The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-10
SAY ARMOR BELT
IS PUT TOO Low.
This View Expressed by Rear
Admirals Remey and Goodrich
and Lieutenant White.
DEFENDS AMERICAN SHIPS
Secretary Metcalf Says They Are
Superior to Those of Any Other
Navy in the World.

WASHINGTON, March 9.-Testinony
was adduced to-day before the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs, which is
Investigating the criticisms of battle
ship construction, showing that the
location of the armor belt OF American
battleships was too low. on the other
hand. letter from Secretary Metcalf
was read declaring it to be the opinion
of the Board of Construction and Rear
Admirals Evans and Brownson that the
armor belt lines of the battleships
Delaware and North Dakota were right.
The secretary, in his communication,
took occasion to declare that Ameri-
can battleships were superior to those
of any other navy.
The witnesses to-day were Lieuten-
ant Richard d. White. assistant inspec-
tor of target practice. and Rear-Ad-
Goodrich. Lieutenant White was the
first to take the stand. In reference
to the location of the armor belt. he
said that If 1t were possible for a ship
to get into action at the designed load
draft, the present location would be
about right, but 1t was his observation
that the ships had greater drafts than
those designated. He thought the
drafts would be still greater under
war conditions.
His opinion was the same as that of
Commander Sims, who is the inspec-
tor of target practice. Concerning the
construction of turrets, he said that
safety demands that the turret proper
snail be structurally separated from
the ammunition handling room. The
two-stage hoist is one way to effect
THIS, but he thought it might be pos
siple TO construct direct hoist. so
that the handling room could be iso-
lated. He preferred the two-stage
MOIST, and declared that the shutter
now In use in the direct hoist Is most
lheihcient" Describing the shutter, he
said 1t is so constructed that grains of
powder could easily get through the
slit for the life rope in the event of an
accident overhead
Letter from Secretary.
chairman Hale read letter from
Secretary Metcalf stating that after
the plans for the battleships Delaware
and North Dakota had been approved.
an o1ticer (Lteutenant Commander HID
mad recommended that the armor belt
should be raised thirty inches. The
department referred this criticism to
the board on construction. and the
orlgina! designs were declared to be
right. The officer made rejoinder, and
the matter was then referred to Rear
Admirals Brownson and Evans, who
also declared that the belt was cor
rectly located.
Secretary Metcalf called attention to
the fact that the Delaware and North
Dakota are to be equipped with the
two-stage holsts and there Is no
ground for further contention as to
the location OF the armor belt" An
swering general criticisms, Secretary
Metcalf said:
Our ships are not inferior. type for
type, in their own period of con-
struction. to vessels of other navies.
On the contrary. concur in opinions
expressed abroad that our ships are
superior"
The Two AdmiraIs.
Rear-Admiral George c. Remey. re-
tired, told the committee he would To-
cate the armor belt with reference to
the proper load water line when the
ship is equipped to go into battle
He thought it the duty of a comma nder
of battleship to have full stores on
board. II possible. in going into bat
tie. He said he never had believed in
the open turret and thought the guns
should be completely isolated from
the ammunition handling rooms. He
3
the Interrupted hoist. He opposed
sacrificing safety for rapidly Of fire
RearAdmiral c.. +. Goodrich, COM
mandant of the New York navy yard,
who said in an interview after the
publication OF the Reuterdahl article
that he had called attention years be-
fore to such defects as were alleged
by ReuteIdahl. asserted that he be-
lieved the American ships to be good,
and that they could be made better.
He was asked by Mr.. Hale II he would
subscribe to Reuterdahl's statement
that If our ships went into action they
would be no better off than the Rus
sian ships when they met the Japanese.
oh no, SIR" he replied positively.
In regard to the location of the ar
NOR belt, he said he concurred abso-
lutely in the testimony of Admiral
Remey Later the witness said he
thought the interrupted hoist better
than the direct type, He was asked
about the German navy in sticking"
TO the eleven-inch gun. The admiral
said the twelve-inch gun was better
than the eleven, and the thirteen-inch
better than the twelve-inch. Senator
'rillman called his attention to the fact
/ that Commander Sims few days ago
i gave the name of Admiral Goodrich
( as one of the men who would corrobo-
rate him In the declaration that the de-
partment would not accept officers
criticisms.
Informed of Mr.. Meyers Death.