Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-19
British Naval OFFICER Performs Work
In Few Minutes Time.
PERFORMED TASK WITH ELECTRICITY
A Peculiar Result, However, Was That
Some of the Men Employed on the
Job May Go Rlnd-Ameroanp Much
Interested.

WASHINGTON. Oct iS.-The ord
nance and electrical experts of the
navy department are discussing Il re.
markable occurrence on one Of the
British warships ut Portsmouth which
has just been reported by cable They
say that II is one of the most extra.
ordinary which has come to their no
tico for years. The story as told In
official dispatches runs as follows:
1T was found necessary to bore q
hole In the armor plate of II turTet OF
II. Nj. S. Berwick, cruiser OF the
home fleeet. The orthodox methods
proved slow. and an enterprising tor
pedo lieutenant Lieut. Neville T.. Us.
borne, rugged up an apparatus with n
view to boring the hole 10y electricity
This was excellent In theory. he.
Ing an application on large scale of
the rocoenized plan of piercing armor
plate. Under the great heat generated
a hole was melted almost instantan.
eously In the tough armor plate. which
Is several inches thick ana made of
especially toughencd Tor Harveyized)
steel. and the experiment. was so in.
terestlng that nearly every one of the
shin from the captain downwards
looked on while 1t was being carried
out. Next morning every ne. son
aboard the cruiser who had looked nj
the prog ess of the boring of the hole
was afflicted with partial blindness.
The faces of all were burned n deem
copper color.
Men May Loose Their sirht.
"a number of men who were sew.
eral yards away from the steel that
was being bored are so much affected
that they have had to so into hospital
IL is fenred that some may lost their
sight altogether. The vnporization OF
the steel Is supposed to have been, the
cause of the trouble among the men.
It's effect can be guessed from the
fact that several men wac were on
remote nats OF the cruiser ut the
time OF the experiment have been Sc
riously affected.
"The hole had to be bored in one
Of the turgats in connection with gun
sights for the forthcoming battle prac
tlce. Had the ordinary methods been
continued. either the ship would have
been delayed or else she would have
been handicapped in the eunnery
tests. in which she has high record
to maintain. After the dockyardsmen
had left work Lieut.. osborne with n
marty OF volunteers. undertook to bore
the hole electrically He was, OF
course. equipped with the necessary
goggles, and the party being all train,
ed practical electricians. every reas.
enable .precaution was taken.
NO ill.effects were noted ut the
time. In every case the results were
experienced the next morning. and In
each instance eyes and faces We're az
fected as described. Some were. for
all practical purposes temporarily
blinded; others suffered chiefly from
the eye waterIng while all had their
faces Earned to n deep red. About
four cases wore sufficiently bad to
need hospital treatment. Those work
ers who had Won goggles suffered
slightly less about the eyes. but most
could not stand strong light and
suffered extreme pain from their burn
ed faces"
Lieutenant's Ingenuity Praised.
Naval officers here are almost n
unit in the opinion that the entire In,
cident reflects creditably upon the
wa ship In question and the British
navy and they say that the ingenuity
of the lieutenant is most prnisewor-
thy. They are undc~ the impression
that the system which he used when
perfected and performed under pron-
er safeguards If such can he found,
may prove OF lncalculable service 10
evegy navy IN the world especially in
war time when quick operations in
connection with amor plates may be
of the utmost Importance. What was
done. electrically in one minute has
normally occupied several men for two
of three ;iays. o r'ssf foi ri Tiiu '-5IJsT.Ss
ton without ill.effects divers head
pieces would prohably be necessary.