The San Francisco call., 1903-12-21
HULLS
A PROTECTION
TO WARSHIPS

waters and was taken off in seriously
damaged condition, is one of the elgnt
cruisers of the Astraca class built IN
1893. They are of 1850 tons dlspiace-
ment, 5000 horsepower, 19. 75 knots, ana
being intended for service on foreign
stations, where docking facilities are
not always to be obtained, these ships
are wood-shetehed and coppered. The
primary object of this is to retain as
near as possible the original speed OF
the vessel and avoid the frequent dock.
ing to clean and paint the bottom,
which is necessary for vessels without
copper sheathing. The additional nrst
cost is compensated for in few years
through the saving in coal consump-
ton and docking expenses, and, be-
sides, the ship is always ready Tor
service. Another important advantage
of this od-sheathing is that it con-
tributes largely to the safety or the
vessel when it happens to run aground,
as the 4-inch teak planking acts as
cushion and takes the brunt of the
damage in contact with rocks. The
Flora owes her salvation to the fact
of being wood -sheathed, as did the
Bonaventura two years ago when
stranded on the coast of China, and
the Crescent, which ran ashore last
year in the West Indies, but was float
ed with little injury to the null 1t is
easily understood that the damage to
a vessel without wood-sheathing would
be far greater under similar conditions
of accidents and would probably result
in the total loss of the ship. The trans
verse frames of vessels Of this class
are four feet apart and the longitud-
inals, or fore and aft framing intervals,
range from three to four feet; the outer
plating is seVen-siXteenths OF an inch
thick, leaving areas of twelve to six
teen square feet of unsupported sur
faces only seven -sixteenths Of an inch
in thickness to bear the weight of the
ship against rocks and other under
water distractions. The addition of
four inches of teak to the outside of
the skin plating unquestionably relieves
the strain on the thin bottom plating
and makes temporary repairs by divers
possible, whereas an unprotected bot
tom would be rent and crushed and
preclude the possibility of saving the
ship.
SHEATHING AMERICAN CRAFT.
1t is quite probable that the neces-
sity of sheathing some of the battle
ships and cruisers to be built for the
United States navy may be brought
up again before Congress and receive
it's sanction. Ex-Chief Constructor
Hichborn has advocated this system
since 1885, and in 1899 succeeded in hav-
ing a law passed providing for the
sheathing and coppering of three bat
tleships, three armored cruisers and six
protected cruisers. Contracts for the
last named were awarded in Decem-
Der, 1899, and four of these vessels have
been completed. The others were not
contracted for until February, 1901, and
when Hichborn was retired his sue
cessor, with the aid of other bureau
chiefs and all the contractors, prevailed
upon Congress to rescind the sheathing
clause in the contracts, and the vessels
are now being built. with unprotected
bottoms. The reduction of payment to
the builders has. not yet been settled,
after nearly three years contention.
Hichborn'S successor unexpectedly and
suddenly resigned last November, and
the present chief constructor, w. l..
Capps, is on record as being an advo
cate of sheathed ships. Mr.. Capps ex-
planned the subject clearly and fully to
the House Committee on Naval Affairs
in a meeting on March Is, 1900. In COM
menting upon the objections to the
sheathing system Mr.. Capps said:
Those whose special province it is to
keep informed concerning these things
are not of such diverse opinions, but
those whose time must of necessity be
largely occupied with other matters
sometimes err in expressing opinions
based upon inaccurate or incomplete in
formation = I say Sheathing is
good for certain contingencies; would
not sheath all vessels. 1t is especially
good for foreign service-service re-
mote from a dock-because it is the
best means we know of to maintain
high speed and save in the consumption
of coal" This is exactly the view of
Mr.. Hichborn, against which the opin-
ions of professional men are of no
value, and it is therefore reasonably
safe to predict that sheathing will be
one of the many new improvements in
corporated in future new ships, con-
tributing to their safety and making
them more efficient and economical
TESTING FRENCH TURRETS.
Two French armored cruisers, Conde
and Gloire, are to undergo similar
test as that to which the Suffren was
subjected two months ago. Prepara-
tions are in progress with the Conde.
one of the turrets Of which is to be
taken off the ship and transported to
the proving ground at Gavres, near the
dockyard POrient. The turret selected
is only about six inches in thickness
and it is to be fired at by guns of less
than 6-inch caliber at long range. Of
ficers have volunteered to be within the
turret when the test is made to ascer-
tain the effect of the concussion upon
human life within the turret. The ex-
pertinent appears to be Of little value
when it is to be considered that in act
ual warfare the turret is as likely to be
hit by a 12-inch shell, in which event