New-York tribune., 1901-03-13
FOR NEW BRITISH WARSHIPS
WHAT THE NAVAL. ESTIMATES PROVIDE
FIVE HOLLAND SUBMARINE BOATS
BELLEvII.LE BOILER CONDEMNED.

BEIL.EvII.LE BOILER CONDEMNED.
London. March 12-The British naval esti-
mates for 19O1-'O2 amount 10 f30SlooUo an IN
crease of over 100000. chiefly for shipouild-
ing. There is increase OF S,i4o In the num-
ber of officers and men,
The new shipbuidng programme provides for
three battleships, six armored cruisers. two
third class cruisers ten torpedo boat destroyers.
five torpedo boats two sloops of war and five
submarine boats On some of these vessels
work was begun in 1900. All the ships Will be
in course of construction this year.
Under the heading OF submarine boats the
Admiralty report says:
Five of the type invented by Holland have
been ordered. the first of which should be de-
livered next autumn What the future Value OF
these boats may be in naval warfare can only
he matter Of conjecture Experiments with
these boats will assist the Admiralty in assess
ing their true value The question or thelr en-
plOyment must be studied in all its deVeloprnentS
and their mechanism carefully watched IN tnls
country.
During the year arrangements will be made
with nearly all the great steamship COM
panies by which their finest vessels VIII De held
at the disposition OF the Admiralty for employ
ment as armed cruisers when required TO the
lines previously engaged have been added the
Orient Royal Mail and the Pacific companies
Eighteen of the largest and swiftest passenger
steamers of these lines will receive an annual
subvention Thirty other steamers have been
placed at the disposition of the Admiralty with
out further subsidy.
The committee of the Admiralty which has
been considering the different types Of boiler
for the last six months condemns the Bellevile
boiler. The report says:
The advantages of water tube boilers for
NAV al mn 1TaE EO
tary point of view, that. provided a satisfactory
type of water tube boiler could be adopted, they
would be more suitable for the navy than the
cylindrical boiler. The committee does not con-
slider that the Belleville boiler has any such ad-
vantage as TO lead it to recommend it as the
best adapted 10 the requirements OF the navy
Ii recommends as regards the ships TO be
ordered. that the Belleville boilers be not fitted
in any case and that in the ships under con-
struction Beleville boilers be not used If work
on the boilers is not far advanced. Where
change of boilers would delay the completion OF
the ships. BeIleville boilers should be retained.
and they should also be retained in completed
vessels.
The committee is considering various types Of
large straight tube boilers. and vessels Will be
fitted with each kind
Among the objections 70 the BeIleviIle boilers
are the following: The circulation OF the water
is defective and uncertain; the automatic feed
ing apparatus is of a delicate and complicated
kind; there is a great excess of pressure
qulred in the OF the feed pipes and the
pumps over the boiler pressure; the amount OF
coal consumed is relatively greater in the Belle
Vile; there is an excess Of boiler pressure over
the working pressure of the engines; the water
gauges do not Indicate with certainty the amount
Of water in tn. boiler These are illustrations of
the technical grounds OF objection TO the Belle
willie boilers
The report shows also that the experiments
with patent fuel resulted in its adoption and
that adequate supplies will be stored foreign
~tatio0s Additional trials with liquid fuel are
I'm progress.
GI total estimate for new construction
which is t9OO3 256 Is. 463, f06 will be devoted
10 work in hand. and the rest 10 starting the
new programme.
The estimates conclude with a statement that
bill 10 provide money for certain new naval
works Will shortly be introduced