El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-04
Recent Naval Progress
AMERICAS TWO NEW BATTLESHIPS THE
MOST POWERFUL FIGHTERS IN THE WORLD

HE authorization by congress of
the building of two new $1,000
ton battleships marks the highest
notch in naval progress yet reached
Cne of these ships will be as large as
two of the best which took part in the
Spanish-American war. In gun power,
ii will surpass the strength of any
! three of The ships which helped to sink
Cevera'S fleet off the coast OF Cuba
The fourteen inch guns which these
new monsters will mount are powerful
beyond anything yet known TO naval
ordnance With a 365-pOund charge of
smokeless powder, of an explosive force
compared with which dynamite seems
as harmless as saWdust, they hurl
400 pound shell through the air at an
initial velocity of nearly One-half mile
a second. So great is the force with
which this shell is propelled that it has
a possible range of nearly % miles.
At seven miles it will pierce the heaviest
armor that covers the hull of any bat
tIeship in any European navy.
At every broadside of these two ships
their 20 fourteen-inch guns will hurI
II tons OF metal against the opposing
fleet. This metal will be propelled by
nearly eight tons Of powder, and the
aggregate cost Of each broadside will
represent more than the annual salary
of the admiral of the navy
English Guns powerful.
1t is claimed by the English that they
stand ahead of all the rest of the world
in the manufacture of powerful guns.
They use the wire wound method OF
gun manufacture. The guns consist of
a comparatively small steel tube wrap
ped with wire. It is asserted that when
thus made the guns can stand a pres
sure of from 90 to 100 tons to the inch,
as compared with a pressure of from s
to A tons TO the inch in the case of
steel jacketed guns such as are used
in the American navy American ord
nance experts do not agree with those
of England in this particular, and while
they admit that the life and safety OF
the British guns may give them some
advantage yet they assert that these
advantages are counterbalanced by 9TH
ers in favor of the American guns.
Estimated Costs Differ.
There is wide difference of opinion
as to what the actual cost of the new
battleships is to be. 1t was asserted
recently by senator Hale, who for
long time was chairman of the naval
committee, that the ultimate cost Of
each vessel would be between S16,0G0.000
and s1S,000,000 On the other hand the
present chairman of the committee,
senator Perkins of California, declared
that the cost would not be more than
SS,UUU,UUU IOT SdCu snip 1-dlCAs ScAidhOA
Lodge said that s11, 900 900 would APP
proximate the actual cost.
If the experience of the past may be
taken as a criterion. the figures stated
by senator Hale will more neaBfy repre-
sent the ultimate cost than those given
by senator Perkins. But however much
they may cost it is but little as COM
pared with the outlay in their upkeep.
In times of peace they will require the
services Of a thousand men, and an out
lay of s1,00O,000 a year for maintenance.
This outlay will be exceeded TO a con-
siderable extent in time of war.
Great Progress In Armament.
So rapid has been the progress in ma
val armament in the past decade that
the last word of yesterday in battleship
building goes almost unreckoned today.
Even the great Dreadnought, which
but a few years ago was the talk OF
naval circles throughout all the world.
and the admiration and despair of eve
ry rival of John Bull, today seems hope
lessIy eclipsed by the monsters that
are being authorized by the various
governments Two of the battleships
Just authorized by the American con-
gress would make more than three like
the first English DTeadnought.
Efficiency Increased.
Not only have battleships grown in
size and in the strength of their guns,
but also In their efficiency Inc use Oh
steam turbines instead of the reciprO-
eating engine has brought about won
derful Improvement in speed and econo-
my of coal. The Delaware of 10000
tons displacement. burns less coal than
the Connecticut Of $4,000 tons. The
Massachusetts with tonnage of slight
" more than half as much as that OF
the Delaware, required more fuel to
steam 16 knots an hour than the Della
RI Sfn
hour.
This same condition of economy has
been found to be possible in other
branches of battleship operation. In
the matter of lubricating oil a vast
saving has been effected and as a big
battleship uses thousands of gallons of
oil year, the importance of this item
Is not to be overlooked. On some of the
newer vessels oil is forced into the
bearing of the machinery under heavy
pressure. This has been instrumental in
effecting great savings through the
overcoming of hotboxes and similar