Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-21
STEAM DISSERTATION.
IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNT OURSGwAs


which modern steam vessels have had
q th8rourh trial 20 says chief En-
g.usor Melville. 90 his annual report.
Then he procseds 90 note the lmp1r;
lessons. 81, FAR as they respcct the ma
ohInory Of the vessel which have been
taught by she Texas as failawai
rlrs,-The vi'nl necessity Of giving
the machinery Of vessels in reserve
frequent tests under working candi-
sIlna Do that any defects may be- dis.
covered and rimcdird before wlr
make the vessels service absolutely
necessary. In several cases defects
were found after the ships had b gun
cruising ard the repairs had laid thcm
up DO Che midst % she war
Sruund-rhc Ereat tup tahee %
having aii our naval stations ln pIai-
lions % strategic value pr riy fstUd
uut fIr repairs and with adequate sup-
piles ~ nlu-poriHhablr stores 10 had
been CVIdori Tor long NmH that Key
West was such q station, but money 10
put ir "a proper repair pant was re
fused year after year ana unly ErlMed
after the war had begun. Thc move
mcnt " large bodies " tr1 pH and
their equipment almost blocked tho
railroads. ~ chat nfiCr th. beginning
~ the war 10 was almost Impossible to
secure tn forwarding u rlls and sup
piles.
Thlrd-That fresh water flr the boil
cra Dr. alm1ri nH Important aH C.ui and
that Disabling ship n an important
adjunct no base whore fresh water
can be- readily obtained.
Fourth That every nort needs u re-
pair ship 90 enable the efficiency 90 be-
maintained without leaving the station
and consequently that several HhpH
should De equipped ~ nA 60 Boz ready TO
proceed with tho neot.
flfth-Thr great tactical advantages
" water tube boilers. Th.r has already
boon discussed under another head.
SiNth-Thaf n more than two main
engines are O. be- nittd there should
hc three cnglnon driving three screws
ana not two main engines on each
uhnH.
uNCouPLED ENGINES.
The New York and brooklyn had
inrlr forward engines disconnected at
lhr time " the Santiago nEht and
cenld not ptop 90 couple Thorn. An nc-
cldnnt 90 any part u either ~ the two
eHsih'H on q Hhaft disabled hair the
power, h she three screw ship This
traction would be- only a third.
S"Ncnth-Thnt there should be- frr.
qucni trials under forced draurht 10
Keep she blowers In good condItlon and
" make me men thoroughly familiar
WIN working under maximum c1ndi-
lena u appears that some OF the
ships had never been under forced
ataugm since their contract trials untll
lhe day u their fight ~ santiaEs.
ElFhth-Ihut thr locatiau OF the
i"re u drhuEht blowers IA matter of
H,,fllun Importance. IN some of our
shlps' owlrc % the demands Tor aii
tH.l fla'r TOT other purposes the
pockets Ia the IRE rooms. wher, Il,
was ~ 'siiif Cor itmir beings 10
| give ihcm IrcTrr attention. owing D.,
I we iIiohtc neat due % a lack OF ven.
llatnn. IT, The Clnclnniu. t-npars.
inrca a. hlgh a. 2os degrees were not
~ ARD th- ttmmAuiui officer. whom
b ~. ~ eas" psst9na!s. had
Ne -. ssfs nue. H. pi,c,d vnsr,
ihry can BE- properly cared Tor. or else
thry az. uttltsa and might a. well be
LET; VA The H1fit.
Nluth-rhat the personnel OF IN,
r'fN'e- ~" IA be ndrlulfe a. inc
| hlil,fiti. II ~ bHrr hutIH-ua IN
some time that this ls not tho case ana
W 80 80 80 i.f . Arcldru Ittf.ass
In the number Of Vessels with no In.
crease whatever In tho personnel. Ry
AtniluE nearly every officer on tho
/ active llht 90 Hra We We're able 10 give
/ the regular ships q fair complement u
| trained ones, but had the war been "
Ions duration. We should have been
/ greatly embarrassed 90 supply the
places Of those disabled or invaildel
| volunteers, however VOL trained la
other ways, cannot entirely replace tho
I regular 0ficar.
Ienth-We must make provision for
training the enlisted mon ~ she enRl o
/ heer department Many of the collier
ana auxiliary vessels h1d 90 start out
with absolutely green crews, many OF
whom 20 far from having the "sea
| hAhlt," had never been On 70 vessel ~
any kind. This must be- rsmeiled n
our enlarged fleot .s Go be- efficient
! Elevenih-rhW 0uf nrhiing fhipF
must have the highest practicable
/ speed. There n uu almost general
agreement on this point among naval
mon but II any thought that this dd
not Apply 10 the bai,leahlps the nFht
/ az Santiago must have shown that the
| hlshew practicable speed Is Important
| N these vessels. n 10 very gratifying.
| therefore. that our three new battle
SHIPS are 90 have speeds OF at least rs
MOI, which Ia now recognized az The
The chief says the most obvious of.
! iolt OF the emergency demand was 81
aemonstraie In vigorous manner tha
.
ona navy yards ana particularly 10 jus
Wy the policy which had been pre-
vlouny advocated by his bureau OF
placing the more southern yards and
atauona In state ~ modern efficiency
| Ihe experience az Key West IN meet
| lhE the nrst great rush created by "
demand for repair work on the ships
wa proof of the vast Increase In IN,
COST OF repair work OccaHloncd by In.
huiholent buildings and plant
EQUIPMENT or AUXILIARY.
with pardonnble pride the -eporl
dWells upon the tremendous ,'faount OF
Work accomplished by The bureau IL
! preparing the fleet for war, Involving
the placing of new boilers in the old
monitors the nttng out Of ships III
ordinary form ana the equipment OF
| me auxiliary navy, nearly 10 VESSEL
being added 10 the regular force, Stress
y lhld upon the importance Of having
inc lass accessible station In she navS
mat NJ Key West simply stocked with
| store ana tools FOR emergency work
ana this end In view the chief engineer
| submits estimates for a complete equip
mont of the station.
The record made by rho repalr shiI
Vulcan q Is said win convince the mos
hkeptlcal that this iioatng shop WAS O
most unestmaiDle value al Santlag,
mat that there IA not a more Import
ana feature todhy thar the maintenance
OF such a ship, well stocked, with ever
neel, Therefore, an appropriation u
asked for another such ship and ais,
Tor the cpulpmart Of another dlstillill
snip such as the Iris.