New-York tribune., 1908-03-11
NAVAL CRITICS HEARD
,4RMOR BELTS TOO Low
Captain Uinslosc and Commander
key on Construction Defects.

Washington. March 1o-That there are serious
defects in the construction of American battle
ships charged to-day by Captain c MGR
WINSTON assistant chief of the Bureau of Navi-
cation Of the Navy Department, and Commander
A l. Key former naval aid to President
Roosevelt. Captain Winslow said the ships
under Admiral Evans were all overdraft when
they left Hampton Roads He defended Ad-
1niral Rojestvensky for taking the Russian ships
into battle with the Japanese with full bunkers
Of coal sd wing that the Russian commander
could not have done otherwise, for he did not
know how far he would he compelled TO steam
Commander Key attempted TO direct the form
of his own testimony and incurred the dis
pleasure of the committee that account He
criticised the armor belts and the gun decks
ss being too low. and the ammunition hoists
unsafe He attempted dispute the testimony
of other officers. especially Chief Constructor
Capl,s hut was not permitted to do SO Finally
the committee held executive session. at
which il Was decided that Key should he heard
Tomorrow but that his criticism should be
confined TO ships and directed against Of
fcers.
Captain Ni1slozv who was the first witness,
IN defending the Russian admiral. used the fate
Of the Russian feet illustration OF I've
danger Of going into action with the armor belt
too far .lnder water At the same time, he
said tnat the ships should carry - least tWo-
thirds their capacity Of coal and fuil anihu-
milton and stores. He said that two-thiros
supply OF all stores would make all American
bartleshir,s too low and therefore the arlnor
belt should be raised He could not state the
exa.t amount. as he said il would vary on the
different ships
-rha-e WAS no need. said Captain Winslow-
<,r more than four feet Of armor below the
esternc.
The witness was asked To compare certain
.vpes Of American ships with the contemporary
class Of British ships He took the ConneVu-
cut and the Lord Nelson. and in sunnery sald
the British ship has made better records for
rand shooting with her battery Of a2-inch
guns than had been made with the Connecticut
s-incf guns He thought this achievement was
due probably II thc nosts-
Theoretically you would feel at disadFan-
ta-o # lou r-ere compelled 10 take the Connec-
ticIt into action against the Lord Nelson
asked Mr. Tillman-
i would sl- the Lord Nelson i the more
powerful slip.' said the captain He added that
-he Michigan and the South Carolina were d
great f77ap-oH e1loo,7t over the Lord Nelson ana
possibly superior to anything in the British
navy
'-Cn what ships now unde~ command Of Al
7+-sl E1.ns is the a.rnor belt misplaced?" asked
- Burrows
All q them"
Misplaced because il is too low"
Because Il Is too low
Continuing Captain Winslow said the arrnor
l-eit extended five feet below water on all Of
~. ships in Admiral Evans's fleet when il left
Izraptcn Roads. and most OF them showed less
than = foot Of arn,or above the wateTline- He
aid that With = tv-o-thirds supply OF coal and
r,so--ai7ds oE all Other stores on board the
a-1nor teit Of ali the American battleships
would ae toe far below the waterlne. This
vegil re the condition in which the ships would
g into battle" he SAID.
FAULTS HAD BEEN MENTIONED
In reply to questions by NJ. TillEan the Wit
nezs said no never had written the department
concerning tre defects he had found in battle
ship construction, tut that he knew the faults
hzd been pointed cut by other officers. As to
ammunition hoists. Captain Winslow said that
II vas not q question Of direct hoists as against
r--o-ste-e ho5sts but entirely a question Of
saferz-
Wen. have we got it" asked Nj. Tilman.
The illness replied that we had not had
safety il the past. but that he was not familiar
with the neH direct hoist. with automatic shut
tere
Captain Winslow gave his experience as
member of the board which inquired into the
causes Of the explosion the Massachusetts
II 1906 II 1hat case II was found that the dam
az vas due 10 the open turret and The ineffec-
tYenezs Of the direct hoist.
-Na.aI officers had predicted that just such
accidents would occur. and the fault should
have been corrected then" said Captain Win
slow
What officer had pointed out the danger"
asked Nr. TiIlman-
In Ieoe I received = personal letter from
Commander Sims crfticising the kearsarge and
Eeu-uclr and saying that there vas great
danger in the turret<.'' replied Captain Win
slor- adding that this information had been
efvrn - the department He said he did not
know where To fix the responsibility for the
allure - correct the fault. unless il was in the
IA that there was constant change in the de-
r=-trnent through frequently shifting civilian
secretaries. The committee through Chair
nan Hale headed Off this testimony by an
-ouncfng that the subject referred 70 was not
under investigation this time,
KEYS TESTIMONY RESTRICTED
Commander A l. Key, formerly naval aid to
the Presl dent. was the next witness He had
e. experience similar to that Of Commander
sims the present naval aid. in that he was
mr. r.err,f-red 70 follow his own inclination as
fo the form Of presenting his views. He began
by stating that he had a duty TO perform not
entirely agreeable as his testimony Woula not
he approved at the Navy Department He SAID
r. expected Il show by comparison that there
He-e defects in American ships as To the ioca-
tior of the armor belt. the height Of 1reepoaro
THE DOCTORS GIFT