The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-12

The question of whether the battleships
pennsylvania. New Jersey, and Georgia
shall have their principal guns mounted in
superposed or ordinary turrets is now fair
ly before the Secretary of the Navy. the re-
port of the Board on Construction having
been handed to him yesterday together
with a minority report from Rear Admiral
Bradford, Chief of the Bureau of Equip
ment.
The disagreement in the board. in its
consideration Of general plans for the
three battleships. arose over the turret
question and from the fact that four of
the five members signed a report favoring
the installation of six ordinary turrets on
each vessel. instead Of two superposed tur-
rets and two ordinary turrets. Admiral
Bradford's idea. 1t was supposed that Sec
rotary Long would follow the recommen-
dations of the majority, the usual course
of the Department in matters referred to
a committee Of technical experts. Secre-
tary Long has decided. however, to de-
part from that practice. and it was evident
from what he said yesterday that he had
practically determined to refer the turret
question to the Board of Inspection and
Survey and to several officers of experience
and ability. who may be added to the in
spection board for the occasion. The Sec
rotary is not inclined to favor a sugges-
ton that the reports of the Board ON Con-
struction be submitted to the general or
campaign board OF which Admiral Dewey
is president. 1t has been the Secretarys
intention from the first not to submit OF
the campaign board any matters concern
ing the construction of warships. and this
intention was made plain in the order
establishing that board. II is not unlikely
however that some members of the CAM
paign board may be selected as part of the
committee OF which the inspection board
will be the nucleus.
Secretary Longs practical determine
ton to refer that turret controversy to
another group of naval officers fits in
well with Admiral Bradford's contention
in his minority report that the question
is tactical rather than one of construc-
ton. involving a ships ability to fight
we'll in action more than her structural
strength, speed and most practicable
battery arrangement with regard to the
distribution of weight. While the Board
on Construction did not agree on ordinary
turrets until it had discussed the rela-
tive merits of both types of gun protec-
ton for the purposes of actual warfare,
its members were perhaps influenced by
considerations involving their individual
branches of ship construction in forming
their ideas, and this has apparently had
| much to do in bringing Secretary Long
to the practical conclusion that a board
concerned more with the adaptability and
! availability OF a vessel for service under
! all conditions, is well qualified to pass
| upon the matter at issue.
The inspection board made very COM
| plimentary report of the Kearsarges
| superposed turrets. and will soon have
another opportunity of testing the
| practicability and efficiency of these
! unique structures in the final trial of the
battleship Kentucky, the sister ship of
the Kearsarge.
| Rear Admiral Bradford's argument in
favor of superposed turrets is regarded
| in naval circles as remarkably strong. His
! ideas have been discussed by most naval
| men uce the Board on Construction de-
| cided the turret question several weeks
| ago. and there is apparently large num-
| Der of thinking naval men who believe the
| superposed turret should be continued
as part Of the equipment policy of the
service. and this in the face Of the
| The strongest point made by Admiral
| Bradford in his minority report is that
| at six possible angles of fire. vessel
| arranged with two superposed turrets
and two ordinary turrets. mounting four
12s and eight SIS, has at five of these
angles the advantage OF two more guns
on a side than the vessel with the bat
terry arrangement proposed by the ma
jority OF the construction board-siy or
binary turrets containing the same num-
Der Of guns, divided in regard to calibre
as the guns in the superposed turrets
would be.
In the sixth case, the superposed tur-
ret guns and the ordinary turret guns
would have the same number of guns on
each side. 1t is contended also by Admiral
Bradford that as the question of super
posed turrets was considered at length
during the administration OF Secretary
Herbert and adopted then by the Navy
Department as a settled policy. their in
stallation on 'battieships should be coz
tinued Mr.. Herbert was urged by the
Board on Construction, az then composed.
to adopt the superposed turret for the
Kearsarge and the Kentucky. He would
not act in a matter of such great impor-
lance. however, until he had submitted il
10 the consideration of number of naval
officers Of high rank and known ability.
Only two of these. one staff officer. were
not inclined to favor the superposed type.
but they were so hopelessly in the minor
ity that Mr.. Herbert declared in favor of
the 6ouble-tieck structure.