Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-06
Naval Critics Answered.


! is very convincing the Scientific Ameri-
| can ii, its latest issue answers in every
| detail the sensational attack made
| upon the battle worthiness of the
| American navy by a critic named
| Reuterdahl about the time when the
great fleet started upon its voyage to
the Pacific. The attack was not at all
upon the crews, but wholly upon
alleged structural defects of the great
battleships and it was charged that if
they should go into action they would
not be able TO uphold the glorious ira
| ditions of our naval service. To be
sure such charges were made before
the battle of Manila bay and the fight
off Santiago and the voyage of the
Oregon, and they were shown to be
wholly without foundation. But that
was a decade ago and we have a new
navy since then, and fashions change
| in battleships as well as in other
| things. The American people are
proud Of their navy and Mr. Reuter-
danl's charges caused no little uneasi-
ness.
! Some of Mr.. Reuterdahl's statements
are fatty contradicted by the Scientific
| American; others are turned to his
| disadvantage. To the average reader
the reasoning of the Scientific Ameri-
can seems founded upon substance and
~. The most serious imperfection
in the structure of American battle
ships, said Mr.. Reuterdahl, was found
in the undergraduates of the armor
belt, which, on all of the first class
vessels, scarcely reached above the
water line. In heavy seas, he declared.
L shell tossed into the unprotected
hulk several inches above the point of
contact with the surface of The sea
would hc sufficient to sink the ship,
tons Of water being taken in through
the aperture at each downward plunge
IiS NSItibttlS navy
the foregoing statement All of the
newer type ships display from is
inches to II feet Of heavy armor above
thu water line, says that publication
Further, it is declared, the most vul
nerable line of a ship is where the hull
energies from the water and two or
three feet downwards towards the
keel. A puncture any place along this
belt would be fatal. Here the heaviest
nrmor is laid. At greater depth steel
protection is unnecessary, the water
itself serving TO defect any projectile
merged portion of the ship.
While the armor plate extends high
enough above the water line to receive
the full wash of all but the highest
seas, ii also goes sufficiently far below
the Surface to protect the lower por-
ton of the hull which may be dis
played by the pitch of the waves.
Mr. Reuterdahrs assertion that the
armcr belt sinks ont of view when the
snip Is loaded with the customary bal
last, also is controversial
The Scientific American assures the
charges are ungrounded. His state
ment that the ffeebotrd of American
ships is so low as to render the YES
sells practically helpless in heavy
weather is pronounced as being abb
Surd His declaration that the fight
ing decks Of the foreign navies are
from 90 to HS feet above the surface of
the ocean is 4 deliberate rnisrapresen-
tation The heavy guns of American
than those Of the German, French,
japanese or English navies.
But one point of Mr.. Reutcrdahl's
arraignment is admitted con-
CerEicg the open shafts leading from
the turrets to the magazines But
thas,, points out the Scientific Ameri-
can, are protected by a special appa-
ratus which at the time the vessels
We're constructed was entirely ade-
quate Now conditions, which had not
been anticipated few years ago.
make necessary further safeguards.
At present, however, engineers are
vorking upon devices which are in
tended to eliminate this danger. Mr..
RcuterdahrS criticism has done no
harm to tie navy, even if his asser-
tons are groundless. He ut least
brought about an investigation which
will give us more confidence in the
wisdom of our naval experts.
An exchange notes the interesting
fact that the Baltimore and Ohio rail-