Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-11-24
OFFICERS DEBATE TURBINES Value
Coming Towers Discussed at the
Convention OF the Society Of Marine
Architects and Naval Engineers,
Held in New York City.

tendance.
Following an address by President
u. i. Bowles. of the society. and pa.
ners by Naval Constructor ID. w.
raylor, u. s. ~. and Herbert C. Swi
ier' professor Of naval architecture
mt the University of Michigan. Com.
mander a. p. Niblack. u. s. ~. urg.
cd reforms In naval construction In
n paper on Further tactical consid-
erations involved in warship design !"
Commander Niblack said in part
That orr coming towers showed III.
Tie. IL any, Improvement ove. original
designs, but proposed plan whereby
they could be made to work to the
lest advantage practicable.
There are several cccentrlcities In
our present battle and armorcd c,1iis-
or divisions that are deplorable. No
question OF expense should stand In
me way OF making good these de-
reefs, nor should armor protection
and heavy armament ever he sacrific-
ell to speed.
AS speed is only attainable. with.
ont this sacrifice. by great increase
IN displacement, II remnins 10 he
proven that turbine engines are
worth the tactical sacrifice due to in
lcct!ng into our fleet units whose
handling qualities are uncertain and
so Inherent from other ships.
AS matter of fact it would seem
reasonable to wait for the coming
revolution In methods of propulsion
involved In internal combustion gas
engines with no smoke pipes. rather
than 10 follow all the fashions In Flu
pecan design
"Homogeneity OF battleships in n
ieet is" he continued. "tactically
Ideal and practically unattainable, as
the units are designed at different
times. by different people and on diff.
tcrent theories. One fault remains.
however, and from that there is no
escape. viz. the tactical weakness of
any ship is the standard possibility
OF the whole fleet. particularly as to
motor and turning qualities.
There are, for instance. several
eccentricities In our present battle
and armored cruiser divisions that
are deplorable. viz. in turning screws
and out of date and Indifferent steer.
age gear. No question of expense
should stand In the wav of making
good these defects. Nor should mr..
mored protection and heavy nrma.
ment ever IL sacrificed to speed. as
speed is only attainable without this
sacrifice, by great increase i'm dis
placement. Ii remains to he proven
that turbine engines are worth the
tactical sacrifice due to Injecting into
our existing feet units whose hand.
ling qualities are uncertain ana so
different from other ships"
nc
brought out long discussion. in
winch Commander Havgaard of tho
Swedish navy: Mr.. Reed and Lewis
Nixon participated. The latter gave
his views and experience with inter-
nal combustion engines (gas enginesl
as compared with the turbine. there
by preeipitating debate as to the
real merits of the turbine.
Ericsson and other inventors"
said Mr. Nixon. among other things
recognized the possibilities of the
gas engine, hut machinery was not
sufficiently developed nj that time
so as to overcome its difficulties.
NOW its virtues aie admitted by Flu
ropean nations. ana the United States,
usually never behind in such matters,
VIII have to take note of 1t until the
man killing, coal Earning engines are
replaced by the lighter gas engines.
1T Is my belief that. lacking them,
the United States Navy will not ne
the most formidable fighting force
that we desire 1t to he"
Mr.. Nixon pointed out. among 9TH
err advantages, tile lessening of
weight, the reduction of structure.
the abolition of the big smoke stacks
and the absence of smoke and sparks.
He asserted that he had little faith|
In the turbine engine and that this
revolution in marine engineering was
not coming, but had arrived.
BY request Mr. Nixon told OF the
torpedo boats he furnished to the
Russian government and said they
could he put on ilat cars in st. Pet.
ersburg ana transported To tho BLACK
Sea without trouble. Experiments
with them showed they could pass
or get away from tho torpedo boat
destroyers easily. lie suggested that
the United States might utilize toats
OF this type that could be taken on
cars ut Galveston or Panama and
hurried to the Pacific.
Mt. Bowles spoke in answer to Mr.. |
Nixon's depreciation of the turbine
engine and said the Lusitania had
proved concusively that the turbine
engine is here TO stay. Others also
spoke iavornbly of the turbine
submarines of Battleship Speed"
was the subject OF q paper by Mason
>: Chace. OF Dorchester. Mass. Mr. |
ohace declared theid speed would |
nave to be considerably increased to
make them reach the full value en-
pectations Of their advocates as no
submarine has yet attained surface
spec dgreater than fourteen miles an
honr and when submerged more than
nine miles an houd.