Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-29
WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY.
The KcarsArg~ Shnulh Get i" About N" n
Tina. Day.

The KcarsArE~ should Get Ia About M. II
on Tina. Day.
HI" hattleship l[carsarGe Will no:
reach tha shipyard before Saturday
morning.
J. dispatch received yesterday stat
ed that the vessel would leave Boston
in the afternoon ana as she Will steam
along 1t pretty good cruising soe",
il is probable tnat she. Will tic up 1t III.
yard before Noon Saturday.
Just why Ii" hattlcship was dctain:s@
at Boston 50 long is not knHwn hcr&.
Wednesday !" message was received to
the effect that she did not leave in lbs
morning on account # the heavy FEC.
Credit for the invention known as the
sup"rimrosed ,urrets. With Which lie
ba,tlcships kcarsarse and Kentucky
are fitted. has been generally given. %
Rear Admira! Sampson. who, as heal.
of the Ordnance Bureau approved tho
system ana secured its Trial on these
vessels. The Introduction of such TN
rets wa; 50 wide Il departure from the
ordinary system that ii was claimed ~
its opponents the plan would prove Il
FAILURE and the ships be far less for
midable than the Iowa or Indiana class.
Since these vessels We're built. ordnance
experts have been favorahly disposed
toward the new turrets. ana it is PR
di21el the most salts factory results VIII
be obtained from them.
While officially Admiral sampson is
responsible for these tu,rets, the real
inventor. the man who first conceived
the idea ana worked it out. says the
Washington correspondent Of the 2alti-
more sun. Was Lieut.. Joseph Strauss
I young NirSinian whose knowledge
ri ordnance matters generally is admit
iel 20 equal that Of any officer Of the
service. He was an ensign when the
kcarsarge ard Kentucky We're hein:,
considered aud on duty in the Orb
rance Bureau here. He developed
while at Annapolis Il decided turn to-
ward ordnance. ana his inventions are
now among the most valuable in use by
the navy.
Lieutenant Strauss. without sugges-
ton from any one, drew up designs for
the turretS and presented them to AQ-
miral Sampson. who was rot inclined 10
treat them at first With much cons;!-
GRAFTON. AS the value or the system
vas presented by Strauss the Admiral
saw that Il design FOR mounting heavy
guns on shiiboard hal been suggested
entirely dicfercn. from that adopted by
any power and at once placed it before
the bureau chiefs, who Mere then con
siderins plans 70" the ships. 4 pro
lonEed controversy cnSued there being
strong differences of opinion regarding
the merits Of the proposed system
f,lnal!y, however, it was adopted ana
applied to the kearsarge ana Ken
lucky.
Lieutenant Strauss gradua ted high in
the class "f 1885, Of which Constructors
-. W. Taylor. also NirGinan. was
i.Ip In J,iS r.i., al, ~,
members from Virginia. al! of whom
stood within The first Is. The record
has never been surpassed by any State
On account Of his marked ability Lieu
tcnan. Strauss will shortly be detailed
70 duty at the Indian Head Proving
Station. and within a few months will
probably be in charge of the station.
WILL ll'E SPEEDY.
Admiral Melville. in an interview re
Sarding the speed Of the now battle
ships authorized BY Congress at lis
last session SAYS:
Each member Of The board Of con
struction is striving to secure for the
United States navy ships that viii be
superior to any yet built. IN the matter
Of speed. every member Of the board
seems TO desire as high Il rate as; pos
s!blc consistent With the maintenance
Of the other offensive ard defensive
qualities of the ship"
1T is the conviction Of Admiral Met
vile that for battleships limited n
draft by American harhor channels The
use Of triple screws may be regarded
as absolutely imperative. not only be-
cause Of the enormous economies VIII CHI
they give the ship when working a I full
speed. their far greater manocuvering
power and other mechanical adVant-
ages, but on account Of the increased
coal endurance that follows the aGoD-
ton of the triple screw system Of pro-
pulsiOn at all speeds. particularly un-
der ordinary cruising conditions. This
conviction. he says. appears TO be forth
fed BY the latest practice Of every ICu-
ropean power.