The Washington times., 1901-11-22
TURRET QUESTION
SETTLED AT LAST.
COMPROMISE BETWEEN FACTIONS.
Admiral Bradford Suggests an Ami
cnbic Arrnngement-The Ordi-
nary Type Retained with
Certain Qualifications,

The controversy in the Naval Board on
Construction over the question OF recon-
mending the Inhalation Of ordinary tur-
rets or superposed turrets on the battle
! ships which Secretary Long will ask Coh-
gress to authorize was amicably adjust
| ted yesterday. \ compromise was ef-
/ fected by which the ships will have Ordi-
nary tuTrets as recommended by the ma
! jority of the board. but certain features
of the battery advocated by the minority
Will be adopted. The report Of the board
will be unanimous.
Unanimity was made possible by Rear
Admiral R. 3. Bradford, Chief of the Bu-
reau of Equipment. For a long time he
was the only member of the board who
| held out for turrets of the superposed or
| two-stOry type. and he has been success
| full in getting the Department to sustain
| his views, despite the adverse vote
against him. Recently he had been Joined
| by Capt. Charles d. sigsbee, Chief Naval
| Intelligence Officer, and the junior mem
Der of the board.
For the SupcrDosed Type.
Admiral Bradford ard Captain Sigsbee
advocated a main battery composed of
four 12-inch and four S-inch rifles in the
| superposed turrets, one forward and the
other aft; eight s-inch rifles in four ordi-
nary turrets. placed in the four waists of
the ship, and broadsides of 6-inch rifles in
a citadel.
The majority of the board. composed of
Rear Admirals Charles O'Neil, Chief of
the Bureau of Ordnance; George w. Mel
vile, Engineer Chief and +. 7. Eowles,
Chief Constructor, favored a battery OF
four 12-inch rifles in two ordinary turrets,
and broadsides OF 7-inch and 6-inch rifles,
arranged on the superstructure in {
citadel.
BY direction of Congress the plans for
the new battleships must be submitted to
the Senate and the House at the forth
coming session by the Secretary OF the
Navy. Finding the Board on Construc-
tiOE unable TO agree Secretary Long
called on a large number of naval officers
for their views as to the respective mer-
its of the superpO5ed and ordinary turret
types.
Danger in DiscOFd-
A majority of these officers advocated
the superposed turret. The majority of
the Board on Construction, adhered. how
ever. to the ordinary turret, and it was
each advocating a separate battery ar
rangement. would be transmitted to Con-
gress. Approaching, apparently, the dan
ger of confronting the Naval Committee
of both houses with a divided opinion
among the naval experts, thus giving
Congress the opportunity of devising a
battery arrangement OF its own, Admiral
Bradford proposed n compromise. He
agreed to withdraw his advocacy of the |
superposed type if the majority would
come over to his views in regard to other |
features of the main battery. After much |
discussion this was agreed to, and at the
next meeting of the board the arrange
ment will be formally adopted.
The plan agreed on will embrace four
12-inch rifles in two ordinary turrets, one |
forward and the other aft, and a heavy |
battery of eights, seyens, and skies. |
Some Of these will be placed on turrets, |
but the exact arrangements of the several |
calibres cannot be ascertained, owing to !
the secrecy observed by members OF the |
hoard.