The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-10-16


deck.
All the baking is done Observation-Disclosures
motors operate the dough mixers, and dough
kneaders. while the lOaves baked In electrical
ly heated ovens. Next visit the electric laun.
dry with Its many ingenious machines electrically
driven. Electricity also plays its part in other
places. such the crews library. reading room
and recreation quarters; the barber shop: the
sick bay. with Its uptOlate operating room; Capt.
A. l.. Wizards quarters. the officers wardrooms,
etc.
The New Mexico las IL l4-inch guns and
many OF smaller calber. including a battery Of
antiaircraft guns. The larger cnliber guns, three
In each Of four turrets. operated by electric
ity. The turrets revolved and the guns ele-
waited by electric motors Ammunition hoists
electrically md there are electric gun leaders.
while even the big guns fired by electrical
means. but the smaller caliber guns generally
oprated by hand.
In examining into the control of these great
batteries of destruction. come to one Of the
most Interesting spots on the shp-the coming
tower Navy regulations designed to withhold
important matters Of military design. forbid us
from obtaining picture of the coming tower
But II is permissible to describe II briefly. The
coming tower is well-shaped SHIFT extending
perpendicularly through the ship from top TO bot
tom with ladders running up and down the sides
and convenient methods of transmitting instruc
lions by means OF Indicators and telephones. Dur
ing nm action the vessels commanding officer
usually stations himself in this tower which Is
also known OF several fire-contrOl stations
and transmits Instructions.
Up of the mnsts encounter of
the big eyes of the sip-nn electrical eye which
can for miles In inky darkness. The current
for the operation of the senrchlight come. from
one OF the turbO generators heretofore described
Is the electrical propulsion of marine vessels
opening up an entirely new Of scientific ad-
vancement and will the day come when the seven
seas will be dotted with electric ships? So far as
our own navy Is concerned Secretary Daniels
expressed the essence Of the Idea when he said:
II think this country has to be proud Of
this achievement In engineering. not alone because
of the pronounced success In this particular In
stance (referring to the New MexicO). but because
of the assurance 1t gives Of the superiority Of
our capital ships to those Of foreign countries."
lathe New Mexico is the first and only dread
naught of any nation to have electrically operated
propeuing machinery" continued Secretary DAN
ieIs. ION this account she has been an object Of
SURPRISING interest to the officers of navy
and to those of foreign navies well. and to
electrical engineers In general.
THE result was satisfactory from every point
of view and confirmed the judgment of all who
were In any way concerned in its design and adop-
ton. There was not the slightest mishap with any
part of 1t, everything worked to perfection and
the crew was enthusiastic over the performance
of the machinery as Is the department proud In
the possession of such an efficient dreadnaught.
when entered into contract for the ma
chinery stipulated that, in addition to being
capable OF developing the maximum power. she
should also give economy at cruising speed
very much SUPERIOR to that obtainable with the tur-
bine installations previously used. This stringent
requirement also met. AS matter of fact.
the New Mexico will steam at ten knots on less
fuel than the best turbine-driven ship that pre-
coded her.
Anyway, electrical engineers are now turning
their attention to the adoption of similar prnci-
pies to the driving Of merchant ships and to large
passenger vessels