The New York herald., 1921-01-29
CUT THROUGH DECKS
TO REPAIR WARSHIP
Explanations Made by Electric
Company Regarding Break
down of the Tennessee.
NAVY OFFICIALS BLAMED
Statement Says Protests to
Daniels About Design Failed
to Bring Results.
NAVY OFFICIALS BLAMED

Tho Westinghouse Electric and Manu-
featuring Company issued statement
yesterday regarding. the mechanical
breakdown last October of the electric
propeling machinery aboard the United
State battleship Tennessee, in which it
was stated that "a most regrettable delay
to the operation Of the ship" had been
caused by the fact that lit was neces-
sary to cut away two armor plate decks
in order to remove the apparatus which
had broken down.
It was learned last night that both
the Westinghouse company and the
General Electric Company. which have
been electrifying ships of the navy, have
complained several times to Josephus
Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, and
other Navy Department officials, about
the failure of naval architects to CO.
operate with electrical engineers. Their
failure to do so. it was said. has resulted
in several ''regrettable" delays, which. in
time of war, might prove disastrous,
and has In each instance proved costly
TO the Government.
Despite the numerous complaints the
Navy Department thus far has failed to
order that the hatchways Of battleships
be built sufficiently large to permit of
the removal and replacement of large
pieces of machinery without cutting
away large section of the decks. as was
The case with the Tennessee. The Ten
nessee is the most recently completed
unit of the navy, and has the same
defects. it is said, that were found
board the battleship New Mexico AMI
the collier Jupiter, both of which are
propelled electrically.
The Tennessee put to sea for a trial
trip early last October. and it was dis
something radically wrong with the de-
sign" She returned to the New York
Navy Yard for repairs. The two gen.
Grating units had to be removed from
the bottom of the vessel and shipped to
the Pittsburg plant of the westinghouse
company, which had Installed the ma
chinery. In order to remove the units
the electric company's statement re-
veals that two of the armor plate decks
had to be removed. Officials at the
Navy Yard admitted last night that
part of the deck" had TO be removed.
In regard to the breakdown the cleo
trio company's statement says:
THE accident was purely mechanical
In It's nature. The revolving field coils of
one of the main generators shifted their
position and part of their insulation was
rubbed off, From the standpoint of the
manufacturers. the trouble was not par
tcularly serious, since the steps needed
to correct it were Immediately obvious
and required no radical changes in either
the construction or design of the field.
Unfortunately, however. ii was neces-
sary to cut away two armor plate decks
in order to remove the apparatus. and
this has caused regrettable delay to
the operation of the ship"
The statement asserted that 1.-THE total
cost of the repairs will not exceed $50
000." which. IL was said does not mean
the repairing of the generators alone. but
all of the work, the most costly OF
which was the cutting away of the
decks. w. +. Thau, general engineer
Of the Westinghouse Electric Company.
declined to discuss tho work done on the
Tennessee, asserting he did not desire to
criticise the Navy Department or TO en-
ter into any controversy. He admitted,
however. that representations had been
made to the Navy Department regarding
the size of hatchways on naval vessels,
s.nd that n similar complaint also had
been made by officers of the General
Electric Company.
Officials of the navy yard said the
generating units arc again in place and
that there viii be no further trouble.
rhe electric company declares the new
fields for both generators have been thor
oughly tested under conditions far more
scvere than those that will be cncoun-
;cred in service and that they will be
Installed in the battieship Immediately.