Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-10
The Government at
Work-The Navy
Department.

are so accurately made that the American
sailor has been able to fire five rounds
with them at n distance OF ten miles all
five Of the shots hitting within a field 100
yards long. In the Santiago battle, Ad-
miral Evans estimates only per cent Of
the shots hit. In recent naval practice the
American gunner has hit from 90 TO 50 per
cent and Admiral Evans thinks that 20 per
cents OF hits would be registered IN actual
war. The guns OF the Connecticut shoot five
times as fast as did those OF the oregon at
Santiago, and Fighting Bob figures that in
five minutes the Connecticut would hurl
5000 pounds OF steel against the enemies
vessels, whereas the oregon landed only
100 pounds. And yet the Connecticut IL be-
hind the North Dakota and her sister
ships.
The newst guns in the navy are to use
14-inch projeotlles Weighing 100 pounds.
and their recou will be equivalent TO @,0O0
foot-tons The guns are made Of nickel
steel, and are rifled to make them shoot
straight. The riflng consists of grooves
which start straight At the breech, but
turn once every twenty-five feet In a IL
inch gun There is a copper band soldered
fast to the she'll, which fits in the riflng
grove and as the she'll speeds onward IL
is made to turn around once for every
twenty-five feet in moves. The ordnance de-
partment also engaged In providing a supply
OF torpedoes for use in the event OF war The
head OF these are prepared to be filled
with gun cotton, the center contains
chamber for sufficient compressed air 90
drive the torpedo 1900 yards, and the rear
end has a compressed air engine, two pro-
pellers and a gyroscope. The compresseo
air drives the floating rudders. by main
tanning itself parallel to the intended line
! OF flight at all times. Another instrument
registers the pressure OF the water, and il
| connected with other rudders which pre-
vent the torpedo from going too deep into
the water or too far out of It,
| The bureau OF construction and repair
is responsible for the structural strength
and stability Of naval vessels. and designs
and superintends the building, fitting and
| repairing of the ships Of the navy. The
| bureau Of steam engineering supervises all
machinery details OF the navy except In
the case Of electrical apparatus. The
bureau of medicine and surgery looks after
the health OF the men who constitute the
naval service.
The task OF supplying the ratlons Of the
navy and all things which do not strictly
pertain to the equipment Of war vesseli
comes under the jurisdiction OF the bureau
Of supplies and accounts. The single item
Of coal costs NOOOOO0, and years supply
would require 400 fiftX-car trains to trans
port It, each car carrying fifty tons.
The photographic office has charge Of
all work of surveying the harbors and
coasts Of this country, not included in the
continental shore line; the collection Of
foreign surveys for the information Of
American naval and merchant marine Of.
flcials; the publication and supply OF
Oh nd
works and the dissemination Of nautical
and Photographic information. It keep
track Of all derellcts floating on the high
seas BY having bottles. thrown overheard
containing requests for their return It in
vestigates the currents of the sea. II has
more than 100000 worth of plates for
printing nautical charts.
The naval observatory looks after the
question of time on shipboard, furnishing
all navigating officers with full equipment
of astronomical charts and other informa-
ton to enable them safely to navigate the
seas under all sorts and conditions of
weather. All chronometers and compaases
are tested at the observatory, The varia-
ton OF a single second in the time Of a
chronometer would throw the calculation
Of a ships position full mile out OF kill
ter and this might decide a battle or turn
the tide OF war.
The Navy department is the world
: greatest user Of wireless telegraphy, hav-
ing $4,000 invested in wireless equipment
This amount will he doubled within few
years. The instruments are so tuned up
that outside instruments cannot gather its
! messages unless they come within 3 per
p cent Of having the same number OF vibra-
lions per second. 1t 10 the intention OF the
department ultimately to have four bis
wireless towers, with a range Of 5000 miles
One Of these will be located at Washing
ton, another at Panama, another at Homo.
lulu and the fourth on the western coast
OF the United States. This would enable
the Navy department to keep in touch
with its vessels in all parts Of the world
at all times 1t is intended, furthermore
to equip two or three large scout cruisers
with similar wireless outfits 80 that on
land and sea the United States will hAv,
the greatest system OF wireless telesraphy
, in the world.
~ FREDERIO J.tEABEIN.
TomorrOwi The Government &C work
VnI-pepartment OF Interior.