New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-05
ARNORED CRUISER PLANS.
BETWEEN ADVOCATES
OF SPEED AND FIGHTING POWER IN
THE CONSTRUCTION BOARD.

Washington Nov Observation-Disclosures Of The
Tribune will recall the articles which from time to
time have suggested a serious controversy among
the members of the Navy Board of CONSTRUCTION
with regard to the speed, armament and power OF
the armored cruisers of the Tennessee class. pro-
vided for at the last session Of Congress The dis
placement of these vessels was limited TO AoVo
tons each and the disagreement in the board ohly
extended to matter of increase of displacement Oh
100 tons, which the steam engineering member Ao-
miraI Melville contended should be allowed for
machinery weights over and above those pre-
scrbed by the act Of authorization to insure the
required power for speed. Finding that they were
unable to reach an agreement the board sub
mitted two reports-one by the majority and the
other by the minority. The majority report was
presented by the chief of the Bureau of Ordnance.
the chief naval constructor and the head OF the
Office of Naval Intelligence The minority report
was presented by Admiral Melville. The decision
of the Navy Department has been rendered ana
it is in favor of the ajory report. Admiral Mel
vile himself recommending that the majority re-
port be approved, in order that there be no delay
in beginning the work of construction. The ma
jority said, however. that if Congress had not
limited the displacement of these vessels TO 1850
tons the difference might have been adjusted to
the satisfaction of the minority but 10 make an ad-
ditional allowance of 1870 tons new design would
have to be prepared with a sacrifice of some Of the
important elements of the vessels. such as reouc-
ton in armament. armor or coal carried on trial.
Many interesting points were brought out in the
discussion and conclusions of the board some OF
them being made clear of technicalities and yet
showing expert treatment. The majority argued that
the additional displacement of $50 tons represented
S57 per cent of the total weight of the battery.
and 20 per cent Of the total protection; that
it was greater than the weight of three loinch
guns and mounts of eleven 6-inch guns ana
mounts that If it were taken from the protective
deck it would make necessary a reduction of its
slopes from four one-and half inches in thick
ness. Hence it is apparent how great sacrifice
of armor armament would be necessary ana
10 what an extent the efficiency of the vessels
would be impaired II the additional weights de-
sired for the machinery weights were taken from
the objects named IT considering the question or
speed the board decided upon twenty-five knots.
believing this be the maximum speed that could
be obtained conjunction with powerful bat
terry and good armOred protection; and the ma
jority maintained that experience with models OF
the proposed vessels in the test tanks Indicated
that speed Of twenty-five knots could be obtained
with 23,ocO initial horsepower.
The minority report maintained that trial dis
| placement" is arbitrary matter, and that when
the ship should be ready for sea her displacement
would be found II be great as 1900 tons, ana
| that then would be the time she would need all
the power designed 70 keep up her speed With
25G00 initial horsepower she would make 2il5 knots
at this displacement and only 200 knots with $50
initial horsepower a knot and half less than
the Drake class OF the British navy Admiral Mel
will give vessels Of the Tennessee class speed
OF twenty-five knots. and 20 strengthen this aSSer-
he cites that the Drake class Of 900 tons less
displacement require about &.000 initial horse
power for twenty-five knots. and the Gambetta
class of the French navy. OF 1246 tons displace-
ment are to have so horsepower TO make TWEEN
ty-two knots. With regard to tank tests he says
that they are useful in some ways, but as means
determining the power actually required to
drive large ship at high speed he does not con
slider them as trustworthy as calculation based on
the performance OF other vessels OF as nearly as
possible the same size and power He thinks IL
some other than by cutting down the power
OF the engines and substituting machinery OF lower
power which was not designed for such vessels
In preparing the scheme for these vessels IL was
the aim OF the board TO provide for vessels Of
maximum efficiency on the displacement authorized
BY law and therefore more powerful batteries and
greater protection given them than TO any
armored cruisers vet built projected, so far as
Is known.