Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-08
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS

to effect a revolution in naval gun con-
structton. All of the advantages urged in
1aVor or the wire gun for army use. 1t Is
said. gather additional weight when 1t is
proposed to use that kind OF gun for the
navy. Chief among the points of excel
lence Is the great saving in weight Of the
wire gun as compared with the present
built-up type, and If in addition to such
saving, which Is. of course, of the greatest
Importance shipboard it can be shown
that the wire gun is about % per cent more
efficient in range for the same caliber and is
less costly Of construction there is little
doubt that the new gun would find many adj
vocates in the navy.
The greater range gained in the case Of
the wire gun has had the effect to cause the
ordnance officers to dismiss any idea that
they had cherished of increasing the maxi
mum size of the battleship guns and they
will remain indie finitely at twelve inches, or
al least until another war shall cause re-
vision of judgment on that point. Lately
the French navy has been developing rifle
OF the hitherto unknown caiiber of thirteen
and one-half inches for which great claims
are made This is the first sign of a change
In the general trend of naval practice
toward reduced calibers. which began when
the Italian government reached the limit
OF weight and size with it's big 16-inch guns
and the British constructed 1UO-ton naval
guns, which sagged at the muZZe from their
own weight All of the objections that were
then made to the large calibers still hold
good, so far as our own naval ordnance Of
hcers are informed. so they are in no haste
to follow the new French fashion.
Tests of Armor Plate Guarded.
With much secrecy the military authori-
ties guarding the experiments that have
been going on at the Sandy Hook proving
grounds for nearly a year past into the
effect Of the fire Of high-powered guns al
armor plates placed at various angles to
the line OF fire. 1t Is known that some start
ling results have been obtained, and II es
are regard d as sufficiently important to
warrant the army officers in extending In
Nltat.ons 10 some OF the naval ordnance
experts to attend some of the latest tests
The navy pope are particularly interes ed
IN the subject because ever since the pre-
tective deck was generally adopted as a
defens against Irotacti!es that would
otherwise enter the engine rooms and yitals
OF the ship 1t has been an open question
as TO the actual extent of the protection
Afforded II had al ons been supposed
by armor makers that comparatively
thin pate would easily defect a large she |
or solid Shot which struck it al an angie,
so In most cases tire protective deck was
not more than four inches in thickness at
Its strongest point and general tapered
off from that thickness to about two inches
In less exposed D aces.
The result OF the SANDY Hook experiments
has been to shake the confidence hitherto
reposed by naval officers in the protective
deck. and If their appIe hensions are further
aroused il is probable that the naval con-
struCtors will be obliged to recast their
present methods of ship construction en-
tirely. Even as far the experiments
have gone they have caused a large element
among the naval ordnance experts to urge
that hereafter the weight of armor now
lodged in protective deck be added to the
side armor of the ship and the protective
deck entirely abandoned. A point of weight
in favor of the change is said to be the
greater liberty it would afford the engine
designers who are now necessarily required
to keep down to an uDeconomical size the
dimensions of the great cylinders which
inClose the turbine motors of the latest
designs. On the other hand the objection
I has been made that the removal of the deck
would very much weaken the ship struc-
| tnra ~ and intensity the effects OF a heavy
! shot delivered upon an insuffiCiently braced
/ side.
| Pay of Philippine Scouts.
| Upon the suggestion of Brig Gen. Mills.
! commanding the Department of the Visa
| vas. approved by The general staff Acting
| Secretary Oliver mas authorized a rear
| rangement of the scale of pay of the Philip
| pine scouts, the general effect of which is
| to sersibly raise the rate of pay Under
| the new order the privateS on first en- list