Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-08
NAMING new BATTLESHIPS.
Navy Department to Ask Help of Con-
gress-More Admirals to Retire
The Georgia Report.

The navy department now plans to ask
Congress to legislate at the next session
on the question Of names for battleships
herea fter authorized and constructed Ex
listing law provides that battleships shall
be named after states OF the Union It 50
happens that with one exception these
ma mes have been exhausted That Keep
tion is Utah. and for some reason or
other, ont fully explained at the navy
department, there is a prejudice against
giving the name Of Utah to battleship.
II Is not fact that there are as many
battleships as there are states in the
Union Long before legislation specincal
~ required batteshps to be called after
the various common wealths the names
of many of them were selected for ships
Of other classes. Some Of the cruisers and
monitors are so named. There has been
some talk of reccrnmenda ton to Con
gross authorizing the remaining of these
minor vessels and deserving the ma mes
of states for tho battleships of the future
But, because of the confusion which
would inevitably result from the remain
ing Of naval vessels, the officials OF the
navy department are Just now at a loss
how to proceed, One of the new 20 cotton
battleships has already been called the
Delaware. The name of the remain
| % Is yet TO be selected. It could be
Utah. or perhaps even oklahoma may
soon he available.
TWO RETIRING ADMIRAIS.
Changes will take place in two i'm
portant sea commands within the next
three months in consequence Of the,
statutory retirement of Rcar-Admiral G..
H. Davis which occurs August Is. and
OF Rear Admiral G. H. Stackton, on
October IL. RcarAdmral Davis is now
| in command Of the second squadron Of
tho Atlantic fleet, and Will be relieved Of
that command by Rear-Admiral Charles
s. Sperry. Rear-Admiral Stockton is In
command of the special squadron con-
sistng of the armored cruisers Tennessee
ana Washington, which have Just left
| I3rest. Ontheir arrival Rear-Adn1iral
Stockton viii be roie;'ed by Rear-Admiral
triel Scbree. now secretary Of the
lighthouse board.
THE GEORGIA ACCIDENT REPORT.
The report of the board of investiga ton
in connection with the accident on the
Georgia will be laid before President
Roosevelt on Monday.
Although the report has been very care
fully guarded. It is known that in addi-
| ton 20 attrihuting tho accident to A
| delayed flare-back." the board recon-
mcnds that the automatic shutters install
led 70 prevent burning powder from fall
ling from the turrets into the ammuni-
ton handling rooms he made more eff
ficient. and that certain measures be
adopted to prevent flare backs" AS a
7 suit OF the testimony showing tina,
| burning powder dropped from the turret
of the ship into the handling rooms below
the question of remodelling the turrets
OF our battleships again confronts tbs
navy department. In spite OF the acct
dent on the Missouri. which caused thu
| loss Of five officers and twenty nine men
and of the explosion on the Kearsarge
! no attempt has been made to improve
the turrets The only thing authorized
has been the installation of diaphragm
| in the handling rooms below the turrets
| IN order to protect them from falling
| grains OF powder. In this diaphra GIN Is
placed the automatic shutter through
| which the ammunition car ascends the
| descends. and which was intended to pre-
vent just what happened in the Georgia
accident-the dropping Of powder from
the turret into the ammunition room. Bu
this IS a best only a makeshift for tn.
double protecting floor which foreizr
battleships possess. Thes- roors make i
| impossible, naval experts say. for burn
ing powder to fall below and endange,
the ship.