naval efficiency and the commerce de-
s,rover She falls just short OF being either. and
IA will have II that the speed attained in this last
VOYAGE shows that she cannot cope Win such
steamships as the ST. Louis, Paris and New-fork
to saw nothing OF the Campania or Lucania AS a
cruiser. he thinks the Ncw-York with her heavy
armament; could blow her out OF the water
He considers the New-York in every way better
ard more efficient fighting ship. She carries her
rial better and carries more Of II. And with all
OF her power applied. her twin screws couid keep
I'D speed OF nineteen knots indefinitely. II cap
tain Evans had prepared the New-York for record
passage with bottom freshly scgaped and all en-
cumbrances out Of the way. the Admiral thought
he could have Knocked whole day on the Co
lumbia's time However. he did not wish TO be
understood as dsparaeng the Columbia as she Is
probably superior 10 any snip OF her class IN any
otner navy She furnishes a superb object lesson
TO the nations OF what American shpbuilders can do
In the way Of naval architecture. Bu' ne thinks
Mw-Ycrk Her equal is not afoat to-day. The
naval pageant at kel taught the world that Amer
asa obecS was the New York and not the
hzbia. 1t over the New-York that the Ger;
u closest, he added. M
.hen the ADMIRAL turned TO what he called ale, The
ward TO improving conditions. showing the progres.
sye spirit OF true naval expert; This main point
fhe speaker that our navy must of necessity be less
numerous than that OF any other frstocass nst on
line OF practical use Therefore, he said, what IS
wanted now is commerce des'royers which shaii De
as fast as the fastest ocean racer win every az,
tention paid 10 coal endurance The policy should
be that Of developing American ocean racers "l'h
complete arrangements on board for speedily plac,
ing their armament. he thought THESE SHIPS snoulo
be officered from the regular Navy and their crews
should be drilled sufficiently to render them as ei
fectve for sudden need. comparatively. as the VOL
unteer soldier. Then have the armament for each
and the munition ready 10 be placed on board WIN
such plan perfected at the first breath OF hosti-
files. the American Navy he believes, could sweep
the seas OF enemys commerce and soon regain
the tonnage which was lost through Eng
lands readiness to encourage the South in the late
Civil War. Again this policy would result in build
ing up a naval reserve which would prove as use
ful as did the volunteer soldier in war time.