New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-08

was exemphed I'm q marked way In the case OF
the Brooklyn during the fight AT Santiago She
cruising with her after engines only when.
Cervera's feet came out. and 1t was felt that
there was not time 10 stop 70 couple up. which
would have necessitated from twenty minutes TO
half an hour. The distribution OF the power
among more than TWO shafts offers another solu-
ton. which was used on the Columbia and
Minneapolis Personally. belic We that this sys-
tenn, If properly carried out. would be entirely
satisfactory but II would involve the - Of tho
centre screw only for ordinary cruising. and
ship as you doubtless know, Is not SO handy
with one screw as with two our latest design
10 meet the desire 20 use two screws and still get
relatively small engines 'or cruising speeds Is
10 use three screws. but make the engine driving
the centre one hold the total power, leaving each
81 the wing screws 10 develop only n quarter OF
the full power. We have not as yet built any
vessels on this plan. that while theoretically
We have every reason To anticipate entire sue
cess II has not yet been tried IN practice.
A very interesting Illustration OF the appbcs-
ton Of ingenuity and scientific knowledge IS the
method adopted for balancing the engines so "a
10 avoid vibration ~ the hull As engine speeds
ana hull dimensions increased. there came n
combination II circumstances causing excessive
vibration Of the hull, due 20 Unbalanced Inertia
stresses 81 the reciprocatng parts Of the engines
The solution is very simple adaptation or a
type % engine desirable for other reasons with
a special arrangement Of crank angles and
weights Of rcciprocating parts. The adoption or
the steam turbine has also been suggested TO
accomplish this same object and turbines have
been employed on some torpedo boats With Ger
tain very promising features. there are. how
ever some great disadvantages. and before the
steam turbine becomes a Formidable rival OF the
ordinary type OF engine an enormous amount or
Skill and ingenuity must De exercised, and tho
lines along which they can act are AoLyet AD-
parent.
THREE VITAL ELEMENTS.
have already referred TO the three vital 'sie-
ments in warship design as offence, cefenc" and
mobility. and he best Combinations OF th.se-
features to secure maximum results tax the
Judgment and experience Of the designer, "a
well as his skill and ingenuity II time permitted
II would be Of the greatest interest 70 show
how the necessity II maximum results in par
ticular Items has given Us special CLASSES ot ves-
sells. Thus In the battleship, which must give
and take heavy blows mobility OF speeh mas
been sacrificed while In the armored cruiser
both guns and ar'nor have been reduced 70 s.
cure high speed. In the torpedo boat speed Is
absolutely vital. and everything e5ss IS sacri-
feed to H. The tendency just nov seems 10 be-
along the line II having only one class ~ ar
mOred vessels which viii be very powerful ar
mored cruisers. with good aimor protection aNd
high speed. This means a vessel OF about WE'VE
thousand 10 fourteen thousand tons dlsplace-
mont, with eight inches 70 ten inches ~ hrupp
amor a battery % lO-inCh rapid nre guns, and
a speed Of about twenty to twenty-"ne knots
We have now given a hasty eianoa al tho
principal elements " the modern war vessel a.
though | regret that the limited time at my COM
mand has forbidden the CONSIDERATION ~ many
features which could not have failed 70 Dee "i IN
ter,st to YOU such as tlr Workshops on DOh'v
whore the necessary rOu ne repairs are HEtuo
10 keen tho great ma hnc in working order, tho
eecr,tc installation for l.shtng the various por-
lions OF the snip and providing the searchllShts'
the elaborate drainage system, with tne "'N,S
earv punus and the tOrpedOes. with theH Nvn-
d.rfully intricate and delicate mach.nel y, ,,
is so arranged as To work autonlaucAIy ~.
l.frt, discharged from the ship IN way lhae
would seem 10 indicate human conu"' ar az $50
moment | trust. however uat you WI H1'
hoard enough to satisfy you that the theme Or
my remarks IL fuily plrHc Jul ~ VIZ 1890
which have been adduced. .,,,
The truth is that IN every department o1 TIT"
there has been a tremendous advance. que ~ ~;
exercise OF skin. ingenuity ana scientific hi""l-
edge with which the modern war vessel mas
,b,rou1hly kept pace 4 moments reflection
,,ouId Of COURSE make 4 very clear H. Us that
{, ,vould be impossible o. build var vessels such
as we now possess unless there had b-~en Il cor
RESPONDING development IN every other manu-
featuring industry Governor Roosevelt. whom
Assistant Secretary # the Nav. touched upon
a very important matter connected with his
subject IA discussing what known ths
Personnel bill. In comparing the development
OF naval science 10 the point whore II became
necessary for every off .er IN the Navy 20 Doe an
engineer, so that H. ia necessary FOR The modern
admiral 70 know many things ~ which our
great Farragut for example. vas ignorant. ~
said that II would. OF course require vastly
greater skill 70 handle the complicated mechan-
ism which The mod IN war vessel is than one %
the old ones but that just as We had always
been able 70 produce competent men % handle
the less complicated vessels OF former times. 80
without doubt would get competent men -
handle those ~ to-day He had learned the fact
that the modern warship Is "A vast engine and %
he properly controlled must Doe handled by en-
gineers Congress has IN the Personnel bin pro-
vidcd and directed that soon as We can mako
the necessary arrangements every officer IN thu
Navy charged with handling vessel shall b
trained engineer,