Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-01-10

between the bottom of the ship and the main
deck.
All the baking is done OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
motors operate the dough mixers, and dough
kneaders, while the loaves baked in electrical
Iy heated ovens. Next visit the electric laun
dry with its many ingenious machines electrically
driven. Electricity also plays its part in other
places such as the crews library reading room
ana recreation quarters the barber shop; the
sick bay with its up-todate operating room; Capt
A. L. Wizards quarters. the officers wardroOms
etc
The New Mexico has 70 14-inch guns and
many of smaller calber. including battery OF
anti-aircraft guns The larger caber guns, three
In each of four turrets, operated by electric
ty. The turrets are revolved and the guns ele-
waited by electric motors Ammunition hOists run
electrically and there are electric gun leaders,
while even the big guns are fired by electrical
means, but the smaller callber guns generally
oprated by hand.
In examining into the control of these great
batteries of destruction, we come to one of the
most interesting spots on the ship-the coming
tower. Navy regulations designed to withhold
impo tant matters of military design, forbid US
from obtaining a picture of the coming tower
But 1t is permissible to describe 1t briefly. The
coming tower is well-shaped shaft extending
perpendcu'arly 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 an action the vessels commanding officer
usually stations himself in this tower which IL
also known as one of several fre-control stations
and transmits instructions.
Up on of tie masts we encounter one of
the big eyes of the ship-an electrical eye which
can for miles in iuky darkness The current
for the operation Of the searchlight comes FROM
one of the urbo- generators heretofore described
Is the electrical propulsion of marine vessels
opening up entirely new era Of scientific ad-
vancemcnt and will the day come when the seven
seas will be dotted with electric ships? So far as
our navy is concerned Secretary Daniels
expressed the essence of the 'dca when he said:
81 think this country has cause , be proud Of
this achievement in engineering. not alone because
of the pronounced success in this particular in
stance (rcferring to the New Mexico. but because
of the assurance it gives US Of the superiority Of
our capital ships to those Of foreign countries"
THE New Mexico is the first and only dread
naught of any nation to have electrically operated
propeIling machinery" continued Secretary Dan
iels "On this account she has been an object OF
surprising interest the officers Of our own navy
and to those Of foreign navies as well and to
electrical engineers IN general
The result was satisfactory from every point
of view and confirmed the judgmen, Of all who
we're in any way concerned IN its desg IN and adop.
ton There was not the slightest m!shap with any
mart of it, everything worked to perfection. and
the crew was as enthusiastic the performance
OF the machinery as is the department proud In
the possession of such an eficen. dreadnaught
when we entered into contract for the ma.
chinery we stipulated that, in addition to being
CAPABLE Of developing the maximum power. she
should also give a economy at cruising speed
very much superior 70 that obtalnabe with the FUR.
bine installations previously used. This stringent
requirement also met As a matter Of facl
the New Mexico will steam ar ten knots on less
fuel than the best turbine-drven ship that pre-
ceded her"
Anyway. electrical engineers are now turning
their attention to the adoption Of similar princl
pies to the driving Of merchant ships and TO Large
passenger vessels.