New-York tribune., 1898-11-11
NAVAL ARCHITECTS MEET.
LESSONS OF THE WAR DISCUSSED
PRESIDENT GRISCOMS ADDRESS.

morning at No l. West Thirty-nrst-st The presi-
dent is Clement a. Grscom. and the secretary
Treasurer is Naval Constructor Francis l. Bo"les.
The list OF members includes nearly all the we'll
known shipbuders in the country ana the naval
architects in the Navy. President Griscom. In his
opening address discussed certain phases OF the
late His address was in part as follows;
The last year has been one Of exceptional inter
TO the members Of The society Inc iaures wo 81
the United States have electrified the world. ana
designers and builders Of those ships which they
commanded with impershable honor
Mr. Grscom recalled some remarks he had made
in address to the society In 1894. when he de-
cared that modern naval force could not be Gre
nted the spur OF the moment. 1t required naval
architects steclmakers and a host OF other spc-
calists, and the growth of the merchant marine of
a country must keep pace with Its naval develop
ment. Mr.. Griscom continued:
None OF us supposed when these observations
were made that within four short years this coun-
try would be confronted with foreign war. which
has made these remarks almost prophetic. for the
lesson has been vividy brought nome 10 us that IN
order 10 sustain effective naval and military opc-
rauons. not only the entire commercial marine
OF our country suitable for the PURPOSE enlisted
IN the National defence, but some nfieen or twenty
foreign nation. and these necessary purchases
would have been quite impossible II the flag which
friendly nation and the controlling voice in the
management OF those ships that Of patriotic Amer
1t is not too hopeful to. predict that one Of the
Tfsus 9 the war resulting in the ,soqSon OF
effect upon our ship-building industry; indeed. i
may be the turning point from which this Nation
may begin to regain It's once-proud position as p
ship-buildinG. shipownng apd seafarins people and
# IS very happy testimony to your skill naval
architects and marine engineers that several or
ders have already come from foreign nations for
warships of the first class. and il IS well known
that foreign ship-hulders and capitalists have be-
gun seriously 10 examine with interest the advan-
tages Of this country for ship-hrilding.
ship steel has been exported this year 10 Great
britain on its merits rs to quality and cost. The
year have not supplied all waste. and besides this
vessels for the foreign trade Our peonc arc more
than ever awake to the value OF an efficient Navy.
yards hftv-two vessels o, various types building
for the United States OF these eight are battle
destroycrs and torpelohoats with one ira ming yes
sci for the Naval Academy. Within the next year
added TO the effective naval force.
other addresses were made by Arthur b. Cas-
sidy. Assistant Naval Constructor Lawrence Spear
L. 5. ~. F. " Wheeler and W. /. Babcock
The afternoon session devoted to n discus
sion of the and proper construction of torpedo
boats and torpedo-boat destroyers and of A new
feed pump. Constructor Bowes read the paper of
q. w Dickle. on Torpedo Boat Destroyers for Sea
Service. with Especill Reference to Conditions that
Prevail on the Pacific Coast" In It the writer said
that he did not believe that the 490-ton desroyers
now building for the Government could meet the
special conditions in the Pacific The annexation Of
Hawaii required greater radius OF action for such
vessel and different treatment A suf-
hciently stanch and sea-going vesse! for the
Pacific could not be built. he thought to make
thirty knots hour and maintain IT, "The su-
preme efforts required. under expert MANAGEMENT
and with trial-trp to reach the contract re-
quirements, seldom repeated in the life
Of the boats" said he. after declaring that the
boats had not their credited speeds
IF these boats and their machinery were made
substantial, so that their full power could
be exerted at any time. and without any risk and
the hull stand a moderate without danger the
thirty-knot boat would by reason OF extra dsplace-
ment drop TO about twenty-seven knots yet we
venture to assert that such boat ordered 10 reach
point at sea, 100 miles distant in the shortest
possible time. would reach the objective point In
less time than the regulation thlrty-knot boat"
This paper was followed by general discussion
Of the torpedo boat and destroyer +. F. Pratt Of
Camden, said that the boat which Mr. Dlckie
planned for use in the Pacific would be a torpedo
cruiser lie said that there English destroy
ers which could maintain their speed OF thirty
knots for a hundred miles.
Mr.. Bowcs read letter from a United States
naval officer, whose name he would not make pub
lie. in which he said that the Navy had not learned
how to torpedo-boats yet. The boats were not
handled right, and the United States could not
pect 10 put them TO good use until men trained
upon them. men trained the guns
ships.
Lieutenant Niblack on his way to Manila. sent
communication in which he called the Dupont the
Porter and the Morris the best torpedoboats in the
world. and a number Of others about the worst
Lieutenant Commando Klmball. in charge Of the
torpedo nota during the war said in letter
that the submarine tOrpedO-boat the only kind
Of inexpensive craft that could cope with big
snip. His letter was argument for these boats
which could be used for termining. observation
and In firing aerial torpedocs at shore fortlcations
The use Of aerial torDedoes at Santiago. ne said
had not beer very productive Of results. but they
had done ten times much ordinary shells at
one-hundredth the cost.
Richard VI. Watts. Assistant Naval Constructor.
L. >. y. stationed in tho Brooklyn Navy Yard and
g. d. Mosher. Of this city also spoke the sub
some warmth was brought into the discussion by
John 6. Tawresey. Of Philadelphia Naval con-
sructor L. :. y. who does not believe i'm torpedo
boats at all. He said that they had moral
effect upon the officers and crews Of hostile ships
but that they were not Of much use for firing tor
pedOes. II was onl" chance II the torpedo struck
ana with an open sea he would fear no torpedo
boat. The waves So up by fast going ship would
certainty OF striking. and no certainty that
even a successful shot would do more than break
Mr. Watts replied that the moral effect on the
gunncrs Of hostile ships was enough II torpedo
torpedo-boat at Manila which got within striking
distance before being discovered. and said that with
half dozen torpcdo-boats attacking snip from
different points the demoralizing effect upon the
officers and gunncrs would he 50 great that least
one torpedo could be sent home
W H. Jacqucst. Of the Holland Torpedo Boat
Company. showed storeoptcon pictures OF sue
ccssful launch ~ the Holland boat. accompanying
them with a lecture
f. Merriam Wheeler read paper Economy
Test Of Unique Form OF Feed Pumps" with spe
walter NJ Mcdonald. United States Naval Con
strucior and Professor Peabody. OF the Macsa-
chus-tts Institute Of Technology, also spoke.