Rock Island Argus., 1899-12-20
new NAVAL FURNITURE.
Advanced Types of Metal Fit
tings In New Warships.
LESSONS OF RECENT BATTLES.

Navy Yard EmbodyinE Naval Con-
| structor BowIes' Latest PIans-De-
l tails of the Work.
When the United States cruisers At
lanta and Cincinnati, now being over
hauled in the navy yard at Brooklyn.
| go into commission next spring, the eX-
| tended use of metal in the fittings of
the officers quarters and other equip
| ment of the ships will represent the
| lessons deduced from the Chinese-Jap-
| anese war, accentuated by the results
| Of the more recent conflict between the
United States and Spain. The official
| reports of the battle of Manila Bay,
| stating that the crews of the warships
of MontijO's fleet were driven from
their guns into the sea by the blazing
woodwork. set on fire by the explo-
sion of shells in the ships interior,
conveyed n lesson, already partially
learned by naval constructors and this
was emphasized again by the destruc.
ton of Cervera'S fleet at Santiago,
when the Infanta Maria Teresa, AL
mirante Oquendo and ViZcaya were
consumed by flames.
Six years ago the divisional bulk
heads, the ceilings and the outboard
sheathing of the officers quarters were
built of dry and beautifully grained
wood. The berths, lockers, furniture,
shelving and companionwayS were
also built of untreated wood. Now
the endeavOr is TO reduce woodwork
to a minimum, substituting some nom
combustible material wherever it is
practicable and using ''fireproof wood
where wood must still be used.
The stripping and rrfittiug of the
Atlanta and the Cincinnati are pro-
ceeding under the direction of Naval
Constructor Bowlcs, as the boats lie
alongside the same wharf in the eX-
treme eastern end of the yard, says the
New York Post. The Atlanta is prac
tically ready TO be put into commission,
but the Cincinnati is stripped to n mere
shell. Twenty tons of mahogany were
taken from the Cincinnati alone. As
one steps into the Atlanta'S wardroom
one is Immediately impressed with the
plainness of the furnishings. The heavy
wooden paneling of the ceiling and the
OutbOard is missing. There is no cell
ing. and the steel deck and bare girderS
are exposed. being covered only by
coat of white paint. The sheathing
along the outboard is of asbestuS
Steel was first tried as substitute for
wood: but. while the material is in
combustible. il was found to be n source
of discomfort and danger TO health.
Then. too. it was not splinter proof SO
asbestus was finally tried and found TO
possess all requirements.
1t is light in weight and clean, neat
and ornamental in appearance. Fur
ther. ii is considered by the naval con-
structors to add to the comfort of liv-
ing spaces. being warm in winter and
cool in summer. The asbestus is fitted
TO the ships outboard on a framework
OF wire cloth and painted with white
enamel and gold. striped in panel ef-
fects. Opening off the wardroom on
either side are the officers staterooms.
These quarters are necessarily small.
and every inch Of space has to be util-
lied. For doing away with the old
wooden berths Naval Constructor
Bowles designed Il metallic folding
bunk. This. when closed, extends into
the stateroom only Il inches. largely
increasing the floor space and storage
capacity. Besides, IL does away with
the closely constructed woodwork
which always aboard ship has proved
n refuge for vermin. The bed frame of
the new bunk is built of tubing sup
ported and hinged by bell crank cast
ings to brackets. 1t is provided with
a wire mattress and folding pillow
rest. When folded, the bunk is con-
cealed from view by n covering curtain.
Each room is also fitted with a COM
bination secretary bureau, chiffonier.
lockers and metal fittings for toilet
articles. The first three pieces of fur
niture are still made of fireproof wood.
The construction department has du-
plicated them in metal, but has as vet
not been authorized to build them for
the warships. The Junior officers
quarters. which are in one large state
room removed from the wardroom,
are even more severe in fittings. Con-
veniencee are still more limited, and
the absence of woodwork gives the
place an almost barren appearance.
In the captains cabin the heavy
wooden panels and holdings. as in the
wardroom. have all been ripped out.
The outboard side and the turtle back
deck overhead have been sheathed in
asbestus. The bulkheads are of CORFU
gated sheet metal. finished with met
al cornice. All this work is neatly
painted in white and gold. The cabin
contains a roll top metal desk, but all
the other furniture is of freproof
wood.
Over the messroom Of the Cincin-
natl has been placed metal skylight
built of sheet copper. Skylights built
Of wood are bad because they leak
when warped by sudden and extreme
changes of climate or by the strain
of target practice. The copper sky
light. it is expected. will prove water
tight. noncombustibIe and splinter
proof Both the Atlanta and the Gin
cinnati are also to have metal pilot
houses.
Another metal contrivance with
which the Atlanta is fitted is the safe