Evening star., 1938-01-02
Model Experiments Offer
Standard for Warships
and Merchant Craft.
BY Lucy Salamanca.

~ UT in Carderock, Md, be-
~ States Navy Department is
busy with construction work in con.
nection with new three-million-dol-
lar project. This project, when COM
pleted, will have provided the United
States with the most up-to-date, COM
pletely modern model testing basin
for Warships and merchant marine
vessels that exists anywhere in the
world today, SURPRISING even the mod
ern similar testing basins of England
and Japan.
The long, low building, with its lab
oratories, Offices, basins, machinery
and equipment for experiments de-
signed to place us at the head of the
list with respect to our naval equip
ment and merchant marine, will be
the center of activities so interesting
that they may well determine our fu-
ture history upon the high seas and
assure Americas holding her own in
the event Of naval engagements.
Mysterious and enthralling computa-
tions will there be arrived at, skillful
and ingenious experiments will there
be conducted, and vitally important
records and recommendations will
there be drawn up once water is run
in the basins and the work for which
the enterprise is designed is well
under way
TO UNDERSTAND just what will be
the functions of this new center
of naval activities one must be in a
measure acquainted with the more
limited but similar activities that have
been going on down in the Navy Yard
for all the years that lie between 1897,
when the first testing basin was
started there, and 1887. While the
present antiquated testing basin in the
Navy Yard was put into operation
for the first time in 1900, it was ac-
tually started in 1897. David w. Tay-
lor was the first officer in charge of
this first basin, and the new plant
now under construction in Carderock
will be named in his honor. Presi-
dent Roosevelt has sanctioned naming
the new basin for Taylor and 1t will
be known at completion as the David
W. Taylor Model Basin"
Technically. it is the naval expert
mental model basin, and once the
present outdated plant has gone out
of operation it will be the only expert
mental basin of its kind in the United
States For a good many years now
the present plant has enjoyed the
distinction of being the only Govern
ment basin in the country, although
there is a testing basin for slightly
different purposes at the University
of Michigan at Ann Arbor, which
has been used for some time in con-
nection with that institutions courses
in naval architecture.
It is estimated that the David w.
Taylor Basin will be completed by
July, 1939-the contract date of COM
pletion, and they are putting in the
foundations for the first building in
the group. After the date of con-
tract completion, the Government will
require perhaps two more years for
such purposes as laying Of the very
special tracks used, installing the car
riages and other equipment. Mean
while the present basin the navy yards
will continue to serve as best 1t can,
after which it will be discarded for
its more modern and complete sue
cessor.
THE plant unit that will eventually
materialize in Carderock, between
the Conduit road and the old canal,
will consist of three separate struc-
lures, joined as one, but each the
center of special activities. At the
extreme left will be the shop; In the
center the administration ofices, and
at the right the laboratories, while
connected to this front edifice and ex-
tending far to its right will be the
long shed housing the three basins to
be used for experimental purposes in
connection with our ships. This shed
will contain q shallow basin, a deep
basin, and q high-speed basin.
In the shop viii be made all ship