New-York tribune., 1909-10-24
OUR DREADN0UGHT'S GREAT SPEED;
PLANNING STILL LARGER BATTLGSHiPS
GRE1TEST FIGHTING
SHIP 1aFLO4T.
Nag BE of $1,000 Tons. zcith
Battery of I4-IHch
Guns.
IRON The tribune Bureau. ]

ltF1m LNe IF-pune ENEeAu
Washington. Oct. 23-The designers OF
naval vessels are awaiting with much
interest the results of the trial Of the
first 14-inch gun. which is being built az
the Midvale Steel Works. near PhiIa-
delphia. and viii be tested at tn naval
proving grounds at Indian Head early
In January BY that time the naval
officials will probably know something
of the intention Of Congress in regard to
increase of the navy. The recommenda-
ton of Secretary Meyer will probably be
in favor # two battleships. since that IS
the advice given him by the Naval Gen.
eral Board and tht Board on Construc-
tion.
The experts differ regarding the main
battery of the great battleship to be de-
signed A conservative view is in favor
of duplicating the ships for which con-
tracts have just been made-that is. 26.-
coo tons displacement. with twelve T.
inch guns. The same size of ship could be
built to carry ten 14-inch guns, but it Is
question whether it is not more ad-
vantageOus in a naval engagement to
have twelve 12-inch instead of ten IL
inch guns The alternative which is
favored by some progressive officers is
30.O0Oton battleship. such as has al
ready been described in these dispatches.
carrying twelve 14-inch guns. This
would be the largest and most powerful
battleship afiOat or under design, so far
as the naval officers know
There are many questions, however,
which must be considered in this matter
Of design for the new oattleships It is
not merely question Of power. Ships
beyond certain displacement bring into
the problem the size of existing or pro-
jected drydocks. and at present there is
no drydoclS under construction or in ex-
istence which wouid take in the 50. .0O0-
ton battleship- The drydocks now being
built, notably the one at the Puget
Sound navy yard. and the new naval
station at Pearl HarbOr. in the Hawaiian
Islands, are so designed that they nav
be extended in length, but some Of the
experts maintain that the length OF a
dock is by no means a factor to be con-
sidered- A S0OOO-ton battIeship whici1
has been disabled in an engagement
would. OF course. go to the dock with
much greater draft than the normal.
and it might not be easy TO patch up
such ship ana ht her out so as to en-
able her to go Yer the sill of the dock.
Still another feature which must be
considered is the width OF the locks Of
the Panama Canal. which have been de-
signed for 10 feet on the advice OF the
Naval General Board. This board was
consulted by the engineers Of the canal
when the possibilities Of battIeship in
crease for some time TO come were taken
into consideration Already there is a.
prospect of a 3O,OOO-ton battleship with
its beam close to 100 feet. It is signif-
can't. the naval officers say. that the Ger
man government is now rebuilding the
locks OF the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal so as
to widen them for military purposes from
80 TO 147 feet.
In the matter of batteries for the new
ships. no doubt is entertained by the
naval ordnance officers regarding the
superiority of the 14-inch as conpared
with the 12-inch gun. 1t will throw a
greater weight of metal in the form Of
projectiles and will have a correspond
tngly greater range, thus enabling a
hattleship so armed to do damage to an
enemy having only Pinch guns. and
keep out of the range of the latter. That
is the prime consideration. and il is a
question which no one has decided
whether under these conditions ten IA
inch guns would or would not be a mora
effective battery than twelve 12-inch
guns.