The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-15
TO MAKE SHIPS
UNSUITABLE
.-,..
Plan Was Tested on Board the
North Carolina,
COMPRESSED AIR USEO,

Engineer Asserts II Will Buoy Up
Vessel After Collision - Captain
Marsh Thinks the Method May Revo-
Iutionizs Naval Warfare.
A method for keeping water from en-
tering ships through holes by compress
ed air was tested on board the North
Carolina while she was in the Hudson
river during the recent mobilization Of
warships at New York. Captain G. G..
Marsh, commander of the North Caro-
lima, conducted the experiment in per-
son. Afterward he spoke enthusiastic
eally of the method. He says it will
prevent vessels from going to the bot
iom following collisions or when hit 10y
torpedoes or mines. He thinks it will
revolutionize marine warfare
The method does not depend on any
device or mechanical invention. 1t is
merely an adaptation to the compart-
ments of ships of the science of air
pressure as already applied to tunnel
building The young engineer to whom
the method first occurred and who
helped Captain Marsh apply it to the
North Carolina is W. w. Wotherspoon,
one of the engineers of the New York
subway as well as of the East river
and the Pennsylvania tubes.
The method consists of sealing up
the compartment in the vessel where
the hole is. Compressed air is then
forced into it through a tube, which
has already been installed and connect
ed with the air compressors Of the yes
sci, such as on battleship are used to
expel explosive gases from guns after
firing.
Engineer Explains.
According to Mr.. Wotherspoon, II
takes only from three to twenty
pounds pressure a square inch to force
out all the water in the compartment
to the level of the hole.
The trouble with putting twenty
pounds a square inch pressure into IA
ships compartment is that it will cause
the deck above or sides of the compart-
ment to buckle and that is where Mr.
Wotherspoon's method comes in. In
order to keep the decks and bulkheadS
around the damaged compartment from
"
the adjoining compartments. This, it
is said, keeps the deck above and the
bulkheads between compartments in
place.
If the water tight compartments of
vessels were always really air tight the
discovery and use of the new method.
according to Captain Marsh, would not
be so important, but water tight com
partments never are really water tight.
No matter how tightly compartment
is locked up on a vessel, practical eX-
perience always shows, according to
Captain Marsh, that the water finds
it's way into other compartments just
as it did in the case of the i'll fated
Republic.
''If the captain of the Republic had
understood the method we have tried
today and if the different compart-
ments of his ship had been equipped
with the simple system of pipes. air
gauges and air compressors we have
used the vessel would never have
sunk" said Captain Marsh.
Assisted by Mr.. Wotherspoon Captain
Marsh tried the experiment on a for
ward compartment on the North Caro-
lima under the protection deck. When
the seacocks were opened and the wa
ter was allowed to rush in and fill the
compartment the vessel listed to star
board a trifle. Compressed air was
then forced into the tank. In about
ten minutes after the air pump was
started there was no water in the tank.
Captain Marsh's Opinion.
simultaneously with the exertion OF
the twelve pound pressure in the sup
posedly damaged compartment a seven
pound pressure was pumped into all
the surrounding compartments, thus
keeping the decks and bulkheads safe,
A three pound pressure similarly was
exerted in the compartments next to
those IN which the seven pound pres
sure was used.
"This new method will revolutionize
the business of ship saving" said Cap
tain Marsh. when l applied to the
navy department recently to be allowed
to try out the method l asked it to
send me some pipes and air gauges, so
that / could connect every compart-
ment on my vessel with the air com
pressing plant.
"When mas making the experiment
this morning the attention of the man
at the air gauge wandered for a min
ute, and a few too many pounds pres
sure got into one of the compartments,
The result was that the deck above be-
gan buckling and would have burst had
the sailor not noticed what was hap
pening and given the signal to turn the
pressure off.
Every battleship in the navy can
make itself practically unsuitable by
applying to Washington for $125 worth
of supplies in the shape of pipes and
gauges. This new method will permit
us in naval action or after a collision
10 repair all holes beneath the water
line from the inside"
Harvard Plans Great New Library.