The Washington times., 1921-06-26
ELECTRICITY GIVES
/. GREAT EFFICIENCY
ON us. BATILESH|P
Superdreadnaught New Mexico,
Run by Current, 10 Big
! Step Forward.

u. 3. g. NEW MEAiOo. fLASonir
PACIFIC FLET. LOS ANGELES HAIR
BoR. Cal. June ss.--"we learned
many things during the recsnt war.
The most pertinent of all this knowi-
edge 10 that the American navy must
be 100 per cent efficient at all times
to be really efficient at all"
A naval officer recently made this
remark to me during conversation
aboard the supsrdreadnaught New
Mexico, where ! had remarkaole
opportunity TO note for few days
the routine of q great capital ship
Every sailor and officer on the New
Mexico. az well az Of the whole Pacific
feet for that matter. takes great
pride in backing up Admiral Rod
mans declaration that ship for ship,
the American navy 10 without su-
perior on the worlds seas"
In this article brief outline VIII
be given OF the New Mextco's me-
chanicai equipment. which is regarded
the best In the navies OF the worFl
ELECTRIC THRoUGHoUT.
The New Mexico is practically con-
trolIed at all times by electrical de-
vices and is generally referred to
among American naval men as "ths
electrical ship"
on the New Mexico electricity holsts
the ammunition. rotates the huge fur-
rets, operates the fourteen-inch guns,
steers the ship. raises and lowers tho
anchors and boats. pumps fresh and
salt water, disposes of sewage, COM
presses and heats air. operates the
machinery and tools in the machine
shop. carpenter sEop and printing es-
tablishment.
Electricity is the medium for op-
Grating the intricate intercommunica-
ton systems of the ship. including
the many telephones which keep the
officers in constant touch with the
crew; operates the fire protection sys-
tenn and supplies the artificial cool
ing system with refrigerating power
In the various cooking galleys elec-
tricity runs machines that peel pota-
toes, wash dishes. mix dough; cut
butter and mold 1t into perfect
shapes, all exactly alike. and bake
bread. In the laundry electrical ma
chimes wash and dry clothes.
DUPLICATION OF UTILITIES.
In the depths of the ship are the
great motors that provide the driving
power. And In every part of the
great fghting craft are lights that
feed on electric current.
The New Mexico is. said TO contain
rs 900 miles Of electric wiring. The
sIperdreadnaught is therefore no
scientifically fitted. and its eonstruc-
ton so up to date, that any order can
be executed in a few minutes after
II has been dashed from the captains
bridge.
Great care has been taken in all
the designs. finished machines and
war equipment, to have practically
everything duplicated. Within few
seconds after some vital equipment
Is put out OF commission in time of
battle it's effort could be duplicated
with another device.
The total horsepower energy re-
qulred TO operate the New Mexico fs
90. .4s0. There are seven oil-burning
boilers, fed by slightly warmed fuel
under pressure. Each boiler has
seven burners. and IL takes only the
turn Of q screw to bring boiler into
commits sion
turbine generators, each with 1900
horsepower. The generators make
zl0o revolutions a minute. The cur
rent they generate is conveyed TO
four driving motors, each with ca
pacity of about 5000 horsepower.
These motors operate the shafts of
the vessels four propellers, giving
the huge sea monster twenty-one
knots an hour when running fun
speed.
MARKED CLEANLINESS.
ofncers of the New Mexico claim
the electrically driven propellers are
vastly superior TO the steam-driven
propellers in the saving of fuel The
vessels logs OF recent cruises show
that on January 20. during cruise
to South America, the superdread-
naueht Idaho burned 213 tons of oil;
the New Mexico. 11o, and the Missis-
sIppi, another superdresdnaught. 1872
tons. All are of the same class of
ship. The other daily records showed |
about the same ratio In fuel burned
One OF the effective arguments in |
favor OF the electric ship" aside
from economy of operation, ts clean
illness. The New Mexico is free of
dirt in the turbine or furnace rooms, |
and IL has the appearance Of ship in
but few days, instead of
having been operated three years.