The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-29
WORLDS CRUISE
WRECKS WARsH|Ps
New York World Correspondent De.
clares That l6 Battleships
Are To Be Remodeled.

WASHINGTON, April 29.--ln
reply to criticisms Of the battle
ships which are now undergoing
alterations at the navy yards, Sec
rotary Meyer reiterated today the
statement that the fleet would be
united In June In az good war con-
dillon az ever.
BY that time the alterations de-
clded upon some time ago az q re-
suit Of the fleets trip around the
world, will have been completed.
Each battieship will have the two
flre control masts Of the waste
basket type, will be painted In war
color and will have the brass flo
ure heads removed. The after
bridges will also have been taxi
en- of and part Of the forward
bridges, reducing the top hamper
considerably. This reduction,
however, will make less than an
Inch difference In the water line
OF the vessels.
NEW YORK. April 29.-The New
York World today prints the follow
ing from its special correspondent at
Washington:
The navy department today an
nounced that the sixteen battleships
which made the trip around the world
are to be remodeled, thus practically
the reports that have been
current since the return Of the feet
that the voyage practically wrecked
the navy.
Since the return of the feet II has
been reported at various times that
masts had been sprung, that plates
were loosened, that the intricate cleo
trical machinery, including the fire
control, was hopeiessly out OF order,
and that other things had happened.
the navy department IN
sists that the ships stood the voyage
better than expected, which leaves
to the imagination what the original
or fear had been.
That sixteen battleships have been
laid up for repairs and that sixteen
are to be remodeled are
facts admitted by the navy depart
ment, and these facts seem to bear out
the reports that the United states
navy today IL practically useless anu
out of commission.
III the plans of the navy department.
are carried out 1t IL proposed to go
back TO first principles. In otner
words. II is proposed TO make OF the
l6 battleships a type something ike
the old monitor. save that the new
type will nave more free board. All
the cumbersome supcrstructure which
at present adorns the battleshtps ana
which affords q splendid mark to the
enemy's guns. will be taken on.
All that will appear above decks Will
be a turret fore and aft and the run
nels for the boilers and a wire waste
basket" tyne of mast. which VIII De
used for the lookouts.
1t Is asserted that this remodeling
is an admission that the armor belt
on the battleships was misplaced. me
raises the armor belt to a
point where 1t will become more Ell
feetive, because taking OF the super
structure will. 1t IL calculated, raise
the ships ore foot higher In the water
and consequently the armor belt VIII
be in the desired position. The chips
could not haYe been raised otherwise
without danger OF turning turtle or
becoming unseaworthy.
The fighting masts are to be dis
pensed with. They have not only
useless, but cumbersome and
easily put out of commission. On
the other hand 1t has been
nroyed that the wire basket type OF
mast is practically invulnerable and
may be purctured many times with
out danger cf collapse.