New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-11
FIXTURE NAVAL DESIGNS
s.o,rerSAr1oN OF THE FEATURES OF
,r,,r- Cruiser AND THE BATTLEsHlr'

p,u.ae,nhia Sept 10 (SpeciaD.--ln one OF '"'
,v-.,,r,ouslv appointed apartments OF '"e ."'0'
T.asrs the other night there was ieas' u -,
800 and flow Of soul. the participants III wa
60. men who have been conspicuous -
1I,.or,,g the mechanical and marine pulse o.
-. o-ld The central figure was Rear AOli''. :"
~oo~se W Melville. Engineer IN Chlei ~ 80
,-n,.ed States Navy His companions were D"f
.o', Jackson McElmen. Captain Ancraoe' LieD-
-. Commander Mickey ana "n'a"n -
Ievsv all prominent marine ens'lr7,s w., go
General Mulhonand. hero or the Wv"
nrhase expert authorities, OF worio"lue 'a'"e'
we're making few comparisons NJ, -
W" trteresting comments by the Engineer III
Chief, who said; .,oo aavs ~
o,.orv,b,ne begins at the coal pile.
rho whole world is on wheels moved ny steam -
-,.-,o,.v but as 7 say everything IS done Ho'"
49, coal nile 10 the boiler from the ooieI 10 ','0
- ,-oro The engine 10 the dynamo H''" '''7
s-o,oo 70 the electric motor. whether Et'''"7
49, The anchor. propeng the ship Veh'a ''N9
ba+veen decks cooking food for the crew. '.-.
trr the ammunition in action. moving .''' ~
-ats or working the guns. the entire ou,"' 80,
s~o-, Tho coal pile. Electricity must nave INC
xteano engine back Of it.
u-1-rr-Rr OF MARINE DESIGN.
po,e-r,rg 70 the future of marine design"
armament and machinery. the Admifal 0'''
finued LIT oo 90
.orhe engines u the Kearsarge VIII 60 ~
s,ah as we have gone in speed TO date Use
.rg,nes are triple expansion. 100" morse i''
and are rated at y knots. 49,.
"Our own next departure from former "'''''9
nrect,ce which IS also coming IN vogue
,uone English designers is 70 create d cum
,o.,+e class Incorporating the pest ue40I'''
go o4,ens,,e features Of the battleship ana '"7
rrotected cruiser They may be prough' "'"''
.rke nv increasing the tonnage or me ''u''''
ana increasing the armor protecNon anu
6rc,ne the arInor protection on the ha'''s'"P
80 having more and lighter guns. Thus We
1rtng The two classes under one. ana eI7a''
.,nonlifv construction and administration.
"Tbe ships Kearsarge and Kentucky as
have said. are rated at IS knots The eNpe'-
.s,,on ~ the future from ships Of me co"i-
,,ned hattleship and cruiser CHARACTERISTICS men"
,,orad &c An increase OF speed 10 =" kno's
snd more Some of The modern brlush S"'i'S W.
This class are claiming ~ knots.
am confident in our new ships NJ oo'"S even
,s.,o~,,,,t ha, We have TWO big ships ordered
Nv Congress. but the contracts are notye'''
I,,o eftv-ty,o vessels. from torpedo boats up 10
rstfleships. an n tho latest designs ana uilSul
,,as.ed in the world for efficiency and speed 1t
Is doubtful whether any more or me hea,y
class will be constructed The designs OF the
future tend 70 higher speed and about lo"'o
tons displacement o.
.eThe French have ships going as hSh a. -
~ % knots an hour They have lighter bat
ferries and lighter armor That Is the P'AOS -
naval construction for the future
rerroitting Of higher pressure Of steam. greater
Grades Of expansion. giving us greater economy
- frel Vet this IS not an unmitisated gain be-
,ause II reouires higher grade Of Intelligence
IN supervision and in making repairs when a.
becoming more and more numerous WIN ~
many modern appliances nov croWulns . , aro
oil classes of ships and which ten years ago
were not thought Of
THE PROBLEM TO FIND THE MEN
.rbs great problem IF the future IS to have
.rrsr who can properly direct and manipulate
.besa great hghting machines. The handling Of
one ~ these costly constructions in these days
3s m longer q simple matter Of navigation. The
whole ships company. officers and men. must
nov DE- educated and trained mechaniciens-
20 use terse French woodland electricians.
The Engineer in Chief added L feel measure
Of safety in following anything English. but
not n the other constructive naval powers, as
they are apt - Incorporate 'gimcracks and
these are NOT safe under the strain of actual
THE official reports If the war with spain
show most satisfactory results There was not
'skyro-ket engine or ship-that Is one which
starts with a spurr and drops Ike stick All
were durable and -eIahle r IS remarkable,
but nothing eav4 rlt and even repairs were
down 70 minimum. not exceeding the proper
care Of the same class - ships in time OF
resce Few torpedo boats We're struck and
needed rerairs. hut their performances we're
splendid
The Admiral dia not think much ~ French
marine engineers as they were disposed 70 radi-
cal steps not lustne9 by achieved advancement
and not sustained b, thoroughly established re-
suits
The Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse and other
German transatlantic liners" SAID he show
that the Germans are no small hands at marine
steam engineering. The Russians are BUYERS
but they are becoming engineers. They put out
some Of the best abstract scientific work in the
world
Il often think What mistake Senator sum
ner made in defeating The annexation Of San
Domingo SANTANA Bay IS the greatest barhor
IN the world Il IS far superior 70 anything We
secured IN the Spanish war. General Grant al
ways looked a long way ahead St Thomas was
cheap That was another place We should have
taken. believe in the Monroe Doctrine We
can take care ~ everything on this side OF the
water"
Admiral Melville is well satisfied With the re-
cults q The builders trial Of the Alabama or
Tuesday Re said the other day
The 17i4 knots reported from The preliminary
trial az sea is IL knots over contract speed A
thirty mile gale and high sea were unfavor-
able 70 the highest results The engines will
do better possibly. under average sea condi-
lions The results Tuesday broke the nre-
vlOus speed record Of our hatteships Bur fha,
Will not be the limit. II is only a stem in ad-
vance. The new type Of ship. merging the de-
fensve qualities Of the battleship and the sreed
~ the cruiser. will beat that record approx
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