The evening times., 1898-12-07
To Be Investigated by the
Naval Committee.
THECHANDLER RESOLUTION
A Thorough Test Will Probably
Soon Be Given.
Navy Bureau Chiefs Alone skeptical
ns 10 It's Merifs-0pfhi0hs and
Letters OF Officers.

The Naval Affairs Committee OF the
Senate is TO investigate the merits OF the
pneumatic system intended TO be used
on American naval vessels. Ii is the be-
lief of several members Of the Naval AT
fairs Committee that the system should
be given a trial on war vessels.
Senator Chandler, of the Committee,
yesterday introduced in The Senate as one
OF the first measures OF the session the
following resolution. asking that the Ma
Tal Affairs Committee be directed to ankle
this investigation:
Whereas the pneumatic system on the
monitor Terror has given great satisfac-
tion and has proved its adaptability and
efficiency under severe tests, and while
actually engaging the enemy during the
war with Spain; and
Whereas Capt p. +. Harrington and
Capt Nicoll Ludlow, who have for a long
time successfully commanded the Terror,
have strongly commended said system
and the said Capt. Harrington has
strongly recommended said system and
such machinery Of the new battleships as
IL is proposed TO operate by electricity
shall be tried in competition on two bat
tleships in order that the Government
Whereas compressed air as used on
the Terror is the only form of power that
has been used in any navy as a complete
system for all the operations of checking
recon of guns and returning the same TO
battery. their elevation and depression
the cleansing and cooling of the guns,
the manipulation Of the breech mechan-
ism, the working of the turrets the hoist
ing and ramming of the ammunition and
o az ne nd fc l1,r
power that can be applied as complete
system for the operations named. as well
as for working anchors noisting, ven
ulating the ship, refrigerating etc, on
battleships and other vessels of ,-.e navy;
and
Whereas the Navy Department has
failed TO recognize the advantages of said
pneumatic system for further use i'm the
navy. Notwithstanding its efficiency as
proved by long use and III the war with
Spain. and 10y the testimony of Captain
Hamilton:
Resolved, That the Committee on Ma
val Affairs be, and they are hereby, au-
thorized and directed to inquire into and
report upon the merits and advantages Of
the pneumatic system and other systems
proposed 10 be used in the new vessels
Of the navy. with a view Of determining
whether in the interest of the naval ser
vice the pneumatic system should be in
stalled and used on one or more of the
new battleships"
Senator Chandler introduced with the
resolutions a number OF letters from va
Tious naval officers and Others who are in
favor Of the system. The resO ution and
the documents were referred. as he re-
Quested to his committee. They wi be
taken UP by II Immediately and il Is un-
derstood that the affairs of the conn any
and the merits Of its system Will soon be
thoroughly understood.
The history Of the pneumatic system
and the facts about II are most inter St
ing. AS the resolution OF Senator Chand-
Ter states the system is a series of COM
paratively new inventions for perform ng
all the various kinds Of heavy m schani-
cal work on board shin by means of ccns
pressed air instead OF by hydraulics.
steam and electricity. The advantages Of
the system are that all the work OF his
character can be done by the syst m
while no one other system can be applied
successfully in all; that il is a simple
system, very efficient and easy TO keep in
order and that IL is not as costly as 9TH
ers All Of these facts are testified TO by
the two officers of the Terror, who have
watched all its practical workings on
that ship.
The system was invented by a Wash
ingtonian several years ago and a COM
pany was formed. After a long struggle
with the bureau ring Of the Navy Depart
ment is was finally successful in having
the system installed on the Terror. Every
officer who has watched the system on
this warship has been most favorable to
il. 1t has proved entirely successful.
The bureau clique was stil welded TO
the old steam and hydraulic systems
however, and would not recommend the
f1tzr. of Isa
few officers swore by hydraulics and con-
slider everything else a delusion Others
built their faith on steam and believed
that everything else was snare One or
two wished to take up electricity and
could see no merits in the other systems
All, however, united in refusing even TO
give test to the pneumatic system, al
though il had been proven eminently sue
cessful on the Terror. The bureau chiefs
are opposed to anything invented by ci-
william.
IL is now the belief of the Pneumatic
Company that its long wait is 10 be re-
warded with success. The war has made
Congress and the country proud of the
navy and anxious to make 1t bigger and
better in every possible way. The COM
pany believes that the merits OF its system
will receive a thorough test and that they
will be proven beyond question. The
many friends Of the company in Washing
ton, where IL was launched and where
much Of its stock is held, are OF the same
opinion
The company is in good shape to take
up the work Of putting its system into the
new warships. There is less than So 900
total Indebtedness in the company. and its
expenses are at present only nominal, the
officers having recently passed a resolu-
tion TO serve without salary until the sys-
TEN is adopted by the navy. There are
more than 5000 shares of capital stock in
the treasury.
The present value of the stock on the
market is very small, owing to the long
wait Of the company without success, and
of course without dividends. Shares Of a
- Am -