New-York tribune., 1908-08-30
TAKING UP AN OLD IDEA
DEEPER ARMOR FATORED.
May affect Future Battlesh'ps-
Other Nouy Yard Notes.


D. Griffin cornrnanding and the Dubuque, COM
nander John z. Craven commanding, OF a propei-
Ter each while The ships were on their way TO Ne"
York The Paducah one day out from Port
au-Prince when her port propeller went TO the bot
tom of the Atlantic and the Dubuque was coming
In from Portsmouth. N H. when her starboard
''fuke' found resting place at the bottom OF
Long Island Sound. AS result the latter snip Is
in Drydoek In the Brooklyn yard. having a
propeller fitted. while the Paducah. at Tomp-
kinsvie. Will take hers board deck load,
and have II put on at the Portsmouth yard. which
is really in Kittery, Me-. just across the Piscat-
aquis River. The ships twin sunboats, in a
class by themselves, their nearest relative being
the Marietta, which slightly lighter in tonnage
and a little heavier In engine power
There is the hustle of preparation board the
batteship New Hampshire. for she is due 70 leave
the yard next Saturday, and be put through her
acceptance trial PAGES over the Cape Ann course
September u. Captain Cameron MGR Win
slow. in command the Navy Department in
Washington on Tuesday in consultation On matters
relative 10 the trial.
Quite the most important incident OF the week in
which the yard is Interested was the forwarding
10 the President Thursday last OF the completed
plans for the battleships Florida and Utah,
which were authorized by Congress in the last ma
val bill These plans embody all the approved
suggestions discussed at the recent naval confer
ence at Newport, 1T is reasonably certain that
they will stand practically unchanged when bids
are asked for the construction of the Utah. which
is TO be built by contract at a private yard. The
President has the assistance OF his naval aid, Com
mander W S. Sims. and Lieutenant Albert l.. Key,
his former naval aid, In his examination OF the
plans II is expected that the Presidents approval
OF the plans will be received in time for actual
work on the Florida to begin this week.
LOWER ARMoR BELT
In this connection a member Of the Newport
board is quoted saying that certain naval off,
GERS made strong efforts toward having the de-
signs altered in favor OF a higher armor belt but
the idea was Overwhelmingly defeated. and there
was recommendation of a higher belt at
the expense OF arrnor below the waterline.
Then the armor belt future battleships VIII
remain as 1t is designed for battleships OF
the Delaware class7" was asked.
NO. was the prompt reply. The arnor belt
on future ships will be lowered There Will be
less thick arn1or above the waterline.'
And this brings up little bit Of naval history
More than twelve years ago. to be more exact on
March 8. 1896. Tho Tribune printed q full page
Of articles on guns, armor and ships. Francis T.
Bowles then the head Of the local bureau
Of construction and repairs. and OF his ablest
aids was Richmond Pearson Hobson, then a lieu
tenant in the navy. Representative in Con-
gress from Alabama Mr.. Hobson strenu-
GUS advocate Of lowering the depth Of the heavy
armor Of ships and in his paper. which formed
part OF the symposium alluded 10. he said:
The day is probably not very far distant when
nine inches OF will be overrna ched by
semi armor piercing protectiles. while there is
ta.nly progress already IN tho penetration of
ermor by the protectile carrying high explosives
The English disposition OF armor, though perhaps
offering better advantages for 10 day. will tend
TO become obsolete. while the French disposition
IS good for all time Thus In ell vessels with the
exception Of those enumerated (the Massenn. the
Bouvet the Cherlemagne the ST Louis and the
Gaulois). the vitals seriously menaced from
above
fr nat limit Cd $o hfa
s1one. lower edge Of side errnor ernerges in
usual at angle Of roll of below degrees.
while the vessels would when rolling double
that angle in only a moderate seawsy and when
the vessel rolls but moderately when a wave
trough passes along the sides there will be exposed
Iare. unarmored areas below the lower edge OF
arr1or abreast the vitals Along the vast of
this exposed there IL obstruction TO impede
even the smallest rapid fire projecte from reaching
the magazines and steering engines. while the coal
obstruction abreast the boilers and engines is made
ouate against rapid FIRE projecies of even reduced
calbres This exposure of the vtals from the sides.
which appears when rolling TO degree not infre-
oueutIy experienced even in the usual swell.
rrows rapidly IN seriousness the rises, and
in but moderate fighting seaway becomes by far
the greatest menace 10 the vessel OF usual type,
whose power Of locomotion. whose very existence,
stand. free though intermittent target to guns Of
all calibres.
NEW DESIGN ADVOCATED.
s-Ir the drauKht will not permit OF two arnlored
decks over the vitaIs then disposition should be
adopted resembling that Of the Majestic tBr1tishJ
class q distinct and new type, with side armor ex-
tending from ton feet below the waterline at &
tbIckness of three inches, tapering TO a maximum
NJ ten inches at the waterline, and thence to
,b,ctn.ss of five inches at a height above the
a+.r,in. nerroitted by the draft, with the single
nrotective deck dropped at the sides to five or six
feet below the waternne.
with the points set forth and the deductions
made from them by Mr. Hobson. Naval Con-
.,rrctor Croneau. OF France. agreed. and IN his
comment on the propositions said: I wrote q Few
vears ago. In my essay on Guns, Iorpedoes ana
aruoor, that the protection to be given TO the
water line s proportionate TO the protection az
forded to the guns
Ana after all these years Constructor Hobson's
idea is being taken up by the powers that De In
naval affairs.
II ,s expected now that the battleship Massa-
chuse,ts will be ready for commission some time
g., oc+ober the steam engineering work being prsc-
tically completed and the ION badni ~
work ahead the Scorpion as several paris hs1 OF
her engines need overhaulng, but IT Is n, narady @
keIy that the thing greatly desired py her
nfsicsrs and crew will get through this time That
is a new one ton refrgeratins plant to supplement-
the present half ton machine which is insu1ncient @
tnr fhe vessels needs its lack OF capacity being
resnonsible for several occasions when the freSh
food for the crew has been spoiled
.,otad 70 lose two valuable assistants, Civil En-
rtneer F. IA Brownell being ordered to take charge
Co, Erancisco about October 6. and Assistant Civil
Enqineer A. A. Baker, being ordered to the hens-
selaer POLYTECHNIC Institute. at Troy N. H. on
September L, for INSTRUCTION
MONROE DECEIVES OFFICERS.