The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-05
SUBMARINE MEN TAKE ISSUE WITH u. s. NAVAL EXPERT
Captain WinterhaIter's Report Founded on Maximum Re-
 quirements, They Say.
Underwater Vessels Should Not Be Run at Highest
 Speed For Best Results.

Following the publication of data on submarines prepared by Capt AL bert @. Winterhalter, U. s. N., and presented yesterday at Washington to the house committee on naval affairs, in which it was generally stated that submarines now in use in our navy are in much disrepair. and specifically stating among defects of submarines not made in Bridgeport that the G-1, i G-2 and G-3 Galxe boats1 were weak I in engine foundation and tank tops experts here today rose to the defense
 of submarines
 While Simon Lake; or officers of the
 Lake Torpedo Boat Company, were
 non-eomrnunicative other experts,
 speaking individually, asserted that some Of the statements must neces-
 sariIy be inaccurate
 Bringing forward for example the i G-1 in which it was said that engine ] foundations and tank tops were found
 to be Estructurally weak and had to be
 reinforced, it was claimed that such
 could not have been a fact for that
 boat on it's government test had made a worlds record in diving to a depth Of 266 feet below the surface. When
 it is realized that the pressure at this depth is no pounds to the square inch,
 experts declare tElat no structural | weakness could be shown.
 Taking up the defense of boats of
 other makes, the local mechanics seen today stated that much of the diff1-
 culty arose from the fact that the 1 government demands these boats to
 be run at full specification speed rath-
 CT than at 8. moderate speed, suitable
 to all occasions, under which they
 would function perfectly.
 The submarine was contraSted with l a fine watch or other delicate mech
 anism which in the hands of experts
 could be made to do much that in the hands of serni-experienced mechanics ! could not be effected without eventual 1 breakdown. While in trial tests sl1b-
 marines could be operated by the ex- perts in charge up to- and even above,
 requirements, yet the navy at the ] present time with the well known en- I zine troubles should not expect them ] to operate at maximum always, but
 rather should run them in a manner I that is known to be perfect. It was I said that if run at an average of Il I knots every submarine in the navy 1 will give absolute satisfaction but that
 if forced continually under the present l state of engine building they will con- Il tinue to give trouble.
 Resenting that part of the commu- i;nfcation which stated that engine l Foundations are weak, it was predict I ed that the government engineers will Fyet find that the foundations are solid. 1 as such accomplishment is easy, but ] that the real trouble lies in engine bore pressure.
 The assertion that leaaxy valves should have caused two submarines to have a marrow escape from foun- Il dering in 1904 was cond demned as a I marking back far into the past, as ,l much progress had been made in con-
 str11ction since that date. notably in the use of the double valves. It was 1 recalled that on a big battleship al lsnJ ewport last summer. 1ea11y valves flooded an engine room and a court martial was called to establish respon-
 sibility.
 Since that date tank construction 1 had changed and inside tanks were made strong enough to resist external I water pressure and consequently these
 difficulties have been obyiated-