Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-12
HER RECORD HERE.

only one of her class anoat thar is n
steel boat with coppered hull, with nei-
Their wood sheathing nor bolts. rivets
nor screws. to hold the copper in pc,
sition.
THE PRIME SUGGESTION.
ut is remarked that in the lookine
About heins dnnn lag; e
IN search of some method of protect
Ing the bottoms of her warships. the re-
ports OF the experts on the Assistance's
nun may Eive Il new direction to the
Navy Department Investigators. and
electro-weld coppered cruisers ana bat
tleships may be a feature of the future
navy"
HER LATER HISTORY.
Since the publication of the above in
TINS paper. November eth. the Assist
ance has proceeded to her destination
NJ New Orleans, having II Very rough
voyage. and is now condemned by thu.
quarantine Board there as unit for
their service and is advertised for sale
II does not appear. however. that tho
present trouble is wholly with the hull
or That that part OF the hull unlnjured
by accident, groundings, etc. is in the
least injurcd; in other words. that the
metallic sheathing or electro-plating is
ut fault.
THE JOURNALS ENDORSEMENT.
The New York Journal of Tuesday.
on IT'S editorial page, has this to say
OF the matter, endorsing il will be OBJ
served. even though tardily. the suC-
gestion of this paper of last November.
The Journal says, under the caption
no ELECTROPLATE OUR SHIPS
Will Make AN OCEAN GREY
HOUND OF EACH VESSEL"
BY LIEUTENANT G.. l.. GARDEN.
The methods employed in tho pres
erVation OF the underwater portion of
Shlps hulls are likely to be revolution
ized as the result OF u remarkable ex-
pertinent which has recently been con-
Guided on the ocean-g going tug Assist
ance For a period of nearly four years
the Assistance has been navigating on
me Atlantic coast of the United States
without once having TO 80 into dry
dock to clean bottom. This immunity
was accorded by reason of the under
water skin of the ship being covered
by n copper Him fused into the plates
by an electro process.
NAVY DEPARTMENT ACTS.
The Assistance has recently arrived
at New Orleans, and yesterday IL was
learned that the Board of Construction
at the Navy Department was under or
ders 10 proceed South for the purpose OF
making critical examination OF the
vessel. If II can be shown the pre-
lininary reports all indicate, that the
Assistance has demonstrated the prac-
ucabillty OF fuslng copper directly on
steel plates, ana that despite immersion
in salt water no galvanic action sets
up then it is pretty we'll assured fact
that paints. shcathng and all other
makeshifts 10 keep vessels bottoms
clean will have TO go.
Copper is the only known substance
applicable to ships hulls that is dele
tnt
Il chance for salt water to get i'll be-
tween the steel plates and the copper
plates then galvanic action is sure TO
result. The effect OF galvanic action is
to eat away plate.
THE METHOD USED.
I'm the case of the Assistance the
copper was fused in the plate to a
depth of something ike one thirty sec
ond of an inch. There was absolutely
no chance for the water 70 work i'll be-
tween the copper and the steel.
The work OF coppering the under
water hull of the Assistance was car
ried out with good deal of secrecy at
Jersey city shipyard i'll the spring of
1899. and from that time until within a
few weeks the tug kept steadily at
work. She was grounded ana came In
collision with rocks and other obstruc-
tons rs many as fifty times during the
four years. the rubs. of course, being
very light. but sufficiently hard to tear
off the copper fusing were it not we'll
secured.
WHERE THE IDEA STARTED.
The Assistance was taken out of the
water near the Norfolk navy yard at a
very recent date and a critical exami-
nation OF her huh was made by Pro-
fessor w Fl. Crowley, electro chemist.
OF this city and by Professor y. A.
Knudson, electrical engineer also of
this city. The report showed that there
was an almost entire absence of gal
vanic action. the result being an as
tonishinS one 10 all who witnessed 1t.
The action of the naval authorities
as result Of the Assistances expert
ments depends largely. it is said on the
report OF the Board of Construction. If
il can be demonstrated that the new
process is applicab bic to vessels as large
as battleships there can be little doubt.
it is claimed. that The new system will
be taken up by the Governments
WHAT NEEDS OBVIATINC.
THE great difficulty encountered Sy
all steel and iron hulled vessels is the
fouling of the bottom in salt water.
Marine growths such as barnacies and
grass fasien on 10 the hull and serve
10 greatly retard speed. 1t Is stated
as an actual fact that owing to the
foul conditions Other bottoms at
least two battleships during the past
summer had their speed reduced from
sixteen knots 10 ten knots. Even the