Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-22
LASTR[PORT
Continued From First Page.


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phasized that in this most important
matter war requirements and not peace
reouirements must always be kept IN
view"
Some space is devoted to the question
of building vessels in the navy YARDS.
He says:
There are at the present time, IN
view CT the prosperous condition OF the
shipbuilding industry and the NUMBER
of naval vessels building and appro-
priated for, suficient work to permit
the assignment of portion OF the
building work
To the Government Yards
without there being question OF the
withdrawal or withholding Of necessary
support and assistance. the mainten-
ance of which in nigh state OF efhc-
iency is unquestionably of national i'm
portance."
He points out that England is build
ing IN her navy yards sixteen battle
ships and cruisers; France seventeen;
Germany eight; Russia six, and Italy
three, in their government yards.
Concerning the battery of battleships,
he says:
"The decision finally come to in che
arrangement of the batteries OF the new
battleships was compromise between
opinions The merits and dement's OF
the superposed turret have been under
discussion for some years. The compile
tion of the first battleships to which
the system has been applied, and the
trials to which they have been subjected
have demonstrated only the mechani-
cal practicability of The system of
mounting. 1t has been recognized from
the commencement of the discussion
that there are grave disadvantages in
this system of mounting. There
is nothing in the experience with two
vessels recently completed, tending
either to show how they may be re-
moved, or to determine the extent OF
their effect upon the vessels in which
this system is employed. The decision
in the case Of the recent vessels has
been reached is practically the same
way as the decision relative to the
first vessels to which the system was
applied and is based upon the same pre-
sentation of arguments, pro and con-
although the navy now possesses the
means of determining practically, at
any rate portion of the points at is
sue"
Admiral Hichborn deals at some
length with
The Question of sheathfng,
and says:
1T is practical impossibility to pre-
vent such fouling that in a short time
after docking the speed is sensibly re-
duced, and after the lapse of a very
few months her speed capabilities cut
down from rs per cent. to nearly 50
per cent; except by providing her
with wood sheathed and copper boz
tom. The process is an old one. It's
practicability and freedom from m
furious effect upon the ship to which
it is applied, even the element of safe
ty which it adds, have been fully dem
onstrated. Much of the prejudice
against it is born of incomplete infor-
nation as to what is really involved,
and is Of the same nature as that which
opposed the introduction of steam navi-
cation and steel ships"
In speaking of the steel for naval
vessels, it is pointed out that nearly
fifty million pounds of steel material
has been inspected, passed and shipped
during the year by the inspectors un-
der the bureau of construction and re-
pair, representing an increase of more
than 100 per cent. in two years In the
quantity of this material required The
vastness of the figures gives some idea
of the extent and Importance of the
operations carried on under the
bureau.
Speaking of the submarine boats,
the report states:
''The past year has brought to frui-
ton the experimental work covering a
considerable period, and has demon
strated the practicability of the SUBJ
marine boat There can be little doubt
that to the first nations in the field
with the new type will accrue not only
the advantages which will come from
the possession of efficient vessels of
this type, but the additional advantage
and saving in cost which will result
from an early understanding of the
new type and the notifications which
it's introduction will force in existing
types