The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-27
Changes in BattIeshiP Maine
 Will Teach Many Things
MOUNTING or GUNS BAD
All Naval Officers Are Studying the Changes In the New Ship and Will Watch the Results
 C.oseV.
BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.

BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.
 Washington, D. C., April 26.-(speial) Naval experts will pay close attention to the repairing of the battleship Maine' which will be done at the Cramp snip yards at Philadelphia, where she was constructed. This vessel the latest 10 be launched of the greater fighting ma chimes of the navy and only placed In commission within the past few months' typided. it was believed, the highest development in the art of building war vessels up to that time. That the mount ing of it's guns should have proven de- fective, is disappointing to all Interested regardless of the cause, whether due to a mistake in the plans or not. It is confidently expected, however, that in the progress of the repairs much valua- ble information will be gained as to the proper mounting of guns on war ves- sells. It is well known that if the length of the recoi of gun is shortened the strain becomes more severe and the parts sustaining the strain must be cor respondingly strengthened That they were not so braced in the Maine is quite as likely to be due to inadequate provision in the plans as to faulty con struction Intimacy of the closest char acter necessarily exists between the gun and the mount and an increase In the caliber or range of the former calls for change in the latter to meet the new requirement..
 Failure to Adjust Carriage.
 failure to properly adjust the car riage to- the gun Is nothing new in naval annals and the accident to the guns on the Maine has recalled to ordnance ex- perts the fate of the gunmounts on the Brooklyn. Scarcely had Commodore Schley hoisted his flag on the Brooklyn in Hampton Roads preparatory to his departure for the West Indies at the beginning of the Spanish war than, in the firing of a broadside salute, the mounts o1 the five guns were upset and displaced so as to render extensive re- pairs necessary. Time did not suffice to remove the Brooklyn to the Cramp 1 yards where she was built, so that she was taken to Newport News and work on her continued night and day until 1 she was pronounced fit for duty. But l still the mounts were insecure for in | the battle of Santiago all the five-inch l guns used on the brooklyn were again | similarly disabled.
 Conflicting views are held of the re- ported damage to the boilers of the l Maine. Accidents to boiler tubes are of common occurrence and all ships using the water tube boilers carry with them l extra tubes, so that as weaknesses de- velop in the original tubes they may be replaced by new ones, which may be done by mechanics of ordinary skill. In | the case of the Maine. however, ex- ceptional interest attaches as the re- pairing of her tubular boilers so soon after she was placed in commission fur nishes Rear Admiral Melville, chief con struotor, an additional argument against l the use of the Niclausse boilers with which the Maine is equipped. con- test of vast importance to the boiler makers has been in progress in the navy department for some time past Similar contests have been waged in the naval 1 establishments of Great Britain, France and Germany, the prizes being of great l value. All the water tube boilers are protected by patents and the official en. l dorsement of the government means millions of dollars to the firm manufac- turing the boilers which receive such endorsement. Aside from the fact that | 1t would mean virtual monopoly of
 
 built for the government, the standard set by the navy in all its requirements | is so high that the business of furnish ing boilers for the merchant marine would naturally follow.
 Type of Boiler
 The English admiralty recognizes the 1 grave responsibility attaching to an offi- cial endorsement in requiring any cer- tain type of boilers to be used in the | British navy and after examining and testing thirty-six types reported that none of them showed such unquestioned merit as to justify it's recommendat ton as a standard for naval use. A particu- lar test was made of the Bellville, but 1 the committe confined It's choice for i large vessels to the Niclausse Babcock and Wilcox. Durr and Yarrow. The committee compared the merits of the cylindrical and the water tube boilers and reported that while the superior economy of the cylindrical boiler is un- l questioned, from a military point of view that is, the necessity of making steam quickly, the water tube boiler must be deemed more suitable for naval purposes. In order to meet all emer- | gencies therefore, the committee recom- mended a mixed battery of boilers of both types. the cylindrical for steamine l boilers for raising the speed quickly
 Tn the United States navy the water tube boiler is preferred and Admiral Mel vile strongly favors the Babcock & Will cox boilers. His opposition to Nicausse boilers is as pronounced his advocacy of the "B. & w and. when the speci- fications for the new sixteen thousand ton battleships recently contracted for were drawn he secured the insertion, al. most at the last moment, of clause requiring the use of the Babcock and Wilcox boilers. A fierce contest ensued. for the manufacturers of other boilers felt an injustice had been done them in shutting them out from competition by prescribing the use of a particular kind of boiler and the Howenstein. Niclausse and others struggled for rec ognition. The bidders also protested against being compelled to install the "B. & w." boilers, for as the makers of this type were thus given a monopoly | they were enabled to charge what they | pleased. It is said the '.B. & w." boil CTS on the new battleships will cost the contractors the New York Shipbuilding | company and the Cramps respectively. nearly $90,000 more than if the Niclausse | type could be used.
 Contractors for war craft have almost