New-York tribune., 1899-11-18
HICHBORN TWICE REBUKED
MELVILLE AND BOwLES DEFEND The
RALEIGH AGAINST CRITICISM
NAVAL ARCHITECTS CONCLUDE THEIR
MEETING WITH A SHARP DISCUS
SION AND A DINNER.
SION AND A DINNER.

SION AND A DINNER.
The second and last day OF the seventh gen.
eral meeting Of the Society OF Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers opened yesterday morn
ing in the auditorium OF the American Society
Of Mechanical Engineers at No. II West Thir-
ty-frst-st Rear Admiral Bunce called the meet
ing to order at 1890 O'Clock.
The first paper. System OF Work in a Great
Lake Shipyard" read by W. /. Babcock,
member. In the discussion that followed George
w. Dickie. Of the Union Iron Works, said that
in comparison with British shipbuildeB the
Americans are at a great disadvantage. owing
tc the enormous fluctuations OF material In
this country" He said that American iron
manufacturers place their product in English
shipyards a cheaper rate than they did In
American yards
THE DENVER CLASS DEFENDED.
Designs for the Denver Glass sheathed Pro-
tected Cruisers" by Chief Constructor Philip
Hichborn L. s ". was then read. II began by
mentioning the act that authorized the building
OF the six vessels. The paper said in part:
The chief characteristics OF the design for these
% ised @ and y By Ss M PeDsrs
plan These characterstics show the vessels 10
which though they have been classei as nineteen
knot vessels, with more than double the horse
!
owing TO certain we'll known conditions 10 main
tain speed even approximately 20 the rate OF nine
when with Dewey's squadron was able TO steam
with difficulty at speed OF only nine knots. using
a liberal allowance has been assigned to all the
principal weights, and there has been attempt
They have been designed for hard service and the
durability habitabity. etc' we're carefully con.
sdered In determining their characteristics Owing
70 the nature OF the service which they were like
/
stations as far as possible was believed TO be an i'm
, In view OF the fact that the vessels were to be
sheathed and coppered. and that the machinery was
a half knots. a. repres@ntine The capacity of The
vessel al all times was considered sufficient and
vessels making nineteen or twenty knots on a
forced trial with clean bottoms.
THE NEw-ORLEANs A SHOW" VESSEL
SO much has been published about the cruisers
punt M f9r or the Brazilian Goyernment and purchased
Spain, that cannot refrain from presenting a few
facts. principally because the published state
unfavorable comparisons with our new designs.
one OF these statements, for instance IN promi-
with certain particulars headed. respectively The
51o-ton protected cruiser New-Orleans' and The
proposed 3500-ton semi-protected cruiser Denver
and class" II takes but glance TO discover the
nrst gross error In this comparison for those IA
miliar with the facts, the New-Orleans having left
the New-Y yard short time ago in ordinary
tons. Under exactly similar conditions the Denver
and class will dispace only thirty y-hve hundred
OF ammunition carried and the actual weight OF
stores aboard will be greater than in the case OF
the New-Orieans at four thousand tons More
over the coal VIII be practically the same for the
Denver will stow and carry seven hundred tons
readily on thrty,hve hundred tons displacement,
while the most that has ever been In the New
tainiy What She had in her bankers when dIspaens
the four thousand tons referred TO above-was less
aH DO Se 6retend "a ShG e the design or con-
structon OF the New orleans but she Is essentially
not such design as would be found emanatins
nsrien Gm H hTs9 Bre ssrd tbe was desrnes purey
for speed and the heaviest battery the law would
allow. with her extra length oi about my ieet
class; with her extra draught Of about three feet
low harbors. with her heavy battery (of little ad-
vantage considering the amount OF ammunition car-
upper deck and even without It her top weights
are such that. particularly without the waterlne
Class. she is not nearly so well prepared TO stand
punishment as will be those vessels
REAR ADMIRAL MELVILLE REPLIES
Walter NJ. Mcfarland. passed assistant en-
gineer read reply TO the paper OF Chief Con-
structor Hichborn in behalf OF Rear Admiral
Melville. chief Of the Bureau Of Engineering.
II said in part:
In reading over the interesting paper OF the Chief
Constructor of the Navy on the Denver class OF
need not have felt called upon 10 defend the design
inasmuch 1t was decided upon after careful con-
had full knowledge OF the needs Of the Depart
ment. and am sure that we al agree tnat me e1
the service and how 10 I'LL them better than any
newspaper writers. however clever they may be-
! regret 10 notice on the second page some re-
marks the Cincinnati and the Raleigh, which
Gera h&yf Win resnec 10 those vessels Let me
say that the Cincinnati and the Raleigh were de-
for big speed in all classes Of vessels. The state
ment had been dinned in our ears so much that
ship as we're obtained from foreign ships, and
must II Possible ono G9 nsts gS ,s1 1a unSer the lash
lust before the designs were prepared the British
AdmTa 661n M tba Red H' cSss S Of cruser Which were
exactly the characteristics Of the Cincinnati ana
IN ne smaF bm m and aiming at very high speed
The history OF those ships has been very mnen me me
the history OF ours IN that they nave no'
been a brilliant success.
The paper proceeded with a defence OF the
Raleigh as to her conduct en- route and return
ing from Manila. The writer thought that the
efficiency OF the two vessels named would be
improved II they were heightened fifteen 10
twenty feet
Naval Constructor Capps. who raised the
/ Spanish vessels at Manila after Dewey had SUM
! them supported Constructor Hichborn' VINO 's
well known as an advocate OF sheatheu SHIPS
The sheathing under discussion is of WOOD po''-
cd 10 the steel plating Of the vessel ana ih'ehu-
ed 10 prevent fouling or the snip DV'V'
/ rosion In Southern waters, ana sofhe'ii'eS P'"-
lection against ice.
! Admiral Melville did not seek 20 depreciate
..aa,hing hut he thought an unwarranted at
,ack ON the Raleigh had been made py Con-
structor Hichborn.
CONSTRUCTOR BOWLES ALSO HEARD.
Cors,ructor Bowles took a hand in the dis
cussion. saying:
have an interest In the Raleigh, and am gao
,hat she has some friends here. think that 70
se.ect the Raleigh as an example OF what misnt
nave peen done by shea thing is rather UNFAIR. I
am NOT an advocate OF wood sheathng on steel
ships have always been against H. II may De
necessary now that a considerable number OK our
ships are IN the Philippines, but only until dry
dock is built there. and no longer.