El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-27
j. s. TOFURNISH
SUBMARINE PLAN
Method of Making Bids for
Undersea Craft Changed,
Navy Report Shows.

Washington. d. c. Dec. 27.-Bids for
Submarines for the United States navy
will hereafter be asked on the basis
Of plans prepared by the naNaI Con-
strUctors. Heretofore the navy merely
has asked for bids for submersloleS 70
perform certain service and the ulq.
ders have furnished the plans; Inc oi1
practice of submitting to bidders ohly
the general requirements OF the navy
will be abandoned, but that VIII hot
prevent bidders holding patents from
submitting alternative bids ana pc
tween the two the navy may make us
choice The fact that such progress
in submarine construction mas oeen
made by the navys own conslI NC I3
to permit of such a departure is dis
closed in the annual report OF rear ad-
miral David W. Taylor, CHIEF OF inc
bureau of construction and repair
Big Submarines Designed.
The design completed oy the Du 80, -
was that OF the Schley, the Dig Iteet
submarine now building at the ore
River yard, Quincy. Mass, ana WhlcH
will be commissioned in the spring OF
preparing plans for two other even
larger underwatercrafL pFopaoE ~
displace 100 to 1900 tons, which were
authorized this year
of the reorganization of the SUD
marine service admiral Taylor says
The recently inaugurated change IN
the administration of the suomarl mes
of the fleet is working very We'll Inc
bureau no longer receives general al
legations of WOrthlessneSs with no
helpful suggestions, but is furnisned
definite statement as to Wnat trou-
bles have occurred and valuable SuS-
gestions for improvement progress
under such conditions is certain anu
rapid" -,
ments made during the year in searcn
of adequate defence for battlesnlps
against submarine and airplane attack
and adds that specifications for the
ships next to be purchased nave oeeh
materially improved" -
Ships Of the California and later
classes have been designed with the
comfort OF the crew in view Ihey
have reading and recreation rooms for
the men as well as laundries ana IN
proved culinary and washing arrange
ments.
Model Basin for Tests
The various activities of the bureau
are well shown in the report IN oeai,
| ing with the model basin, where nun
designs are tested, the wind tunhel,
where aeroplane experiments are hlaue
and other experimental equipment
! Twenty percent of the work done last
/ year in the model basin was for pri-
vate shipbuilders who are learning OF
/ the advantage this adjunct of the navy
/ has been to its designers. A device
! to simulate storm conditions and waEe
/ motions is now being installed in the
| tank.
of aircraft design the report SAYS:
1.-The development of the airplane
! seems to be in the direction of larger
| weight CAPACITY and greater speed ana
l in this respect is repeating the history
! Of the development of warships-
The department has designed ana pc
: gun construction of an airplane 10
carry 200 pounds as means 10 oeVeiop
Z knowledge of this subject among its
/ engineers
Recovery of the F-4.
The recovery OF the wrecked SUD
marine F-4 at Honolulu is regarded oy
I navy experts as an unequaled accom-
3 plishment The success OF the opera
lions was in part due to extensive tests
| year, beginning with experiments IN
! laboratory tank where pressure was
! arranged to equal that at depths never
before reached by divers Chief gunner
Stillson, the navy's crack DIVER, al,
rected the work and the later actual
diving at sea which showed what nae
Z been accomplished Still greater
Z achievements are hoped for as result
The report points out the high stand
ard of efficiency made by bureau en-
ploves il being known that no vessel
designed by the navy has shown over
weight during the last II years, a rec
ord no private company nor the de-
8 signers Of any other government have
/ edualed. Rerating of bureau employees
I is asked in order that some nope OF
| advancement may be given them ano
| an increase in personnel TO DO away
! with the voluntary overtime the report
! declares they have cheerfully rendered
navy wards who has been forced fol
months 10 work for u hours every
dav including Sundays, is cited as
showing the shOrt-handed condition oil
the force while the naval establishment
has been steadily increasing