Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-28
SEEK CHANGES IN
BIG BATTLE SHIPS
Many Navy Officers Believe Sub
mefs|OD Of AfRor Belt a
Serious Defect.
CONTRACTS TO Be AWARDED
Department Wants to Get the New
Vessels Promptly Laid Down and
Under Construction :, Lieutenant
Commander Hill for Change in the
Design.


contracts this week for the two new
10000 ton battle ships authorized by
the last congress, despite Il protest
by several prominent officers that
the armour distribution OF these ships
ia detective. The General Board of
the navy has made 10 official pro-
test, but the protest which has been
made Is backed by the professional
opinion of the Board.
BY the same individual method the
Secretary has been advised 10 delay
thc award of contracts until the de
signs can be perfected on better
lines Members of the Board believe
the Navy Department is plunging
ahead toward Il great mistake.
The cardinal defect charged
against the designs if the new ships
Is that, completed and fully loaded.
the ton of their water line armor belt
VIII he not more than six inches
above the harbor water line. This.
ii is contended, will leave the ship
so vulnerable, notably i'm sea, and
just above the water line. that II IL
certain to- ship water In a scaway
through possible holes made by hos
tile fire. Some of The Russian ships
IN the battle of the Sea of Japan had
their armor belt entirely under wat
or, with tho result that their side ar
NOR was puncturcd by Japanese
shell, and one of them capsized on
this account.
Regarded AS Defect.
All sea officers agree that the sub
merslon or the armor belt is q most
serious defect. and II is therefore
ulMcult to believe that the now de-
Signs can he as bad as reported The
departments policy is. however. to
aWard tho contracts for the new bat
u e ships as quickly as possible. and
have them laid down and under CON.
struction ut an early date, hence the
protest may have failed largely he.
cause IL was made Just as the bids
for HE now ships were about TO be
orcned, Luckily 1t is not yet too
late, for reconsideration of the pro
test should It he official.
Lieutenant Commander T. X. Hill.
VINO has given special study to this
question, has had conference with
Secretary Metcalf The latter in
Tended to act upon the matter on
tuesday but this was not done, as
ne went to New Haven. The Board
Oil Naval Construction Is favorable
TO existing designs, and they have
furthermore, been approved by n
Hoard OF Design of which Assistant
Secretary Ncwbcrry was tho head
and three members of the General
i5oard were members.
Lieutenant Commander Hill sub
miited to Secretary Metcalf a paper
setting forth his views of the unwis-
dom of the designs, so far as the ar
inoi, bet was concerned This is
designed to be eight feet in width
anu oil the greatest thickness ever
pu' on an American ship of this tyne.
i"cutehant commander Hills actlvi-
" began when he learned that when
inc SIND Is deep laden the armor belt
,wlii ne SIX inches above tho water
,,hc ana seven feet six inches below
~, Prlor to this time members of
inc general board thought the armor
belt would be higher.
Passed by Special Board.
Tho designs of The new shlns In
ADDITION to being developed by CHIEF
Constructor Washington l.. Cams
and his assistants. and approved bv
the Board of Construction. were
passed upon by special Board on
pcsign, composed of Assistant Score
,ary Newbcrry. Engineer in Chief
nae. chief Constructor Capps. Can.
tain John p. Merrill, Captain RAY
ihopd T. Rodgers and Captain Rich
ara Wainwright. The last three
named are members of the General
Board and it is said they were sur.
prised recently to learn the armor
belt would he only six inches. in.
stead of three feet. above the water
lino at deep load.
Members of the Board on Construc.
ton have nothing to say for publica.
tirn about the matter. They are
unanimous in standing firm on their
original recommendations.
Naval opinion is plainly divided as
TO the arrangement of the water line
armor belt. Early in the Russo
Japanese war the destruction of
ltnsian war ships by mines led to
discussion favorable TO armorine
nuts to greater distance below the
wator line than had heretofore been
tried. ''en
P'ttsburos Anticipating Crusade.