Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-03-21
SERIOUS DEFECTS.
Naval Bureau Expert Declares
Our Warsh ps Faulty.
EVANS FLEET ALL OvERDRAFT.
Armor belt Placed Too Low on All
American War NeSseIS-Why RO-
5estvensI<y Was Defeated
by Japanese.


WASHINGTON. March II. - That
there are serious defects In the con
struction OF American battieshlps was
charged 10y Captain G.. MGR. Winslow.
assistant chief Of the bureau of naviga-
ton OF the navy department, and Com
mander a. /. Key. former naval aid to
President Roosevelt.
The former officer said the ships un-
der Admiral Evans were all overdraft
when they left Hampton Roads. He
defended Admiral Rojestvensky. de
feated 10y Admiral Togo IN the sea Of
Japan, for taking the Russian ships
into battle with full bunkers Of coal.
saying that the Russian commander
could not have done otherwise, for he
did not know how far he would be
compelled TO steam.
Commander Key attempted to direct
the form OF his own testimony and
incurred the displessure Of the com
mittee on that account. He criticised
the armor belt and the gun decks as
being too low and the ammunition
hoists unsafe. lie attempted 10 dis
pute the testimony of other officers.
especially Chief Constructor Capps,
but was not permitted 10 do SO. Final
~ the committee held an executive ses-
sion at which IL was decided that Key
should be heard. but that his criticism
should be confined 20 ships aud not di-
rccted against officers.
Captain Winslow i'm defending the
Russian admiral used the fate If the
Russian fleet rs an Illustration OF the
u. A..
armor belt too far under water. At
the same time he said that the ships
should carry at least two-thirds their
capacity OF coal and full ammunition
and stores
He said that two-thirds supply OF all
stores would make all American bat
tleships too low ami therefore the ar
NOR belt should be raised. lie could
not state the exact amount. as he said
IL would vary ou-thc different ships.
There was no need. said Captain
Winslow, FOR more than four feet OF
armor below the water line
The witness was asked TO compare
certain types OF American ships with
the contemporary class Of British ships
He took the Connecticut and the Lord
1 -N'tfNFtA 'NA ar NNnlafAa NAiM fAit Dit
ish ship has made better records FOR
rapid shooting with her battery OF
% inch guns than had been made with
the ConnectIcut's eight inch guns. lie
thought this achievement was due
probably 10 the hoists
Theoretically YOU would feel at a
disadvantage IL YOU were compelled TO
take the Connecticut into action
against the Lord Nelsonf" asked Mr.
TilIman.
Il would say that the Lord Nelson
is the more powerful ship" said the
| captain. He added that the Michigan
and the South Carolina were great
improvement over the Lord Nelson and
possibly superior 10 anything in the
British navy"
ION what ships now under com
mand of Admiral Evans is the armor
belt misplacedf" asked Mr. Burrows.
"All OF them"
Misplaced because IL Is too lowg"
Because IL is too low"
Continuing Captain Winslow said
| the armOr belt extended five feet be-
low water on all of the ships in Ad-
miral Evans fleet when IL left Hamp-
| ton Roads and most Of them showed
less than a foot of armor above the
water line. He said that with two
| thirds supply of coal and two-thirds OF
all other stores on board the armOr
| belt OF all the American battleShipS
would be TOO far below the water line
This would be the condition In which
the ships would go into battle" he
1 said.