The evening times., 1900-05-12
THE NEW NAVALfTURRET.
Hesitnncy Of the Navy In Adopting
the SuPerimposed Armament.

In making public the principal points in
the circular prepared by the Naval Board
on Construction concerning the three pro-
Jected bsttleships. Pennsylvania. New Jer-
sey, and Georgia, the Navy Department did
not intend it TO be understood that it has
approved the boards report. As matter
OF fact the report has not been approved
and no action viii be taken on it until hd-
miral Bradford, the minority member. has
been given an opportunity TO present his
dissenting views in writing Admiral Brad
ford has been consistent in his advocacy
OF the superimpOsed turret and declined 20
vote for any arrangement of batteries that
did not include this type OF gun protection.
He will urge the Secretary of the Navy
not to abandon the policy inaugurated with
the Kearsarge and the Kentucky in the in
stallatieH of superimpOsed turrets. recently
successfully tested on the hrst-named yes
sci That policy was adopted by the last
administration Of the Navy Department
after careful consideration and resort to
unusual precautions TO ascertain the prob
abel value of the new turret type. Rear
Admiral Sampson. then Chief OF the Ord
nance Bureau, strongly recommended the
installation on the Kearsarge and the Ken
lucky of superimposed turrets the invel-
tion of one Of the officers in his bureau.
Lieut.. (then Ensign Joseph Straus. See
retary Herbert hesitated to adopt such
radical advance in battery arrangement
and to secure the best opinion the SUD
ject he referred the suDerinposed tuTret
plans to seven officers Of hign rank, each
OF whom was instructed 10 discuss the mat
ter with anybody and TO sndeayor TO reach
~ F.f-
two of these officers reported against the
supeTimposed turret- The other fve. some
or whom were opposed to the idea before
they began to give IL earful study. were
strongly 10 favor OF giving il a trial In
the face of this overwhelming expert opin-
ion. TO which was added that Of Rear Ad-
miral Sampson and other officers OF the
highest professional standing. who had not
been consulted. Secretary Herbert natural
ly approved the recommendation that su-
perimposed turrets be installed on the
Kearsarge and the Kentucky
While Admiral Bradford viii not furnish
any Information as 10 what ue viii say in
his minority report. il Is regarded as GER
tain by naval officers whose views coincide
with this that he will not neglect reference
TO his formal presentation Of the merits OF
the doubls-deck Structure to the conditions
under wi ich il was adopted by the Navy
ion. the department. usually follows the ad-
vice OF the majority OF the Construction
Board, but in the present instance its de-
clsiOn cannot be forecast with certainty
because the majority report favors the
abandonment Of a principle which was
adopted only after the most careful colsid-
Grafton and which proved successful in the
practical test 10 which il was submitted
The circular specifications prepared by
the board contains a provision that the de-
parJment shall have the right to change
the battery arrangement recommended and
TO substitute superimposed turrets on the
three vessels OF the Pennsylvania class
within six months Of the signing OF the
contracts for their construction The ma
iOrity apparently depend on this concession
10 the superimposed structure &c overcome
any doubt which the department may have
as 10 the wisdom OF approving the arma-
ment plans submitted. Friends OF the new
style turret regard this provision as a sub
JerfCge and hope that the department viii
not be influenced by lis seeming fairness
TO the double deck arrangement