The sun., 1919-06-15


an improvement, and offered the de-
sign for adoption. That action started
one Of the most bitter of departmental
rows, and before the fire of antagon-
ism subsidized there was a substantial
redistribution Of bureau responsible
tiles.
Eventually one angle of the tight
which became four sided. involving
the bureaus of steam engineering
and OF equipment~-led to the
abolition of the latter. The double
deck turrets of the Kearsarge and
Kentucky were vigorously condemned,
and, while a modified form was i'm
posed upon a few later battleships in
an effort to improve and to justify the
scheme. II was pretty generally recog-
nized throughout the service that the
design suffered from serious inherent
defects that would gravely impair the
fighting efficiency Of any craft carry
Ing it.
The Alabama, Illinois and Wis
! consin were authorized in 1896. and to
obtain slightly increac ID speed, better
sea keeping qualities and a higher
, freeboard upon a displacement sub
, stantially identical with that OF the
! Kearsarge and Kentucky certain
! seeming sacrifices were made. Among
these was the abandonment of the
S-inch gun and placing the main re-
lance for long range work upon four
13-inch rifles.
The S-inch gun had by that
time lost favor because It stood be-
tween the principal guns of the main
battery and the force OF the large rapid
fire pieces. having neither the pound
ing power of the first at long range
nor the capacity to maintain the with
ering attack of the latter at the
shorter distances. Further. the 6-inch
| gun had been made a more for
midable weapon, and fourteen Of these
were logically considered more desira-
BILE than an equal number OF 6-inch
rapid fire guns such as had been as
signed to the two preceding ships, the
Kearsarge and Kentucky.
All OutcIassed To-day.
Finally we come to the Maine, Mis-
souri, and Ohio. authorized in 1898.
These ships were considered an ad-
vance upon the Alabama, Illinois and
1
lengths twenty feet II was possible to
amplify their motive power and to
raise the speed more than a knot
Further. twelve inch guns OF a newer
pattern supplanted the thirteen inch
guns ordered for the three earlier
craft. These twelve inch guns devel-
oped 10000 foot tons more muzzle en-
ergy and permitted the stowage of a
greater number Of rounds of ammuni-
ton. II was in 1898 that Kruppized
armor came into being and for q given
thickness offered more protection
than the hitherto accepted Harveyized
steel. For that reason the sheltering
walls Of steel were made somewhat
thinner than in the cases OF the Ala
bama, Illinois and Wisconsin.
To-day. measured by the existing
standards of speed. armor defence and
powers Of attack, none OF this group OF
twelve battleships would be of any
value in meeting a modern force OF
dreadnoughts or battle cruisers-they
would be outranged, outgunned and
outmaneuvred. Therefore there Is
both technical and economic warrant
for their retirement from the active
| hCCI 4hoif Couipiculeuto Cdl tOT oOe
officers. 672 marines and 1904 blue
Jackets. a total personnel OF 8,784
We can make a much better use OF
these officers and trained men aboard
the typically up to date vessels Of our
several battle squadrons
Just what disposition IL to be made
of these old craft is not yet fully de-
termined. AS they stand they repre-
sent an original outlay OF substan-
TALLY s64,600.o00. and this sum has
been measurably increased durina
their service by the installing of new
guns. by notifications and by general
overhauling from time to time invoiv-
ing the addition OF special equipment
Of various kinds 1t Is safe to say that
they haye called for an aggregate ex-
penditure OF quite 100000 Certain
It is these vessels should NOT be
strapped In the literal sense OF the
term. There are several uses to which