Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-11-15
AMERICAN WARSHIPS
NOW UNSUITABLE
Electrical Automatic Doors Will Keep
Compartments Watertight.

to WarShip when its hull is pune
tured? 1t usually sinks. When H. M.
S. Camperdown plunged into the Vic
toria ten years ago, the latter went
down and 500 lives were lost. How to
prevent such disasters has been a
problem ever before the admiralty de-
partments. That naval architects
have not solved it was made clear in
the recent war between Russia and ia
pan. When either a Russian or a
Japanese vessel was struck below the
water line, down to the bottom it
went.
Constructors of the United States
navy believe that Uncle Sam has now
solved this problem. The bureau of
construction and repair has been
working away at it for a long time,
but tests just completed by the bureau
indicate that the two new ships, Mon
tana and North Carolina, now being
built at Newport News will come
nearer to being unsuitable than any
vessel ever before launched.
The solution of the problem is in the
perfection of a system of automatic
bulkhead doors operating by electric
ity, and permitting of closure in time
of emergency by a single officer on the
bridge of the ship. The device has
been named the "Long-Arm" system,
because of the long arm of the cleo
trio wires reaching out to save the
ship.
A ship is divided into watertight
compartments with bulkhead doors
permitting intercourse between them.
If the ships hull is punctured, water
rushes in. If the doors are shut, only
the compartment nearest the puncture
will be flooded The vessel will still
float. When the Victoria was struck
| her doors were open. The men were
too excited to close them. If the doors
of a ship are automatically closed in
! case of need, the vessel is unsuitable
/ That's what the new plan comes about
as near to securing as human ingenu-
| ity allows.
! Hydraulic and pneumatic doors were
! tried by our navy department but they
proved dangerous and impracticable.
Then Rear Admiral and Naval Con-
structor Bowles, now president of the
Fore River shipyards, conceived the
idea of operating the doors by electric
| ity. An electrical system was then de-
|
teen of the newest ships. But still
there were defects. The doors were
too delicate and intricate many naval
officers thought. The scheme must be
made simple and if possible, lighter,
The bureau of construction and repair
imposed most severe tests for any new
system of automatic doors.
The tests of the new plan have just
i haQn 6On0nlaf ad and II ic ha1faxrad n
the two new vessels will accordingly be
! the safest warships afloat.
This is but one of the numerous i'm
provements which will go on the new
ships. Safety. safety of the ship and
the men in her, is a primary require
ment. Besides the 'long-arm" bulk
/ head doors. always under most per-
feet control by means of electricity,
greater safety is the inspiration of
dozens of improvements that are going
into our new warships. One Of the i'm
provements is the sprinkling device for
the magazines; another is the electrical
device for the controlling of the fires
of the boilers.
Quite the most ingenious of minor
improvements is the portable steering
apparatus, lately patented, for espec-
tally for use aboard warships. Grip
pie the steering apparatus. and the
ship is at the mercy of the elements
or human enemies. This portable
steering apparatus, it is claimed, viii
make it possible to direct the shiI
from any one of a half-dozen stations
by means of electrical connections
there located and connected with the
steering room. the most carefully pro-
tected part of a warship. The near
future is likely to see the warship with
armored smokestacks and with better
protection than the coming tower now
affords for the commander of warships
in action.
At the moment the never ending
competition between shell and armol
is slightly in favor of the armor, a fact
due to the new explosive, dunnite, the
secret of which has been obtained by
the government from the inventor
Turbines probably will mark the next
step in warship propulsion.
These are only the most striking oil
new appliances and devices and i'm.
provements aboard the twentieth CEN
fury warships There are others, such
as more perfect range-finders, better
arrangements for handling ammuni
tion, and improved accommodations
for the comfort of the bluejackets il
peace and his care when injured il
/ war Safer and more numerous hos
pital stations are provided to the new
ships now being planned. Vertically
there is no end to the demands made
I1nop tho naval DESIGNER