The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-11
WHY BIG SHIPS ARE WANTED
Experts Gave Their Views as to the Relative
Merits Of 6,ooo-Ton BattIeships and Those
of Less Displacement

not keep the sea or use her guns in
rough weather. If our battleships are
to be effective they must first of all
have good ea-going qualities and car
ry large supplies of ammunition, pro-
visions, and coal. In order to engage
any adversary that they may encoun-
ter they must have powerful batteries,
be well protected by armor and have
good sea speed. These elements are
all represented by weight, and the ca
pacity of the vessels to carry weight
in hull which shall be staunch,
strong and well designed determine TO
a large extent the value of the ship
for naval purposes. Large displace-
ment means great powers Of offense
and defense and great endurance, If
the design is well worked opt,
whereas small displacement means the
contrary
He further noted that the cost of
the Oregon, 1O.250 tons displacement,
was Sc 575, 1872, while the 5000 ton bat
tleship will cost S7,5OC.0O0, a difference
of only $924962 for a ship six thousand
tons heavier.
The board of construction, in pre-
pared statement, designates the pro-
position to return to 1900 ton ships
as an unwarra nted proceeding" 1t
is pointed out that to prepare new de-
signs for 10000 ton ships would take
at least "A year and cause a delay of
this period in the construction of the
vessels. They would have the armor
and armament of armored cruisers in
stead OF those of first-class battle
sips, but they would have speed Of
only the battleships. so that they
would be, in measure. a hybrid, with
the worst, and not the best, qualities
of the two contributing classes. The
board evidently looks forward to the
construction of even heavier ships, for
it says, lin our sixteen thousand bat
tleships we are still far from the size
where increase of displacement does
not result in corresponding increase
in power"
An interesting comparison is given
between the Oregon and the Connec-
ticut, showing the great superiority
of the Connecticut to the Oregon, both
as to speed, sea-going qualities, coal
capacity, armor and armament. The
armor of the Connecticut covers a
space of about 1927 square feet as
against 1929 square feet for the Ore
gon. In fact, the Connecticut has
more armor below water than the to-
tai area of the armored side of the
Oregon. In summing up the compari-
son betweene the Oregon class and the
Connecticut the board holds that there
can be no question that in the latter
ships the increase of military power
is fully in proportion to the increase
of displacement or even greater in
proportion, while the cost was not in
creased in proportion to the displace-
ment.
Rear Admiral Bradford stated to
the committee that battleships of 12,-
900 ton displacement, as compared
with those of 10000 ton displacement,
would be deficient in speed, in coal
carrying capacity, in defensive and Of
fensive power, in ammunition, in sea-
worthiness, and Availability They
will not be acceptable he said, ito
the people of this country, who de-
mand battleships as good, if not super
Tor, to any in existence"
Chief Constructor Bowles who also
appeared before the committee, enter
ed into technical discussion of the
relative value of the two types of yes
sells from a standpoint of construction
and pointed out that it was impossible
to have a coal capacity. speed, arinor'
and armament all of the highest type
in a 12O00-ton vessel. Something must
be sacrificed" he said.
At the conclusion of the hearing the
committee adjourned pending the
printing. of the report of the hearing.
When this report was placed in the
hands of the conferees on the bill SEN
ator Hale realized that in view of the
strong testimony given by the members
of the Board of Construction, it would
be unwise to pursue his opposition to
16,000-ton ships further and compro-
missed by accepting two of the smaller
ships in place of the armored cruisers.
The testimony clearly showed that the
United States proposed to build larger
rather than smaller war vessels.