The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-13
CONSTRUCTION Of the American
Battleships Faulty.
HAWAI- OFFICERS TESTIFY
AIieee That Ships Under Command Of
Admiral Evans Were All Ovsrdraft
When They Left Harbor.

Washington, March 11.-That there
are serious defects in the construction
of American battleships was charged
by Captain c. MGR. Winslow, assis.
tant chief Of the bureau Of navigation
Of the navy department, and Comman.
der A. L. Key, former naval aide to
President Roosevelt. The former Off.
Ger said the ships under Admiral
Evans were all overdraft when they
left Hampton Roads. He defended
Admiral Rojestvensky for taking the
Russian ships into battle with the
japanese with full bunkers of coal
saying that the Russian commander
coud not have done otherwise, for he
did not know how far he would b.
compelled to steam.
Commander Key attempted to direct
the form of his own testimony and in
CURED the displeasure of the commit
tee on that account. He criticised the
armor belt and the gun decks as being
too low and the ammunition hoists az
unsafe. He attempted to dispute the
testimony Of other officers, especially
Chief Constructor Caps, but was not
permitted to do SO. Finally, the com
mittee held an executive session al
which 1t was decided that Key should
be heard later, but that his critisism
should be confined to ships and moi
directed against officers.
Captain Winslow, who was the first
witness In defending the Russian ad.
miral, used the fate of the Russian
fleet as an illustration of the danger
Of going into action with the armoI
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 sup
ply of all stores would make all
American battleships too low, and
therefore the armor belts should be
raised. He could not state the exact
amount, as he said it would vary on
the different ships.
Armor Belt Is Too Low.
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 Nelson and in gunnery said
the British ship had made better rec,
ords for rapid shooting with her bat.
terry of So guns than had been made
with the Connecticut 8-inch guns. He
thought this achievement was due
probably to the hoists.
Theoretically you would feel at a
disadvantage if you were compelled to
take the Connecticut into action as
against the Lord Nelson?" asked Mr.
Tillman.
81 would say the Lord Nelson is the
more powerful Ship" said the captain
He added that the Michigan and the
South Carolina were great improve.
ment over the Lord Nelson and "pos.
sibly superior to anything in the D,.,-
ish navy"
Commander A. L. Key, the next
witness, took up the subject of armor
belts. He said the belts should not
be placed around a fictitious water
line, but should be located with regard
to the actual water line when a vessel
Is equipped for action. He criticised
the speed tests of the battleships and
declared that the vessels run so light
that the test is of no value in ascer
tanning the actual speed of a vessel
when carrying full armament, crew
and stores.
why should contractors be permit
ted TO bamboozle the country with
these fictitious speed tests?" asked
Mr.. TillmaS
'@rhey should not. That is just
what have been trying to show" re-
piled Commander Key. He then pre-
scented a German criticism to the eff.
feet that the American and English
tests are of no value. The German
tests are made in accordance with
war conditions.
o.