The Washington times., 1902-01-06
The MODERN
BAT'T'LESHIP .
Admiral 0'Neil'S Talk to
Junior Congress.
STRENGTH OF WORLDS NAVIES,
Var Vessels of To-day the Triumph,
OF Invention and i!echanicni Skill
--Germapy', Plans tn Eecomc "a
Sea Tor.er-.Shicf of Ordnance
bureau Hirr;stcs His Career in the
Service.

Senatcr William E Mason Of Illinois
was to have addressed the Junior Con-
gross OF the United States at the Co
luinhian University Saturday evening
His private secretary. however appeared
| at the meeting and announced that the
Senator had been waylaid by Mayor Car
ter II. Harrison and delegation of Chi
cage politicians. who had arrived in the
city unexpectedly, and would be unable
to fulfill his engagement.
Admiral O'SciI substituted
His place was most accepiably filled By
Rear Admiral Charles O'Neii. Chief OF the
Ordnance Bureau of the Navy Depart
ment, who had promised to address the
Junior Congress next Saturday night He
was located at his home by telephone.
| and came TO the rescue, armed with his
manuscript on "The Modern Battleship."
He said in part:
1T affords me much pleasure to be
| with you this evening, and / hope TO be
| able 10 say some things which will be
| Of interest to you and TO add q few words
| OF encouragement as you prepare your
| selves for the battle of life
The Modern BntticsI,;p.
'of course, my subject is the navy. But
as the navy as a who'll can only be
treated Of historically and in the alb
| stract in a short address. | thought it
| would be more interesting and more in
| stfuctlVe II | confined my remarks TO
some particular feature of the navy.
and, therefore, / have selected for nv
| subject this evening The Modern Battle
/ snip, creation which | regard as the
! tfiuInphSof mans inventive and mechani-
! cal genius, embodying. as it does. in its
! huii, mach merry. armOr, armament and
equipment nearly all the branches OF the
mechanical arts and sciences.
! It's details are so vast as to be beyond
| tie capacity of an ordinary mind. but II
/ Is the perfection of details which gives
| value 10 the vessel as a whole.
Navies of the World.
Great Britain has either built, or is
| building, 53 battleshirs of over 10 600 tons
| displacement; France has %; Russia has
10; Germany l6 and the United States has
l.. Ii the building programme of Ger
| many now contemplated is carried out
she Will have % tirst-class battleships in
1908. and IS in 1916. Unless other Powers
pursue an active policy OF new construc-
| tion she will in the near future easily
] stand second as the possessor OF the
/ greatest number OF fighting ships of the
! most formidable type.
| 1t may interest you TO know what steps
are taken by the Navy Department 10
work out cha scheme for the design OF
new types Of battleships, and will try to
briefly explain ii. 1t is not the work OF
any one person, and should not be Il the
best results arc to be achieved.
The Beard OF Construction.
There is in the Navy Department a
as the Board Of Construction. Under the
navy regulations this board is charged
with the general supervision over the de-
signing. building, and equipping of all
new ships for the navy"
| After giving an exhaustive and graphic
account OF the methods employed in the
construction of the modern battleships.
together with statistics OF cost, etc. Ad-
miraI O'Neil turned his attention TO the
more important subject, the building up
OF the individual fortunes OF his audience.
Opportunities Come To All.
Before closing l want to say said
Admiral O'Neil," let no young man pres
ent here this evening be discouraged as
to his future, for none OF us know what
opportunities will open up when most un-
expected and from unlocked for sources.
! IL has been said that the world owes
| every man a living, but it il upon cOndi-
tion that he work for it. Education and
character are the underlying elements OF
success in life, coupled with industry and
perseverance.
Il would say to all - you be earnest
and steadfast in all you undertake; do
what you know and believe to be right
without fear or favor. Set high stand
ard OF honor for yourselves and try to
live up 10 it. Remember that il is not so
much what you do as the way you do il
that Will be the measure Of your useful
ness.
A BIZ of biography.
1T may interest you when l tell you
mat at The age of sixteen, after an ordi-
nary grammar and high school educa-
tion, ! went 10 sea before The mast in a
merchant ship. l received Tor my serv-
ices the munifcent sum OF 81 4 month and
| E,,s Ia