The Washington herald., 1907-11-22

New York, Nov. 21.-At the first day S
session of the annual meeting Of the So
ciety Of Naval Architects and Marine
Engineers, held in the Assembly Hall Of
the Engineering Societies Building, "A
West Thirty-ninth street. to-day, Com
mander Albert P. Niblack, U. S. N, point
ed out a few more defects in our present
naval arrangements.
In spite Of enormous strides IN gun
merry ordnance. machinery and design.
Commander Niblack said that our tactical
ideas are stil dormant Our navy has
not, he said. generally adopted a salts
factory range finder or a telescope.
1t is difficult TO understand why the
Flske telescope has not been adopted he
said. 1T has been reported on favorably
by number Of boards. There are sew
eral eccentricities in our present battle
armored cruiser division" he continued.
that are deplorable. viz, in turning
screws and out-of-date and Indifferent
steering gear. No question of expense
should stand in the way Of making good
these defects Nor should armored pro-
lection and heavy armament ever be sac
rificed to speed; speed is only attainable.
without this sacrifice. by great Increase
IN displacement
turbines Must Prove Value,
II remains TO be proven that turbine
engines are worth the tactical sacrifice
due to injecting into our existing fleet
units whose handling qualities are uncer-
tain and so different from other sbips.
Radical departures from conservative
methods are alluring, but where We
balk at liquid fuel for boilers (Which IS
largely a stragetic question:, WHY ignore
the tactical consideration in engine de-
sign?
As a matter Of fact, it would seem
reasonable to wait for the coming revo-
luton in methods Of propulsion involved
IN internal-combustion engines with no
snokepipes, rather than to follow ALI
the fashion in European design. II fs a
common saying that We adopt ideas thar
are just going out of date abroad. but the
relation Of the tactical qualities OF each
snip designed, to those both building and
punt, should receive some consideration
The proper point Of view for the
average line officer should be to make the
most Of the ships as they are. There is
TOO little battle practice as IL In battle
TO enable any one 10 pronounce our pres
ent arrangements defective, except in
minor details. Gunnery is the best test
Of ordnance. Battle tactics is the hest
test Of the battle qualities OF the feet
Nixon FavOrs Gas Engine.
In the discussion following Commander
Niblack's paper. Lewis Nixon spoke in
favor Of tie explosive gas engine as
against steam engines, even in the larger
warships.
The gas engine" Mr.. Nixon said
is already developed. and will deliver
the goods when called for. Its virtues
are admitted by European nations and
the United States will have TO take note
OF it Until the man-killing coal burn-
Ing engines are replaced by the lighter
gas engines, it is my belief that the
United States navy viii not be the for
midable fighting force that we desire it
20 be-"
AT the request of the meeting. Mr.
Nixon told Of the torpedo boats he had
furnished TO the Russian government.
which had been built to be transported by
railroad. He suggested that the United
States might utilize similar boats. that
could be taken on cars at Galveston or
Panama and carried to the Pacific.
Mason S. Chase read a paper on mines
and submarines in which ne said that
the Russo-Japanese war had again dem
onstrated mines to be "redoubtable en-
gines OF naval warfare, but ones which
IN their present state Of development and
methods Of use, often infiict as severe
damage TO friend as 10 foe"
Attention IN many Havies is now being
given, he said. to fixed OF anchored
mines which become imperative once
they have broken adrift
TOrDedOe1 n Disappointment.
Torpedos did not come up to expecta-
ton in the late war. Mr.. Chase said. He
quoted an estimate that less than one
half OF one per cent of the torpedos fired
in various actions in the vicinity OF Port
~ NA-NA A@stNAASV ttltlE lnark-
y paper advocating the more extended
use Of motor boats for naval service Was
read by Naval Constructor L. s. Adams
U. S. n. Lack Of progress in this matrer
he said, appears to be due to a prejudice
on the part Of naval officers to carving
gasoline on shipbCtrd. The danger is
greatly exaggerated. the speaker believes.
Other papers read to-day were bv
Naval Constructor d. W. Taylor. L s
N: Prof H c. Sadler. of the University
OF Michigan, and II. r. Suthpen.
\ letter Of regret was read from Sir
William II. White. formerly chief con-
structor Of the British navy. who buIlt
the hulls Of the Lusitania and the Maure-
tania. Mr. White is an honorary. mem
ber OF the society. Rear Admiral Roblev
D. Evans and Chas. H. Cramp. of Phna-
delphia, were reelected vice presidents
Of the society for three years.
The meeting Will be concluded to-
morrow.