Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-01
ROAR OF GUNS is SALUTE TO
PRESIDENT PARD0
BRILLIANT SPECTACLE SHOWN
IN HARRoR OF cALLAo
Admiral Evans Leads. His Mighty
Squadron on Last Leg of Long
Cruise-Thousand Cheer
Departing Vessels
Continued from Page One,

Lieutenant Commanders r. Is. Hill,
Carl Il. Vogelsang and Captain Brad
ley A. Fiske We're questioned. concern
ing their views on the naval construc-
ton. and Rear Admiral Capps asked
questions and commented upon their
testimony as they proceeded.
Mr.. Hill explained he thought the
battleships should be constructed to
carry all the coal possible. The ships,
he said, have their waterline fixed by
estimating but two-fifths of their full
capacity of coal, which allows the speed
trial to show the greatest speed possi-
BILE.
II think" he added. rarely have
any of our ships in service shown the
speed they have developed on their
trial trips. Foreign ships have the
same weakness in this respect but
foreign constructors are correcting the
error
Need Plenty of Coal
"I want enough coal on board to
chase the enemy after fighting him,
declared Mr.. Hill, saying the battle-
ships should have all the coal possible
with the waterline fixed with a view
of accommodating 1t.
1.-THE new ships of our navy" he
said, "if provided with full load of
coal will have seven feet and six
and six inches above it."
Rear Admiral Capps interrupted with
a question which was followed by a
statement by him contradictory to
much that Mr.. Hill had said. He de-
clared that the practice of English,
Japanese and American constructors is
the same, certainly for the past ten
years, regarding waterline and coal
carried. If there was any difference,
he said. the Japanese provided for less
coal. The tendency in the American
navy had been to provide as large
bunkers as possible.
Lieutenant Commander Vogelsang, u
member of the turret board that ex-
amined all turret ships on the At
lantic, six months ago, was called to
the stand. The result of the examina-
tion. he said, was to show that there
had been some structural separation
between the turrets probes and the
handling. rooms on battleships which
does not now exist and never has ex-
listed in the service.
Safety Appliances Bad
It is, he said, imperative that there
should be some improvements. The
safety shutters had proved cumber-
some and ineffective.
Replying to a question he said he
believed American tugrets to be in
ferior to those of foreign ships. He
thought a disaster such as that on the
Missouri, which lost sixteen lives
could not have happened on a foreign
ship. The bareback would have been
avoided by the method of construction
of the turrets of those ships.
"If you can propose anything to
render a turret absolutely safe" said
Admiral Capps. you will earn the un-
dying gratitude of the navy depart
ment. 1 personally believe that it will
be impossible to make any battleship
immune from danger during times of
battle"
Admiral Capps added that the acct
dent on the Missouri would not have
occurred had not the ammunition been
brought cut in a way never contem-
plated by the regulations.
Capt. Fiske testified that he had had
little experience that qualified him to
comment on the question of the proper
wa terline and t'.rrets.
"Yet. you might be put in command
Of a ship" asked Senator Tillman.
TilIman Sarcastic
Later Mr.. Tillman remarked that the
witness had never been in a battle. to
which Capt Fiske replied that he had
overlooked the battle of Manila.
"Oh, that was a murder said Mr..
Tillman.
at did not look that way before II
began" suggested the witness.
Reading from an article written by
Capt Fiske to the effect that no i'm
provement In the navy had ever been
originated by a naval officer, Mr..
Tillman asked if he held to that state
ment.
Mr.. Fiske deliberated for a long
time. II do not know of any instance
in which they have done So" he fin
ally replied
Senator Perkins said Capt. Fiske's
paper reminded him of the Bible. 1t
was very fine literary production, but
nothing could be proved by it. He
added that as congress appropriates
100000 annually for experimental tests
he was surprised they had not re-
suited in some inventive idea.
But" insisted Senator Tillman, "if
we find outside talent and cannot
recognize it what can be eXpected?"
Admiral Capps remarked that there
seemed to be a woeful lack of knowl-
edge among officers of the navy con-
cerning what hau been done to develop
improvements in the navy.
Capt Fiske said he could suggest no
improvements to remedy the difficulties
thai had been pointed out.
1t was agreed that Mr.. Sims should
annear before the committee on Mon