The Portland daily press., 1898-08-10

freproof, how vastly moro important is it
to adopt like precaution in the case of
vessel. Nothing is SO terrible as fire on
shipboard, because there is no escape.
The very cry of fire carries terror to the
stoutest heart under such circumstances.
Smoke is as bad as fire; one breath of
sInoks-laden air will disable man. Ex-
perience of sea fights under modern con-
ditions mas proved that fire is an immi-
every bit of woodwork within range of
the flying fragments, and to put out the
flames is exceedingly difficult under such
circumstances. Itfollows, therefore, that
everything possible ought to be done to
eliminate this danger in maritime war;
fare
"An American officer on one of the
Chinese vessels in the famous battle of
Yalu River said afterwards that the shells
from the japanese guns first split up
the woodwork into kindling-woo and
observed on the japanese ships as a result
of the Chinese gun-fre. On October II,
1904, the Bureau of Ordnance of the navy
submitted q statement showing that in
the sea fight referred to five Chinese ships
and one japanese vessel had been set on
fire by explosive shells, owing to the pres
encs of bulkheads and other structures of
wood This was the first lesson afforded
to naval experts on this subject, and it
resulted in the adoption by this depart
ment If a requirement. that all ships at
that time building should be fitted with
ireproof wood throughout.
From the tierceness of the flames which
destroyed the vessels of the Spanish
squadron off Santiago, it would appear
that great deal of wood must have been
used in their construction, in the shape
of heavy bulkheads, etc. One or two fires,
you will remember, broke out on our own
ships, caused by the explosion of shells.
They were promptly extinguished. but it
is easy TO imagine that disaster might
have followed other and better directed
shots, especially if the water mains had
been cut off Obviously, it will not do. to
take it for granted that we shall never
encounter an enemy who is more lucky,
Or who can do more accurate shooting. If
we suppose an encounter at sea between
two war vessels of equal strength, one of
them having fireproof woodwork and the
other not, it is likely that the former
would win, being in one respect invul-
neraDle az compared with her antagonist.
"It needed this experience at Santiago
of tireproof wood or some equivalent. The
lesson of he Ynlu fight being forgotten,
or its significance nnrealized, board of
naval officers appointed to consider the
subject reported in January of the present
year in favor Of disseminating the use of
1reproof wood. Among the objections
alleged against it were that it was
heavier, that it cost more. that. it was
more difficult to work, that it was less
strong, that it had tendency to absorb
and retain moi sture, that paint did not
stick upon it, that it did not wear as we'll
as ordinary wood, and that it had a cor
rosiye effect upon metals in contact with
it, The charge was also made that its
chemical ingredients spoiled the clothing
of officers which WAS contained in drawers
made of it.
81 have the best possible reasons for
knowing that most OF these assertions are
incorrect. True, the fireproof wood does
cost more than ordinary wood, hut the
difference amounts only to few thousand
dollars in battleship or cruiser-a mat
ter of no Importance worth mentioning
where the safety of such craft, worth
from So, 900, 0n0 10 $1,000. COO, is concerned.
There is no serions difficulty in working
it when proper tools are employed Wood
thus treated is used exclusively in the
of 3 number of the finest
buildings in New York city, and this
would not be the case il paint would not
adhere to it, or if it was open to other
objections such as those named. Of
course city buildings are not exposed to
sea air, but / do not consider that any
ADEQUATE evidence has been offered to
show that the wood on shipboard possesses
TO any serious extent the disadvantages
claimed.
lone very important advantage of the
freDroof wood is that 1T does not shrink.
This quality alone would warrant it's
for ordinary wood in tue
building of ships. You know what
trouble is caused by the shrinking of
wood that enters into the construction of
houses Well, it is the same way with
vessels, only more serious. A deck made
of tie most thoroughly seasoned lumber
soon parts at the seams and begins to leak
so that it requires caulking. The fire.
proofing process prevents this, because
the particles of mineral injected into the
Wool hold the mass firm and solid. l
ought to say that the increase in the
weight of the wood is Of no G consequence
at all, amounting to ten percent at the
most. After all, comparatively little
woodwork is used in q modern warship
while in torpedo boats there is rome at
all.
$50 far as practicable, wood is elimi.
mated on board of Il modern lighting YES
sci, but for some purposes it has to be
used, for lack OF any satisfactory substi-
tute 1t is employed as material for fur
niture. ladders, shelving, the lining of
storerooms and for some OF the bulkheads.
The upperdeck of d battleshlp is of wood
but the lower decks are of steel, covered
wish linoleum. When decks are laid