New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-14

became involved in the present war,
some Of her battleships had become
rusty as thcv lay moorcd for months
against wharves.
"ptorlc who criticise our navy are
liable 20 lose sight Of the fact that
this Atlantic fcct has been doing suN
work iu the last few months. We have
had 60 work hard Cor hours al n
stretch. IN target practice Sunday has
slipped by uruotced, because y brought
Just as much work as weekday :
You are mighty busy when you forget
that Sunday is with you. As result
OF this work. believe that our feet is
ready for anything that may happen.
III the order came this afternoon,
we could have steam up IN half an hour,
and we would he on the move as soon
as our crew could be assembled
Glow about ammunition ~ the officer
was asked.
Il can't leg YOU see for yourself, be
cause tne key 10 our magazines is in
the possession Of the commander. The
iron doors are opened once day for
inspection 90 see that temperature in
the magazines is just right. But you
can take my word for i've have an
enormous quantity Of shells and
powder on the Kansas. As soon as we
get in range Of the enemy, they will
know we ave there"
Having warmed up 70 his theme. the
officer continued TO lay down the three
cardinal principles Of navy efficiency
as rc saw them.
First YOU must have good engineer
.nC See that big red e on our after
,tacko That stands for the best re
cord in engineering in the feet. We
know that the Kansas is equipped with
Tho vherewithal to get somewhere.
But you cant hc sure whore you are
going unless you have good navigation.
That's the second essential. With
your navigation sure and your engi-
ueer.ng woreing in perfect order you
need one thing more to be Efficient as
a lighting machine. That's good gun
merry. What's the use Of sighting the
enemy. chasing up 10 her and then
end that your guns will not do any
thing TO her.
What Guns Can Do.
cone Of these Pinch fellows he
added, banging the big steel cylinder
with his first "is good for a range of
1900 yards They viii prove effective
20 any distance up to that We can fire
TWO shots minute, or one in % sec
onds. 20 be exact. Fourtcen-inch guns
on the New York and Texas are not
much more effective than the Pinch
guns. ] have not much faith in the
worth Of 16-inch guns now talked about
for future super-dreadnought construc-
ton"
To win that coveted token Of eff
cheney in engineering on her smoke
stack the Kansas went through waves
rolling as high as the captains bridge.
Last January. when the Kansas was
order to START her twenty-fOur hour
speed contest she had just encountered
terrific storm off the Virginia capes.
There was nothing TO do but make the
test under unfavorable circumstances.
So Captain II. r. Bryan gave orders
90 go ahead full speed regardless Of
the storm Soon the helmsman report
cd that the bridge was taking on
green water
Coming up,' was Captain Bryan's
lacon!c reply through the speaking
tube. As he climbed the ladder to the
bridge an iron arm wrested from the
scmaphore apparatus for signalling
struck him on the head and foot, al
most knocking him TO the deck. After
Captain Bryan finished a weeks con-
fncmcnt in the hospital he learned
that his battleship had stood up under
that hattcrinC.
Tonight al II o'clock will be Navy
Night AZ Bustanoby's Metamora Club,
no West Thirty-ninth Street. All the
officers Of the fleet and Billy the
goat mascot Of the Delaware, have been
invited. Arrangements have been made
10 transport Billy and his attendant
10 q taxi.