The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-09-15
KEEPING NAVY
UP TO DATE
OUR EIaHTlNe FLEET MEASURES
UP TO HIGHEST STANDARDS
OF EFFICIENCY.

NEW YORK, Sept. IL. = United
States naval officers do not admit that
the monster %battleshtps planned by
Great Britain and Italy are c
sari1y more elective; than warships
Of tho Connecticut Louisiana and
Michigan.south Carolina types. Now
that fuller details have reached here
regarding the Cunibertt battleship.
with which italy expects to outclass
the D~readnought, there is less dispo-
sition than ever to over-estimate the
Importance OF .Italy's more.
a0h paper" a naval constructor at
tached to the Brooklyn Yard said,
both Great Britain and italy will have
ships greatly superior to any thing in
onr navy. But all comparisons which
take into consideration merely COM
parat1ye displacement and battery
strength are misleading. No one
Knows as yet how these monster war
ships will behave at sea. The Dread.
snonghtf went into commission only
two weeks ago; and "a never had a
trial of any kind. And their erect
iyeness in action is in wen greater
doubt
moreover, the assumption that the
biggest battleship can whip one of a
few hundred tons smaller. leaves out
9of account. the matter Of s~eamanshtD.
brains. courage, craftsmanship, and
relative efficiency. American war
ships may not be as big as the big
gest, but 1 personnel and equipment
they equal anything afioat."
This oficer called attention to the
enlightenment Of the 12-inch sur ON
the +Connecticut" which has been SO
planned that they have a range Of are
fromSdead aheadto a point well abeam.
Another device that adds vastly to
the safety Of American warships is
the arrangement for closing all the
buIkhead doors in time Of danger.
From an emergency station on the
bridge OF in the pilot house all the
doors below the water line can be
closed almost Instantly by what is
known as the Long Arm" system.
Each door and the armor matches have
anE electric motor, connected with the
central station. In any emergency
the ship can be rendered practically
unsuitable in a few minutes by start
ing9these motors and making the wat
eEttght compartments so many life
p-fessrvers. That It is no imaginary
danger against which naval construct
brs are guarding our warships by
peffecting their bulkhead arrange
ments In this way, is shown by a
long lire of marine disasters, begin
ming with the loss of the Victoria and
coming down to the Russo-Japanese
war. Other powers r deeply inter
ested In the "Long Arm" system. but
for the present United States fighting
ships alone have the advantage OF the
most effective means of safety devils
ed since the water-tight bulkhead was
introduced.
Our newest warships also have a
steaning radius OF 5000 miles. much
greater than that OF any other battle
ships afioat. This is a very important
element in the fighting efficiency OF
allswar vessels, and one in which the
large English and italian battleships
are likely to fail
Improved steering gear, better provi-
means of communication far in ad-
vance of anything heretofore perfected
are additional advantages claimed for
Uncle Sans latest warships. On the
Connecticut and L~nsiana a complete
telephone system is installed. In adj
dlion, private lines are run for the
executive ofHcer. navigator, chief en-
gineer. surgeon, and electrical gum
ners There are TWENTY-FIVE extern
sions from the central station and sew
enf private lines, in addition to 81 lines
Of voice pipes.
- IEIET-FSE go,
NhElhHEr