The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-10
TESTIMONY UPON
 NAVAL AFFAIRS Location of Armor Belt Is Ois- cuSSed By Witnesses ADMIRAL GOODRICH TALKS Senator TiIIman Presses Questions Upon Goodrich Relative to Criti- cisms and Brings Out Sever-
 al Important Matters.
ADMIRAL GOODRICH TALKS

Washington, March 9.-Testimony was addueed today before the Senate commit tee on naval affairs which is investigating the criticisms of battleship construction showing the location of the armor belt of American battlesnips was too low. On the other hand letter from Secretary Met calf 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 tool occasion to declare that American bat tleships were superior to those of any oth- CT navy.
 The witnesses today were Lieut.. Richard D. White, assistant inspector of target practice, and Rear Admirals. George C. Remey and c. F. Goodrich. Lieutenant White was the first to take the stand. In reference to the location of the armor belt he said that if it were possible for a ship to get into action at the designea load draft the present location would ps about right, but it was his observation that ships had greater drafts than thos' designed. He thought the drafts would bi still greater under war conditions. His opinion was the same as that of Com mander Sims, who is the inspector ol target practice. Concerning the construc tion of turrets, he said that safety de. nands that the turret proper shall be structurally separate from the ammuni tion handling room. The two-stage hoist is one way to effect this, but he thought it might be possible to construct a di' rect hoist so that the handling room could be isolated He preferred the two-stage hoist and declared that the shutters now in use in the direct hoist are most inefficient" Describing the shutter, he said, it is so constructed that grains of powder could easily get through the slit for the lift rope in the event of ar accident overhead
 Letter From Metcalf.
 Chairman Hale read letter from Sec retary Metcalf stating that after tn, plans for the battleships Delaware an, North Dakota had been approved, an of ficer Gieutenant Commander Hi.D re commended that the armor belt should b, raised 30 inches. The department offered his criticism to the board on construc tion and the original designs were de cared to be right The officer made re joinder and the matter was then referred to Rear Admirals Brownson and Evans who also described that the belt was cor lectly located. Secretary Metcalf calle' | attention to the fact that the Delawar, | and North Dakota are to be equipped witt the two-stage holsts and there is n ground for further contention as to tn | location of the armor belt" Answerin: | general criticisms, Secretary Metcalf said l Our ships are not inferior type for typ | in their own period of constructions L other navies. On the other hand I con l slider in opinions expressed abroad tha | our ships are superior
 Rear Admiral George c. Remey, re 1 tired, told the committee he would locat l the armor belt with reference to tn ! proper load water line on the shi equipped to go into battle. He thought | the duty of a commander of a battle ship to have full stores on board if poss 1 ble in going into battle. He excepted coa but thought the bunkers should be a 1 least two-thirds full. He said he neve had believed in the open turret an thought the guns should be completel isolated from the ammunition handlin rooms. Though unfamiliar with tn hosts now used, he said he had no hes tancy in indorsng the interrupted hois He opposed sacrificing safety for rapidit 1 of fire.
 Goodrich Questioned.
 Admiral c. r. Goodrich, commander of the New York navy yard, was u I next witness Interest attached to h
 testimony, for after the publication the Reuterdahl article he said in an il terview that he had called attention yea
 before to such defects as were allege | by Reuterdahl. He asserted that he b.
 lieved the American ships to be goo
 and that they could be made better. + was asked by MT. Hale if he would sul
 scribe to Reuterdahl's statement that
 our ships went into action they wou
 be no better off than the Russian shil when they went into battle with the Jal | anese.
 "Oh, no sir" She replied his positi'