The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-16
The Gossip.
Sir William White.

The services rendered TO Great Britain
by sir William White, who isNnow retir-
ing from the office of chief naval con.
structor, are reviewed thus by the Lon
don Express
Sir William White won his high posi-
ton by force of talent only, and forced
MS way TO prominent place at a very
early age. He was only - when in June.
1861, he was appointed ON the stan at the
Admiralty by Sir Edward Reed then the
holder OF the position 20 which the young
man was destined TO succeed He had a
| brilliant record OF successes at school
| and college and was already the conf
, dental adviser to his chief
| Sir Edward Reed gave place TO Sir
| Nathaniel Barnaby, and after IL years
! OF service Sir William White Uhen Mr..
| White succeeded To the Office. lie was
| destined before long TO change the
! sphere of his labors and To gather fresh
| experience i'm "A new employment Only a
| year after his appointment he was invited
| by the famous firm of Sir William Arm
strong a. Co, of Elswick To sever his OFF,
cial connection ana become their cn'Sf
naval constructor I'm the new building
yard for warships which they proposed
10 establish on the banks of the Tyne
When he went northward To take up
ter from the admiralty. thanking him for
his services the building yard was only
a mudbank on the riverside. There was
an island i'm the Tyne close by, called
the Meadows, the removal OF which form
ed part OF "A plan for the Improvement
-@'t-tl4e- f+te+-easHf4elr- ~ aH4-AF4a--
strong's firm offered To use the material
OF the island which must have otherwise
have been carried out TO sea- and i'm the
result il was conveyed 10 the site of their
new wharf. which SO rapidly arose. Dur
ing the two and half wears which Sir
William White spent at Armstrong he
designed ships for Japan. China, Italy.
Spain and Austria, representing total
value of El.500,0oO. and when ne left the
mudbank had become centre of indus
try employing 200o men.
The story of Sir William Whites re-
turn TO the service of the admiralty is
one that reflects equal credit on himself
and on the great firm for which he was
working In 1885 Sir Nathaniel Barnaby,
then chief constructor To the navy, was
compelled To resign his position on ac-
count of i'll health. Lord George Hamil-
ton, first lord OF the admiralty. asked
Sir William White to take his place. Arm
strong's firm was unwilling 10 part with
him, and his acceptance OF the position
meant considerable diminution of in
come
But he consented to make the sacrifice |
i'm the interests Of his country, and Sir |
William Armstrong released him from |
his engagement with similar patriotic |
motive. IL was at this time that the |
great agitation for an increase i'm the |
navy began, and the stirring outburst of |
popular feeling evoked had doubtless !
much TO do with the eagerness of the ad- |
miraty to secure Sir William Whites \
services and his own readiness TO sacri- |
fipa Ia t..l.l
siton In the employ of a private firm.
After his return to the admiralty. with |
the title OF assistant controller OF the 1
navy Sir William had a heavy burden
Of work TO undertake. 1t was the period
Of the national awakening to our needs of
more rapid progress I'm strengthening the
fleet and the expenditure on new con-
during the first year of re- |
newed Office rose from ihe average OF
Gl 100000. which had sufficed for the pre-
vious 10 years. To ES, $4,000 Sixteen years
have passed since then and II is common !
knowledge that our expenditures on the
beeH-eeHtlpu>A -eH-tAe- in
crease.
From the time Of his taking office I'm
1855 to 1897 Sir William designed for our
navy ships to the value of c50O00 600
sterling. Excepting destroyers and such
small fry, the vessels represented by this
sum were IA i'm number. CARRYING 1910
guns, and with gross tonnage OF sci 900
The difficulty Of designing battleships,
With the necessity of adjusting their enor-
nous weight OF armament TO the condi-
ions of stability and worthiness is
)t course. very great. As an illustration
II Sir William Whites marvellous accura-
" or calculation we may instance the
'ase Of the Majestic. which weighs near
y $1,000 tons When completed ana armed
he was exactly, 10 a few pounds tho
weight estimated by her designer. while
Ter centre of gravity was within two
nches of the point which he had fixed
IN.