The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-09-28

AA0N NA&0N NNE tue NAVY
A recent number of that new and
enteFprislng service Journal. the Navy
IA 0HtNpoken la It's demands for reform
In naval construction and In the prac
tlce training Of ship captains and feet
commanders This paper makes the
astounding assertion that the command.
ing OfAcers 81 the American feet had
had up to a few months ago only ten
hours Of battle tactics practice since
the war with Spain closed. nine years
ago This statement comedies with
the report Of Rear Admiral Converse
last December teudng TO show that our
skilled gunners. trained Mt no end OF
cost and care, might not get In shot
IN war simply ON account OF the blum.
deFing Of their superlors In mnneuver-
ing
The explosion ON the Georgia. the
Navy maintains, makes prominent Ger.
tain dangers Ia construction which call
for Immediate reform. II Tefers to the
placing Of turrels and magazines In a
line On the principle OF an elevator
shaft. there being nothing effective TO
prevent are falling from the turrets
Into the handling rooms below To
quote
ThiH method Of construction exists only
ID the American navy. In the sailing
ships 81 Nelson's feet. a hundred years
amo. this obvious and inexcusable error
did not exlat. On tho uhipa OF the line of
these days there was a powder hatch In
the Fuar Of zach fpw OF gums on the up
peF deck The powder had to he passed
up frum magazines well down toward the
boitnfn Of the vessel IL the constructors
~ those days had followed our plan. they
would have PASSED that powder up from
dgck 10 deck through matches directly un-
der each other, thus hffordinN straight
ard vertical passage from the upper gun
hatch down 90 the mREaaineA As a mat.
ter % fact they we're altogether too wise
10 commit such a hiunder. The hatch In
this deck below the upper deck was not
directly below the apperm0st hatch. but
Was 10 one side Of tho upper hatch. and
n burning powder or burning anything
else fet frutB the topmont hatch. Il was
separated from the hatch below by a
Hereen Of Soolen cloth This l. practical.
y the system adopted hy every other
navy.
on this point the Army and Navy
Journal says. There q feeling among
oflesFs Of the navy amounting almost
70 characterization az the way repeated
adHaoaitiona OF experienced officers
against building more aud more ships
with the fatal arrangement Of holsts
have been dlsrcgariel" II calls the
prssent method Of turrvt holsts ''xu.
persatlvely foolish feature Of eoRstruc-
ton. repeated IN spite % warnings In
'SiaAo00ooo worth ~ ships" voiclnR
public sentiment IN support Of this con
tention By the organs 81 the service.
the Philadelphia rress says that the
charge that ammunition holsts in tur.
reta run straight down to the maya
ZINES without hreak must be denied
Or explained. Speed In irinE Is gained
b. straight shafts. bat speed az the
expense ~ safety" This paper OBJ
SERVES. furthsrsn0rr. that In general our
naval policy has not kept pace with
the naval progress Of other powers. Il
aaym.
Ger navy was slow Ia adopginE spaad
for it, tzgttlsshiua and launched vessels
With two knets Less sped thar foreign
men ct. war TIE ends 81 our hAttiaahipa
we're left enarmoSsd after ether powers
hna axtended art8aF ever the suttre huh.
We wsre Kiow on smokslssa powder. and
~ are allow nov 90 turbines and torpedo
boats.
The theory that these open discus
sloas may disclose 10 foreigners the
weak places In cur naval equipment
Il misapplled Foreigners already
know the truth. and both Americans
and foreigners should be made to know
In due time that the American naval
persOnnei and material are equal 10 the