The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-10-28
THE REPORT OF O'NEIL
SAYS wARsHIPs SHOULD BE
ABLE TO FIGHT.
The Craze for Speed Makes Toys Of
Vessels on Which May De-
pend the Honor of the
Nation.

Chief of the Naval Bureau Ordnance. in
his annual report made public today,
says that the Ordnance Bureau wants
s13.is2,SO6 next year, of which amount
100000 is to be devoted to arms and
armament for the new warships. Ad-
mlral O'Neil says that for. the first time
in years the manufacture of armor has
progressed In satisfactory manner; 6l2
tons were delivered at the various ship
yards during the year. with prospects of
largely increasing the deliveries.
No improvement worth speaking OF
seems to have been r,1de In the quality
of armor OF late. Guns, powder and pro-
jectiles have each made a decided adj
vance, rendering 1t Gll the more neces-
sary that there should be an improve
ment in the quality of armor, but moth
ing seems to be in sight at present.
With the exception of ignition and
shell powder, no black or other than
smokeless powder has been purchased or
manufactured for the navy since the
Spanish-American war. All new ships.
beginning with the Kearsarge and Ken
lucky, have been supplied with outfits of
smokeless powder, and in addition. some
thirty of the old vessels have been thus
supplied.
The manufacture of smokeless powder
during the past year has progressed in
a satisfactory manner, so far as quality
Is concerned, but not so much as to the
amount delivered.
The most interesting event during the
year in connection with projectiles, Is
the development of new type of shell,
combining the advantages of the armor
piercing with the common shell that Is
having the fore-rating power of the reg
MA he
capacity for large bursting charge. The
requirements for these shells on test are
that at a prescribed velocity they shall
completely perforate, unbroken, plate OF
hard-faced armor a caliber In thickness
and then be in condition for effective
bursting. A number of shells of this de-
scrfption have been ordered and the first
three lots have successfully passed the
requirements. These shells are fitted
with soft caps.
A novel device tried during the year
was the tracer which renders a shell
visible during the night to the gunner,
but invisible to the persons at the target,
this being accomplished by the insertion
of burning composition in the base of
the shell.
Admiral O'Neir finds that the best way
to illustrate the tremendous Development
of artillery in late years is to cite two
cases, that of the 6-lnch gun and the
l2-inch gun. The former used to weigh
only 4.S tons. was only thirty calibers In
length with a muzzle energy of 2,T3 foot
tons and a practicable rate of fire of
1-2 aimed shots per minute The new
type Is 500 calibers in length; uses smoke
less powder. weighs eight tons and has a
muzzle energy of $3.50 foot tons. In other
words, 1t Is 600 per cent. more powerful
than the old gun. The 12-inch gun shows
an increase In energy over the old gun
of 80 liz per cent. Admiral ONeill says
that no such rate OF increase is looked
for in the near future. .A
There is to be a general renovation
of the batteries OF the older ships.
Admiral O'Neil has much to say for
speed armament. He argues that ship
Is naturally a compromise between vari-
Gus necessities and says:
"Al nations are afflicted with the speed
craze at intervals. and this country 10 no
| exception and unless each batch Of new
| vessels can equal or beat the world
| record they are usually chara cterized as
| failures and in deferenc to public senti-
ment the tenden1y Is 10 design vessels
| of the highest possible speed, irrespect-
| i've of the uses for which they are in
tended. and in concquence enormous
| sums of money have been expended by
several countries in producig large and
fast vessels which have but trifling value
for fighting purposes and today 1t re-
| Quires little moral courage on the
part of the designers to subordinate the
| popular element of speed to other quail
ties, no matter how important the latter
1 may be-" s--.. H..
| Admiral ONeil further says: 1T has
always been the policy of the United
| States to provide Its vessels of all Glasses
with battery power; that is. to so arm
them that they shall be superior to for
| eign vessels of equal class in that re-
| spect, and that sentiment still prevails;
and while we have, in few instances.
| subordJnated all other elements to speed,
| 1t Is not likely to occur again, and the
| concensus of opinion at the present time
| is in favor OF applying large per cent
| ages of weight for ar nor and armament
rather than to asst sning 1t for the pur-
pose of attaining the last possible fraction
of a knot of speed.
The Bureau is convinced that no mis-
take has been made in the adjustment
of speed armor and armament of these
vessels. Tho best vessel is not necessa-
rily the one that can get quickly In
battle and then keep out of the battle,
but the one that can remain in battle
the longest after she gets there.