New-York tribune., 1908-05-28
VICTORY FOR TURRET
Continued from first page.


was what looked like a hole The officers went
to the Florida ar once. but before they got there
her crew of twenty TO thirty "jackies'' detailed
from the receiving ship Franklin and Offered
by Commander John C. Quimby. commanding.
Lieutenant Joseph X. Taussg and gunner. had
come up from the hold and were looking over
the damage. The plate had been broken through
from the gun port 70 the edge just above and
lust below where the shell struck The broken
piece had been driven into the tUrret several
inches but not the thickness Of the plate. 50
that no hole was actually made The detonation
was somewhat imperfect. was . 'denced By
the quantity Of sulphur-Hke powder which COW
cred the break and mast. This failure to reaIizs
the full strength Of the powder Is regarded
injecting the only uncertain element into the
test.
, officers entered the turret at once and its
mechanism was operated the turret being
swung completely around each way, and The
left hand gun trained The right gun. ths
crippled gun in place of the regular one,
which had been removed for the test. Of course
could not be trained. besiGes. the broken plate
had wedged against it. This, the officers said.
would not have prevented the gun being fred.
although it would have interfered with tas
sighting.
But the turret bore the evidences of a fight.
The paint along the seams had disappeared
many of the seams sprung. bolts were
Ioosened and sl1vers lay around. board
dummy inside was intact, and the opinion OF
officers was that even with the terrific impact
the gunners in the turret would not have been
injured. The mechanism in the turret bore no
outward evidence Of damage. and the belief was
expressed that test would find it in working
order.
1t was nearly noon before the officers had
satisfied themselves with the turret experiment.
and attention was turned TO testing the fighting
mast The first shot at that structure was
fired from one Of the finch guns Of the Ar
kansas. and besides piercing an iron plate tar
get at its base cut one of the supporting pipes
and injured others.
The second shot was from he same gun. and
cut two tubes a little higher up and another
side of the mast The third shot missed. and
then the order was given 10 fire a finch ex-
plosive shell high up near the top Of the mast
This shook the structure and tore asunder a
number of the tubes. but the mast seemed as
stable as ever. The fifth and last shot was a
solid shot from the big 12-iuCh gun. aimed 50
as to hit the mast its outer rim on the side
leaning toward the water the structure having
been tilted at an angle Of 10 degrees
to make it easier to fall. This terrific shot tore
the mass still stood firm. Lieutenant r D
White, target Inspector. climbed 70 the top ard
started the structure 10 vibrating. but without
making apparent any weakness. That the mast
might be put 10 the greatest strain. four tons
of weight had been placed at its TOT. The adj
vantage of the mast is declared to have been
fully demonstrated It's points that It -
practically indestruCtibIe with shot or shell
and has the still further advantage Of weighing
less than half that of the old type solid mast
now in use
With this test concluded. Rear Admiral Mason'
with his face beaming with qualification. shout
ed the order TO cease fring-that the test was
ended
The Arkansas was ordered back TO the Norfolk
yard and the Florida also was taken there To
be fitted with specially built bulkhead. into
which a Whitehead torpedo is to be fired WITHIN
ten days. TO demonstrate whether or not bulk
heads Of the new type may not be probably
used to protect the hulls of the ships