New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-29

THE UNIQUE EXPERIMENT TRIED ON
THE CHESAPEAKE TO KEEP HER
BOTTOM CLEAN.

Washington April Is (SpeciaD.-The Naval Acad-
envy practice cruiser Chesapeake is not alone the
only Matt vessel built the last twenty years
wholly dependent upon sails for propulsion but
IS the first ship in the service 10 have her I'M
ynersed steel hull covered with wood. and that in
turn protected with copper TO secure the great ad-
vantage Of a clean bottom. which made the early
vessels famous Tor speed by their ability to make
long VOYAGES without frequent recourse TO dry
docks and the same time retain the stanchness
provided by the modern steel construction
The essential difference between the bottom of
the Chesapeake and the underwater bodies OF the
composite gunboats Of the Annapolis Marietta class.
built years lies in the fact that the gun
boats had no inner skin Of steel plates the
wooden plsnRing in them being attached directly
10 the frames. while the Chesapeake was practical
~ triple hull The composite construction had
the disadvantage OF extreme fexibty with I'M
equal adaptation 10 changes OF temperature. MAX
ing the gunboats prone 10 leak.
The chief difficulty encountered in the Chesapeake
was due 10 the shortcomings of her builders. who
have been notably unfortunate with all their naval
contracts After applying the wooden protection
10 the Chesapeakes steel hull and launching her
the builders having docking facilities to enable
them fasten on the copper protection. were com
PEELED to send the ship 10 the Boston Navy Yard
for completion. Here il discovered that the
planking had been closely applied or nicely
lifted and that II allowed water to leak in be-
tween the skins thereby endansering the
life of vessel through electroyc action. Chief
Constructor Hichborn, whose earnest advocacy Of
sheathing led 10 the adoption OF the system in
this country well 10 its popularity abroad
readily devised a method Of remedying this defect
by injecting filing composition into the spaces
and the vessel has been completed at Boston
and sent 10 Annapolis for the of the cadets at
the Academy.
Just how the final touches put upon the
Chesapeakc's hull are best shown in the photograph
taken just before she hoated from the stone
drydock at Boston early this month. and by the
following extract from the official report submitted
Admiral Hichborn by Constructor Baxter:
The vessel d9eked March - and the d b057
Of water When flowed from behind the sheathing
about Twenty-Five gallons eighteen gallons
the port side The water leakage not quite
as salty as salt water and was strongly impTeg-
sheathing AFTER the bottom had been carefully
Cleaned and inspected several holes were bored
through the sheathing for the injection Of the red
lead putty. Il was not infrequenty found that
twelve fifteen quarts Of putty could be Injected
into one hoe before the pressure was o twenty
cent holes. The total amount OF materials used was
40 80 P'oRoS aoI !" peg sad 9 9nd me enTre
bottom area of about 1900 square feet was treated
= section OF the sheathing about three feet long
was cut out OF the starboard side about ten feet
above the keel in order 10 ascertain the ehciency
the board under this section had originally been
improperly fitted and thin piece about two inches
wide and six inches long had been placed under the
butt TO make the outer surface fair. This method
had left quite a large cavity between the panking
which contained very little Of the original putty
completely filled all of the cavity. After the
bottom was searched but no effect of caIking or
fastenings discovered The bottom then
tar. after which tarred felt was tackled to the
shea hing. ana the whole bottom Vas finally COW
the materials used are follows: Sheathing cop
pounds: tarred felt ii65 pounds; tar, 300 pounds
crude turpentine. $50 pounds; total, 1925 pounds
laid OO'i'O'