Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-15
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Experience of a Naval Engi-
neer With Turbines.

neer With Turbines.
Il saw broken vanes taken out of the
turbines by the shovelful.'' said naval
engineer. in speaking of the performance
of the new motors on some OF the ocean
liners with which It is proposed to equip
our new battleships. THE engineers knew
at the time that the slender blades were
being torn off as the turbines spun around
at tie rate Of a thousand revolutions per
minute. but no repairs were possible while
the ship was under way, and IL was only
when the castings were removed in port
that the extent of the damage was ascer-
tanned"
The subject is one of absorbing interest
to naval engineers. for notwithstanding
what has already been accomplishing IN the
ada ptation of the steam turbine 10 neF-
chant ships naval officers feel that the de-
vice Is still To some degree in the expert
mental stage. So in the preparation OF pro
posals for the construction of the two bat
teships already authorized the Navy De-
partment has taken the precaution to pace
the responsibility for the success OF the
motive power upon the contractors, by In
vitjng them TO submit plans for ships of q
certain speed with either turbine or recip-
rOCating engines.
1t is believed by the naval experts. how
ever. that there is no really fatal fault IN
the turbine system as shown by the break
ing off Of the blades. Experiments have
been going on which so far have shown that
the cause OF the breakage is the vibration
that is set up I'm the slender blades by the
high steam pressure and excessive speed or
rotation. and Ii Is said that means have
now been discovered to stop that vibration
by connecting the blades at their outward
extremities by continuous encirc.ing steel
band.
Foreign Military Students.
The State Department recently extended
an invitation to the republics of Central
and South America to send officers of their
armies to this country to attend our mill
tary schools at Fort Leavenworth and Fort
Riley, Kan. Two republics have taken ad-
vantage of this invitation. Mexico will
send six officers. Two of these Lieut..
Marceio Mendoza and Lieut.. Pedro Gomez
will attend the school at Fort LeaVen-
worth. and four, Lieut.. Felipe Neri, Second
Lieut.. Alfonso Ramos. Lieut.. Carlos Con
zales and Lieut. Carlos Diaz. the school at
Fort Riley. Guatemala is the only other
republic to send representative, Samuel
J. Calves jr... who will go to Fort Riley
Lieut.. Jean Brugere Of France is now at
Fort Leavenworth and will attend the
artillery and cavalry school there during
the ensuing term. Lieut.. Brugere Is the
son OF the chief of staff of the French
army.
Changes In Naval Footgear.
Recent orders issued by the Navy De
partment make radical changes in the style
OF footgear OF the bluejackets. Low shoes
OF the bIucher pattern will replace the pres
ent style of low shoes which have been
carried in the service for many years.
Wooden and cotton socks of a new style
will take the place of the heavy, gray,
wooden sock. The new sock IS black In
color and lighter in weight than the pres
ent service sock No white socks will be
issued hereafter.
Warship to Visit Liberia.
Secretary Bonaparte is considering the
advisabllity OF having United States men
of-war make occasional visits to Liberia,
Africa. as demonstrate of the friendly
interest of the United States government in
the welfare and progress of the African
republic The matter was brought to his
attention through means Of private letter
received by Gen F. c. Latrobe of Balti-
more from Rev. Ernest Lyon, United States
consul at Monrovia.
Unless the plans of the department are
changed. the cruiser Tacoma. now on her
way to Port Said to assist the fleet towing
the dry dock Dewey will make a voyage
along the west coast of Africa on her way
back to the United States In that event
that vessel will visit one or more of the
ways a welcome sight in that quarter of
the world. and the visit of a warshp is an
important event.
Cannot Use New Model Rear Sight.
First Lieut.. o. S. Eskridge. 27th Infantry,
at Fort Sheridan. Ill. recently raised the
question as to whether the new magazine
rifle with the open sight cover and Buffing-
ton sight supplied by the ordnance depart
ment alay be used by officers In their rec
ord firing and in the competitions BY dl-
rection of the chief of staff ne has been
informed by Gen. Hall military secretary
thdt the small arms regulations provide
that target practice shall be conducted with
the rliie or pistol exactly as il is supplied
by the department having charge Of the
fabrication of arms and that the troops I'm
each organization will use in small arms
practice the weapon with which they arc
armed. Gen. Hall says further that iieut
fskFldSes company will be armed dur're
the coming target season with the ITnitcd
states magazine rife. model of 1903. with
lhe lSl5 rear sight and, as officers Of an
organization should practice with exoctiv
the same arm as their men. Il would NOT
ne proper for Lieut.. Eskridge 10 use I'm rec
VIu practice or in competitions the rife
having the new model rear sight.
Meaning of Line of Fire.
Gen Bates recently approved an indorse-
Heht male by Gen. DuvalI. acting chief of
80 ~ tlif proper Qe00ltiGn of the
Term Tine Of fire." as part of the et,uner.s
examination. 1t is believed" saws the art
ing chief OF artillery. that the more pen-
eral use Of the term. line OF fire, is as q
synonym Of line of departure. in which
sense IT Is used not only in the 1898 drill
regulations, but also in Ordnance and Gun
merry tBruff); for though in the latter pub-
Ecation the line of fire is in words defined
merely as the prolongation Of the axis OF
the piece yet from the figure and the con-
text u Is clear that the line defined Is the
line or departure. There is no doubt that
II was In the sense OF line OF departure that
line OF fire was included in c. o. a. While
II is believed TO be well 10 omit line of Are
from the annual instruction order. II is
not believed 70 be advisable to attempt
a discontinuance OF its use. which is too
widespread and too firmly fixed"
Battleships Leave Guantanamo.
The Navy Department Is advised that the
second battleship division OF the Atlantic
feet consisting OF the battleships Ala
bama Caagship) Illinois. Indiana and Iowa.
have left Guantanamo for Hampton roads
on their way to Annapolis TO take part in
the John Paul Jones ceremonies.
The arnored cruiser Colorado also left
Guantanamo for Hampton roads bearing
H