VFor convenience of reference these notes are arranged as follows:
A. Notes on ships of war, budgets, and personnel, the notes appearing under the head of the naval power to which they refer. Alphabetical arrangement is followed.
B. Miscellaneous Notes on Armor, Ordnance, Explosives, Torpedoes, etc. The arrangement is alphabetical and the principal heads are:
1. Ammunition. 13. Fortifications.
2. Armor. 14. Fuel.
3. Boats. 15. Gunpowder and Explosives.
4. Boilers. 16. Guns.
5. Canals, Harbors, and Water- 17. Guns: Firing.
ways. 18. Guns: Mounts.
6. Coaling Ship. 19. Instruments Used in Action, etc.
7. Coast Defense. 20. Machinery (auxiliary engines), etc.
8. Communications. 21. Operations (war or manoeuvers).
9. Construction. 22. Propulsion.
10. Docks. 23. Small Arms.
11. Electricity. 24. Strategy and Tactics.
12. Engines. 25. Torpedoes.
SHIPS OF WAR, BUDGETS AND PERSONNEL.
ARGENTINA.
GUNBOATS: BUILDING.—Two gunboats of 709 tons and 17 knots speed are reported to be under construction at Buenos Aires for the Argentine Navy.
BATTLESHIP ORDERED—On account of trouble with Chile, the Argentine government has, it is reported, ordered, or purchased, a battleship in Europe. The displacement is stated to be 11,000 tons.
AUSTRIA.
REORGANIZATION OF DEPARTMENT OF MARINE.—It is interesting to observe that the Austrian navy department, which is a branch of the ministry of war, has just been reorganized upon a plan closely resembling that advocated by Lieutenant-Commander John Hood, U. S. N., in last year's prize essay, published in PROCEEDINGS No. 97. While the navy department still forms a part of the ministry of war, it has been formed into an autonomous section under control of a vice-admiral, who is commander-in-chief of the fleet and marine forces, and who will represent the minister of war in the discussions of the budget of the navy department. A superior officer of the fleet will take the vice-admiral's place in case of absence through sickness or other cause.
The Section of Naval Affairs will consist of:
(a) The Marine Cabinet: Has charge of affairs reserved from control of bureaus; directs the personnel; issues orders to officers; directs movements of fleets and controls the military service in general; has charge of schools; and controls the hydrographic and medical services.
(b) The General Staff: Has charge of plans for war, mobilization, constitution of naval forces, etc.
(c) Service I, consisting of—
Bureau 1. Personnel: officers.
Bureau 2. Personnel: petty officers and other enlisted men.
Bureau 3. Administrative matters connected with Service I.
(d) Service II, consisting of—
Bureau 4. Naval construction, machinery, and ordnance.
Bureau 5. Auxiliary (non-military) vessels, naval works, etc.
Bureau 6. Administrative matters connected with Service II.
(e) Bureaus not belonging to Services I or II—
Bureau 7. Administration of justice.
Bureau 8. Administration of funds and accounts in general.
The Cabinet, the General Staff, and Bureaus I, 2, and 4 are presided over by officers of the General Staff; Bureau 5, by a military engineer; Bureaus 3 and 6, by superior officers of the commissary department; Bureau 7, by an advocate general; and Bureau 8, by a commissary general.
ARPAD: LAUNCH.—The battleship Arpad, 8340 tons, was launched at Trieste, September 11, 1901. The vessels of this class are fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 151.
BRAZIL.
SUBMARINE BOATS.—Much interest is being taken in submarine boats by the Brazilian navy. A naval engineer by the name of Luis Jacinth° Gomes recently tested a model of a submarine on the design of which he is reported to have been engaged for ten years. A newspaper of Rio de Janeiro states that the minister of marine has ordered a boat of the Gomes type to be built at the arsenal. Its principal dimensions will be: Length, 20 meters (65.6 feet); beam, 2 meters (6.56 feet); displacement, 40 tons. The propelling power will be an electric motor of 15 horsepower. The armament will consist of several automobile torpedoes. The complement is four men.
A model of a submarine boat designed by Senhor Mello Marques, late lieutenant in the Brazilian navy, is reported to have a successful trial. The model was less than a meter in length and the trials took place in a small experimental basin. The boat is provided with automatic apparatus for keeping the axis in a horizontal plane at all times, and it is submerged and brought to the surface always in this position. A full-sized boat is to be built.
CHILE.
ALMIRANTE SENORET : LAUNCH.—This small vessel was launched at Valparaiso (or Talcahuano) on October 15. No details have been published.
TORPEDO-BOAT DESTROYERS PURCHASED.—A dispatch from Buenos Aires to the New York Herald, dated December 4, says that the Chilean government has purchased from Messrs. Laird, of Birkenhead, two torpedo-boat destroyers. The purchase price is stated to be £70,000.
COLOMBIA.
LA POPA: FOUNDERED.—The little Colombian gunboat La Popa foundered on a trip from Savanilla to Cartagena. There was a company of soldiers on board at the time. The only persons saved were four sailors.
DENMARK.
SINKING OF THE MÖEN.—On September 30, the Danish gunboat Möen was sunk near the Middle Ground, Copenhagen, by the explosion of a high-explosive shell. The vessel was at gun practice with Prisant shells, but the crew was removed before the gun was fired, so that no one was injured. The Möen is an iron gunboat of 400 tons, launched in 1875, and carrying a 10-inch Armstrong muzzle-loading rifle and two Krupp 3.4-inch guns.
FRANCE.
PROGRAM FOR I902.—The budget committee of the French Chamber of Deputies has the budget under consideration and it will probably be some weeks before action by the Chambers is taken on all points. The budget committee has declined to sanction any increase of officers or men, though there is an evident shortage of both. It has also refused the small vote asked for commencing work on battleships 12, 13, and 14, the last three of the six provided for in the program, and which were to be laid down this year. The committee says that the small sums asked would be insufficient for any real progress. The minister of marine is therefore unable to prepare plans, make contracts, or do any preliminary work on these ships. Full details of the budget, as submitted by the minister of marine, have been published; but as there are to be so many changes, the compiler defers publication until the amended form is known. As stated in PROCEEDINGS No. 99 (page 588), the total amount of the budget as submitted to the Chambers was 312,097,951 francs ($60,234,904.54; I franc =$0.193).
SHIPS COMMENCED IN 1901.—Early in August the minister of marine published a list of all ships commenced during the past year, viz.:
Two battleships: République and Patrie. An armored cruiser: the Victor Hugo. Ten torpedo-boat destroyers: Francisque, Sabre, Dard, Baliste, Mousqueton, Arc, Pistolet, Béiler, Catapulte, Bombarde. Twenty submarines: Naïade, Protée, Perle, Esturgeon, Bonite, Thon, Souffleur, Dorade, Lynx, Ludion, Loutre, Castor, Phoque, Otarie, Méduse, Oursin, Grondin, Anguille, Alose, Truite. Twelve torpedo boats of first class: Nos. 266 to 277.
In addition to these there have since been laid down, or ordered, the armored cruiser C14, and three experimental submarine boats.
ARMORED CRUISER C14: ORDERED.—The construction of this armored cruiser has been ordered. The original program provided for her building at Cherbourg, but this is changed by the recent order and she will be put on the stocks at the Brest arsenal. She will be a sister ship in all respects to the Victor Hugo, fully described and illustrated in PROCEEDINGS No. 98, page 384. Her name, it is said, will be either Thiers or Lamartine.
LEON GAMBETTA : LAUNCH.—This first-class armored cruiser was launched at Brest arsenal, October 26. She is a sister ship in all respects to the Jules Ferry, building at Cherbourg, to C14, just ordered at Brest, and the Victor Hugo, building at Toulon. The Victor Hugo is fully described and illustrated in No. 98, page 384.
JEANNE D'ARC: UNSATISFACTORY TRIALS.—The trials of this armored cruiser of 11,270 tons have been most unsatisfactory. She was designed for a speed of 23 knots with 1400 tons of coal on board; but, up to the present, a speed of only 18 knots has been reached, although considerably less coal was carried. At full speed the engines are supposed to make 120 revolutions, but at 110 revolutions the bearings heated to a most unusual extent. In addition to these troubles the temperature of the fire-rooms is so high as to be unbearable. A special inquiry is to be held, and it is reported that her boilers may have to be removed and others substituted. The Jeanne d'Arc is fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 96, page 701, and a full page illustration faces the preceding page in the present number.
MONTCALM: TRIALS.—This armored cruiser of 9517 tons has completed her preliminary trials and attained a speed of 20.85 knots on the measured base off the Iles d'Hyères. The horsepower developed was 18,200. The designed speed is 21 knots with 19,600 I. H. P. According to Le Yacht, the temperature of the fire-rooms was not abnormal and the machinery behaved in a highly satisfactory manner; but the Moniteur de la Flotte states the authorities are much disturbed over the high temperature of the fire-rooms, which was quite intolerable. The Montcalm belongs to the same class as the Dupetit Thouars, fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 590, from which ship she differs only in her boilers. The latter are of two kinds, 4 of the Normand type and 8 of the double Normand-Sigaudy. The illustration of the Montcalm which faces this page is from a photograph taken during the past summer.
CHATEAU-RENAULT: TRIALS.—The final trials of this protected cruiser of 8018 tons (metric) took place in the latter part of August, and were regarded as satisfactory. The trials consisted of three runs over the measured base with the following results: 1st run, speed 24.043 knots; 2d run, speed 24.324 knots; 3d run, speed 24.067 knots. Mean speed, 24.148 knots. The mean I. H. P. during the trial was 23,680, and the maximum, 24,964. The designed I. H. P. was 23,000, corresponding to a speed of 23 knots. While the trials were regarded as successful, the heat in the fire-rooms was unbearable and no means has been suggested of remedying this defect. The speed that was reached could not have been maintained for any length of time, as the bearings were very hot and growing hotter. It is now proposed to make extensive changes in the machinery bearings in order to reduce the heating, and it is estimated that these changes will take four or five months to complete.
REQUIN: COMMISSIONED.—The coast-defence ship Requin (formerly 7700 tons, now about 7000), which has been undergoing reconstruction for several years, is now completed and has been commissioned. The general character of the work on her is described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 159.
VALMY: NEW LOADING APPARATUS.—M. Guye, chef d'escadron d'artillerie de marine, has devised mechanism for the loading of heavy guns, which has been applied to the Valmy's 340-millimeter (13.4-inch) with the result that the time of loading has been much reduced. The interval between unaimed shots was formerly 4 or 5 minutes, but in a recent trial, with the new apparatus, five shots were fired in a little less than four minutes.
INDOMPTADLE: RECONSTRUCTION COMPLETED.—The coast-defence ship Indomptable (formerly 7500 tons, now 500 or 600 tons less), of the same general type as the Requin, is now nearly ready for service after extensive repairs and reconstruction. The alterations effected consisted principally in replacing the old cylindrical boilers by others of the same type and of substituting new model guns of 274.4 millimeters (10.8-inch) gun in closed turrets for the old pieces of 420 millimeters mounted in barbettes. The new turrets are operated by electricity or by hand.
BOURRASQUE : LAUNCH, SEA SPEED, DESCRIPTION.—The Bourrasque was launched at the works of Messrs. A. Normand & Company, Havre, August 31. It belongs to the group of four boats, consisting of the Borée, Rafale, Tramontane and Bourrasque, which boats are a development of the Siroco type. They are of 19 tons less displacement and, with 200 more horsepower, were expected to give 3 or 4 knots more than the contract requirement of the Siroco class, or about 2 knots more than they made on trial. The reduction of displacement is effected by reducing the dimensions and lightening the construction. The length is 147.6 feet; beam, 15.68 feet; drauft aft, 8.0 feet; displacement, 161.9 tons. The coal supply is 18 tons; radius of action, 2000 miles at 10 knots; expected speed, 29 to 30 knots with 4400 I. H. P. Two torpedo tubes and two 3-pounder guns constitute the armament. On a trip from Havre to Cherbourg, where she was to go for her trials, the average speed was 27 knots for 2 hours and 20 minutes.
SIMOUN: TRIAL, DESCRIPTION.—The torpedo boat Simoun, 181 tons, of the Siroco type, has completed her trials, attaining a speed of 27.7 knots. The contract requirement was 26 knots. The following description of the boats of this class is from the London Engineering of October 25:
“MM. Augustin Normand and Company, of Havre, have recently delivered to the French Government, at Cherbourg, two protected torpedo boats, the Siroco and Mistral, fitted with the same machinery and boilers as the Cyclone. The trials offer special interest on account of the very heavy weights carried. The dimensions are:
Length on load line 147 ft. 0 in.
Extreme breadths outside armour 16 ft. 10 in.
“The nickel steel armor extends to the machinery and boiler compartments, and is distributed as follows:
24-Millimetres (1-in.) bare: Vertical sides from 8 in. below the water-line to the deck. Fore-and-aft bulkheads from 16 in. below the water-line to the deck. Vertical sides of coverings of all parts of machinery and boilers and of the steering engine above deck.
9-Millimetres (1/3 ½- in.) bare: All horizontal parts of deck and hatchways.
"The total extra weight resulting from the addition of armor—including the strengthening of the hull amidships, and the addition of a central hollow keel 1 ft. high, extending to about one-half the length of the boats, and intended to stiffen the central part of the structure, and to check rolling—is not less than 24 English tons.
"The hulls are very strong, as was proved by an accident which occurred to an exactly similar protected torpedo boat in a trial outside Lorient. When steaming at about 23 knots, during foggy weather, she ran end-on against a rock rising above water; and although several men were injured by the shock, no material damage, beyond the crushing of about 25 ft. of the fore part, occurred to the boat, which was towed back to harbor.
"The total other weights carried on trial, exclusive of chains, anchors, masts, boats, etc., and comprising only torpedo tubes and compressing pump, artillery and ammunition, provision water for boilers and crew, coals necessary for steaming 1020 nautical miles at 14 knots, crew and effects, provisions, including 5 tons for sundries to complete displacement at sea, amounted to 39.9 English tons in the Siroco and 43.2 tons in the Mistral. Accordingly, the displacement on trial: 177.5 English tons for the Siroco and 178.7 tons for the Mistral, was that of the boats on service.
"It has very wisely been the general custom of the French Admiralty to have the trials of ships made at what was believed to be full load; but lately this rule has been enhanced, as it was ascertained that these full-load trial displacements were often inferior to the real displacement on service.
"If the 24 tons due to armor are added to the above weights, we see that the total weights carried on trial amount to 63.9 and 67.2 tons respectively; that is to say, to about 37 per cent of the total displacement. This is far from the 35 tons carried on board destroyers of much larger displacement. The weight of coals put on board was determined by an eight hours' preliminary trial.
"The full-speed trials, which took place after the ordinary preliminary runs on the measured mile, were of four hours' duration, one hour of which was to be run at 22 knots, one hour at maximum speed, and the next two hours at 22 knots.
"The one-hour maximum speed was found to be 28.341 knots for the Siroco and 28.102 knots for the Mistral. Only 26 knots were due according to contract. The maximum speed of the Cyclone (unprotected), with a displacement of 141 English tons, was 30.7 knots.
It is generally admitted that great speed can only be attained by reducing all weights to, and even beyond, their extreme limits. That is, no doubt, true to a great extent. However, from the above results, which may be said to be extraordinary on account of the unusual importance of the deadweight carried, there seems good reason to believe that not only sufficient strength but a very complete armament, and even some protection, may be given to torpedo-boats and destroyers without an abnormal reduction of speed."
TRAMONTANE : TRIALS.—This torpedo boat of 162 tons, a sister to the Bourrasque, which is fully described on a foregoing page of this number, has completed her trials. On the 3-hour trial at reduced power the speed was 23 knots with 290 revolutions. On the one-hour full power trial the mean speed maintained was 29.8 knots with 339.57 turns.
TROMBE: TRIAL SPEED.—The torpedo boat Trombe, which was seriously injured by running on a rock during her first trials, has been repaired and has completed her trials. The speed maintained during the one-hour full-power trial was 26.6 knots, 0.6 knots in excess of the contract requirement. The Trombe is a sister boat in all respects to the Audacieux, fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 157.
TORPEDO BOATS NOS. 253 AND 254: LAUNCH; TRIAL OF NO. 253.—These two boats, which are alike in all respects, are under construction at the yard of Messrs. A. Normand & Company, Havre, where No. 253 was launched on August 16 and No. 254 on September 27. The dimensions of the boats are: Length, 121.4 feet; beam, 13.78 feet; draught aft, 8.6 feet; displacement, 90.2 tons. The designed speed is 24 knots with about 1800 I. H. P. On her one-hour full-power trial in October, No. 253 developed a speed of 25.36 knots with 340.5 revolutions.
TORPEDO BOAT No. 258: TRIAL SPEED.—This torpedo boat was built at the yard of the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux. On the one-hour full-power trial the mean speed maintained was 25.56 knots, 1.56 knots in excess of the requirement of the contract. No. 258 is very similar to Nos. 253 and 254 but is 1.6 feet longer.
TORPEDO BOAT NO. 259: LAUNCH.—This torpedo boat is similar in all respects to No. 258, and is building at the yard of the Gironde Company, where it was launched October 2.
EXPLOSION OF A BOILER IN TORPEDO BOAT No. 208.—After going through speed trials with the other boats of the defence mobile of the port of Algiers, No. 208 was returning to the anchorage when a tube of one of the boilers suddenly gave way while the boiler was being fired. In turning off the steam, quartermaster Kernec was mortally injured. Two of the firemen were so badly burned that they are likely to die and two others burned in a less severe manner.
SILURE: LAUNCH.—This submarine boat of the submergible type was launched at Cherbourg arsenal October 29, 1901. She is similar in all respects to the Sirène, fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 98, page 387.
ESPADON: LAUNCH, TRAILS.—The submarine boat Espadon, a sister to the Silure (see preceding paragraph), was launched at the Cherbourg arsenal October 31. About a month later she made her first trial plunge, which continued four hours. The trial is reported to have been satisfactory in all respects. The speed obtained (probably when running on the surface) was 8.7 knots with 380 revolutions. With maximum power the expected speed is 10 knots with 420 revolutions. Later, a second plunge of two hours and a half was made. The time required to submerge to a depth of 9 meters (27.5 feet) was a little less than 8 minutes. As these results were considered very satisfactory the preliminary trials were declared finished.
SIRÈNE: TRIALS.—This submarine boat (fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 98, page 387) of the submergible type has recently completed her trials and orders have been issued for her to be manned and equipped for service. In an endurance test of 24 hours the speed for three hours at the surface was 7.5 knots; then a plunge for three hours was made (speed not given); then a surface run of 17 hours at a speed of 7.5 knots; and lastly a plunge of one hour during which two torpedoes were launched. The Sirène has a radius of action of 500 miles at 7 knots, which is regarded as ample. The greatest advance made on the design of the Narval, her prototype, is in the time of effecting submersion, which has been reduced from 20 minutes to 9.
TRITON: ACCIDENT.—"A serious accident to the French submarine Triton, at Cherbourg, is reported by The Express. It appears that the vessel plunged too rapidly, struck bottom and sustained considerable damage. Water began to flow in very rapidly, but the engineer ordered the detachable weights to be cast adrift and the boat rose to the surface, though none too soon. The pumps were got to work on the surface and a tug pulled the vessel into the arsenal."—Army & Navy Journal, Nov. 23, 1901.
GOUBET No. 2: DESCRIPTION; REJECTION BY FRENCH GOVERNMENT.—This is the second type boat constructed by M. Goubet. The shape of it is very different from that of the other submarines. The cross-section is circular; the general shape being that of a double ogival with bases joined. Above the center rises the conning-tower, and below the center a heavy weight (1.5 tons) acts as a keel, a steadying weight, and safety ballast—as it can be detached if necessary to assist the boat to come to the surface. The hull is of bronze, cast in three pieces, which are joined by outside flanges; and it weighs 5 tons. The shell of the middle section has a thickness of 1 inch; the end sections taper from 1 inch to 0.625 inch at the extremities. The ballast consists of the outside safety weight, or keel, 7 tons of lead ballast, and 2 tons of water ballast. Like all the French boats, the Goubet is fitted with an observation tube extending above water. The armament consists of two torpedo tubes. The propelling power is an electric motor driving a single screw. The electricity is furnished by storage batteries. The speed attained was about 5 knots and the radius of action is about 25 miles. The principal dimensions are: Length, 26.25 feet; diameter, 9.84 feet. The illustration which faces this page is from a recent photograph taken at Toulon. The trials of the Goubet have shown fairly successful results, but she was too slow, and of deficient radius of action. The following note appears in the London Engineering of October 18, 1901:
"Le Yacht states that M. Goubet has received instructions from the French Ministry of Marine to remove his submarine boat Goubet No. 2 from the arsenal at Toulon, which is tantamount to a rejection of the boat by the French Government. The journal adds that the experiments with the boat have proved that she is habitable, stable, absolutely immobile at any depth, can float, can be rapidly submerged and brought to the surface again, displays an unequalled facility in her evolutions and in the maintenance of her line of route, and finally an assured security due to her "safety weight" and the ease with which she can rise to the surface in the case of danger. In the experiments of April 19 and 24, 1900, she showed that she could face with safety a high wind and a heavy sea. It is proposed, Le Yacht states, that the principle of her construction shall be used in building a submarine vessel for crossing the Channel, by means of which passengers would avoid the terrors of mal de mer."
GYMNOTE: DESCRIPTION.—The plans of this boat were submitted in October, 1887, by the Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranée, and accepted by Admiral Aube, then minister of marine. The designer was M. Zédé, engineer of that company. The boat was built under the supervision of M. Romazotti at the Mourillon dockyard, Toulon, where she was launched on September 15, 1888. The hull is of steel and its shape is similar to that of a Whitehead torpedo. Like the Whitehead, the Gymnote has two horizontal rudders worked by hydrostatic pressure, or by hand, and two vertical rudders worked by the usual appliances. The forward and after ends of the boat are used for water ballast and are filled or emptied by an electrically driven pump. The crew of the Gymnote consists of four or five men, including the commanding officer. The enclosed air would last for several hours for four or five men, but there is no provision for its renewal, as the compressed air reservoir was intended solely for launching the torpedoes and operating the rudders. This boat, like the Goubet and later French boats, was fitted with a tube which projected above the surface of the water and held in its upper end a small mirror about an inch in diameter, set at an angle of 45 degrees to the horizon, and movable about its vertical axis so that the whole horizon could be seen from the inside of the boat, provided of course, that the waves or spray did not destroy the reflecting power of the mirrors. The Gymnote, like the previously-built boats, does not possess good fore-and-aft stability when submerged. When, by outside influence, the bow becomes depressed, the vessel shoots ahead in the direction thus impressed upon it, and some little time elapses before the horizontal rudders act with sufficient force to counteract. When these at last get control and guide her upward, the same performance is repeated, so that she is constantly pitching to every wave in a very unpleasant manner. When moving at a depth below water greater than a few feet, the observation tube is of course useless, and the instability of the boat when at the surface render it of little value. The armament consists of dropping gear for torpedoes. The motive power consists of a single screw driven by an electric motor, which is the invention of Captain Krebs of the balloon service. It consists of 16 poles arranged around a ring armature one meter in diameter. Its weight is 4400 pounds. The propeller is 4-bladed and 4.8 feet in diameter. The motor is direct-coupled to the screw and is designed for a speed of 200 turns per minute. The estimated surface speed was 10 knots for 6 hours, but this has never been reached, about 8 knots being the maximum. The boat is steered, propelled, and lighted by electricity, which is supplied by a battery of 564 alkaline accumulators, invented and manufactured by MM. Commelin, Desmazures, and Bailhache. Each accumulator weighs 38.5 pounds, so that the weight of the whole battery is 9.66 tons. The total power of the battery is 345 horsepower hours and gives about 60 horsepower with the normal current of 220 amperes at 220 volts. The dimensions of the hull are: Length, 59 feet; greatest diameter, 5.9 feet; displacement when fully submerged, 29.5 tons. The illustration which faces this page is from a recent photograph taken at Toulon.
GUSTAVE ZÉDÉ: DESCRIPTION.—The Gymnote was unsatisfactory in many ways. The means of discharging her torpedoes were inadequate to the necessities of the case and she was well-nigh uninhabitable for more than an hour or two. In addition, the speed was insufficient and it was found practically impossible to keep her on an even keel. It was generally conceded that her defects were largely due to her small dimensions; therefore, in 1892, M. Zédé designed a larger vessel which was to be called the Sirene, but was renamed Gustave Zédé upon the death of her designer. She is much larger and of a more slender model than her predecessor, and many of the serious defects of the latter were corrected or minimized. The rising and sinking is effected by means of water ballast, but she also possesses horizontal rudders to correct any tendency to dive or rise abruptly. Two tanks furnish the compressed air for launching the torpedoes as well as for supplying fresh air for breathing; and the foul air is drawn out by an electrically driven pump. The armament consists of a single torpedo tube, and three torpedoes are carried. The motive power is electricity supplied by a Laurent-Ceby storage battery to a 760-horsepower Sautter-Harlé motor, which drives a single screw. It is reported that a speed of 15 knots has been made when running on the surface at light draught, and 8 knots when nearly submerged. Her submerged speed is about 6 knots. The hull is of bronze, designed for strength sufficient to descend with safety to a depth of 60 or 70 feet, and is of the following dimensions: Length, 147.5 feet; diameter, 10.8 feet; displacement when fully submerged, 260 tons. The complement is 9 persons. The trials of the Zédé have been numerous and extensive, but the information which has reached the public is rather indefinite. Various reports of inhabitability, due to foul gases generated by the storage battery, appeared from time to time, but it is believed that this difficulty has been surmounted. The great relative length renders the Zédé very unhandy, and this was one of the causes for the reduced dimensions of the later submarines. The illustration is from a recent photograph taken at Toulon.
BAYARD, GALISSONNIÈRE, TURENNE, EURE, NAUTILI; TORPEDO BOATS LANSQUENET, AND NOS. 26, 38, 42, 53, 91, 113, 118, 119 AND 124: CONDEMNED, LOST, OR STRUCK FROM LIST.—The Bayard (old type battleship of 6000 tons) has been dismantled at Saigon, as no money was allotted in the budget for her maintenance. The Galissonnière and Turenne (practically sister ships to the Bayard) are to be sold; as are the torpedo boats, Lansquenet and Nos. 91 and 113. Torpedo boats Nos. 26, 38, 53, the gunboat Nautile, and the transport Eure have been struck from the list of the fleet. Torpedo boats Nos. 42, 118 and 119 have been condemned. Torpedo boat No. 124 was lost in the Mediterranean on September 17 and lies in such deep water that she cannot be recovered.
GERMANY.
BUDGET AND PROGRAM FOR 1902.—The budget proposals for 1902, which have not yet been passed upon by the Reichstag, call, it is said, for the construction of seven battleships, two large cruisers, three small cruisers, a continuation of the rebuilding of the ships of the Siegfried type, and a torpedo division; and the cadet ship Gneisenau, which sank near Malaga in December last, is to be replaced by an old cruiser reconstructed for the purpose. It is reported that the German naval authorities have decided to build a torpedo-boat destroyer fitted with Parsons' steam turbines with a view to testing that form of motor.
EDUCATION OF GERMAN OFFICERS.—From an article in the Marine Rundschau we learn that the present regulation in regard to the training of officers was issued in April, 1899. In 1893 regulations were issued which provided that after going through a four weeks' course of training on shore, the cadets joined the training ship until the spring of the following year; the ship, as a rule, cruised in home waters during the summer and passed the winter abroad, in the Mediterranean or West Indies, returning home in the following spring. After passing the examination for, and promotion to, midshipman, they embarked for another full year's course of practical training on one of the cadet and boys' training ships. On these ships, which also went abroad in the winter, theoretical and practical instruction was imparted, terminating with an examination at the end of the voyage. Those midshipmen who passed the examination were sent for a six months' course of purely practical duty on the ships of the evolutionary squadron, and then for a year to the naval academy. After passing the lieutenant's examination (Secoffizierprüfung), promotion to sub-lieutenant (Unterlieutnant zur See) followed.
The regulations of 1899 changed the program of instruction. After the practical training of one year on board the training ship the theoretical training as naval ensign (Fähnrich zur See—formerly See Kadett), he is again transferred to the naval academy. At the close of the academy course the principal examination for line or executive officer (Seeoffizier) takes place, and the ensign is then sent for half a year to the gunnery and torpedo ships and to the marine infantry for special practical and theoretical courses in gunnery, torpedo, and infantry instruction. Each of these special courses is followed by an examination which has a bearing on the result of the examination for the rank of lieutenant. After completing these special courses, those ensigns who pass the examinations are sent for two years' further practical training on board battleships or large cruisers. The theoretical training ceased with the previously mentioned examination. At the end of the first year promotion follows to lieutenant (Lieutnant zur See, formerly Unter-lieutnant zur See), and the seniority is determined.
At the naval academy instruction is given in the following subjects:
(a) Navigation, naval tactics, seamanship, gunnery and torpedo instruction, knowledge of ships' machinery, and of ships and their construction, mathematics, physics, English and French.
(b) Knowledge of duties, mining, land tactics, fortification, and drawing.
BATTLESHIPS H AND I: DESCRIPTION.—These battleships, as stated in PROCEEDINGS No. 99, page 599, are building at the Germania yard, Kiel, and the works of Herr F. Schichau, Dantzic, respectively, and are of a modified Wittelsbach type. The estimated cost of each ship is 24,860,000 marks ($5,916,680; 1 mark = $0.238). Of this sum, 16,650,000 marks is allotted to the hull, machinery and armor; 7,500,000 marks for guns, mounts, etc.; and 710,000 marks for the torpedo armament. The principal details are:
Armament.—Four new-model 280-millimeter (11.02-inch) guns of the so-called rapid-fire type (firing every 90 seconds according to German semi-official statements); eighteen new-model 170-millimeter (6.68-inch) rapid-firing guns; a large number of small pieces; and several torpedo tubes.
Protection.—Somewhat similar to that of the Wittelsbach class (see PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 160), but covering a greater proportional area of the side.
Motive power.—Speed the same as that of the Wittelsbach class, 19 knots.
Dimensions..—Displacement, 13,000 tons.
SCHWABEN (EX-G) AND MECKLENBURG (F): LAUNCH—These two battleships have been launched, the former at the imperial dockyard, Wilhelmshavn, August 19, and the latter at the Vulcan Works, Stettin, November 9. They are similar in all respects. The Schwaben (ex-G) is fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 160. As the keel of the Schwaben was laid December 1, 1900, the speed of construction has been excellent.
KAISER BARBAROSSA : TRIALS.—This battleship has completed her trials in a satisfactory manner. The vessels of her class are fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 98, page 388, and a full page illustration of one of them, the Kaiser Friedrich III, faces page 389. The propelling machinery and boilers are not the same in all the vessels of the class; but, except as regards boilers, the differences are immaterial. The engines of the Barbarossa are triple-expansion and three in number, each having cylinders of 35.4, 57.5, 61.4, and 61.4 inches diameter by 37.4 inches stroke. The boilers are of two kinds: six cylindrical boilers in the after fire-rooms with a total grate area of 505.9 square feet and a heating surface of 16.792 square feet; and six Thorneycroft water-tube boilers in the forward boiler rooms with a total grate area of 413.4 square feet and a total heating surface of 23,929 square feet. Both types of boilers have a working pressure of 192 pounds per square inch. The side screws have each three blades, are each 14.76 feet in diameter, and have a pitch of 19.69 feet. The middle screw has four blades, is 13.78 feet in diameter and has 19.77 feet pitch. The designed number of revolutions is 110 for each screw. The results of the trials are as follows:
Endurance Full Speed
Trial Trial
June 25-27. July 5.
Mean draught at beginning, feet 25.66 25.62
Mean draught at end, feet 24.47 25.36
Duration of trial, hours 50. 6.
Revolution, mean of all screws, per minute 94. 112.8
Coal per I.H.P. per hour, mean engines, lbs. 1.83 ---
Indicated horsepower, total 7,360. 13,940.
Air-pressure, water-tube boilers, inches 0.0 2.05
Air pressure, cylindrical boilers, inch 0.0 0.45
Speed, knots 15.5 18.
ARIADNE: TRIAL.—The following details of the Ariadne's trial appear in the Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers, translated from the Marine Rundschau: Duration of trial, 6 hours; mean draught, 15.32 feet; air-pressure in inches of water, 1.7; I. H. P., 8827; revolutions per minute, 168; speed, 22.18 knots. The Ariadne is a protected cruiser of 2645 tons and is a sister ship in all respects to the Amazone, fully described in PROCEEDINGS NO. 96, page 703.
WACHT: SUNK IN COLLISION.—On September 14, the small cruiser Wacht (1253 tons, 4000 I. H. P., 20 knots, launched in 1887) collided with the battleship Sachsen. She was taken in tow by the Weissenburg, but a few minutes later she had to be abandoned and shortly afterwards sank. The officers and crew were all saved.
AEGIR: BOILER ACCIDENT.—A boiler tube gave way on the coast defence ship Aegir (3550 tons) recently, injuring four firemen. The boiler was of the Thorneycroft type. No details have been published.
TORPEDO BOAT S107 LAUNCH, DESCRIPTION.—Torpedo boat S107, the last of the torpedo boat division under construction at the Schichau Works, Elbing, was launched on October 21. This is the eighteenth boat of the new large type (they are of the size usually denominated torpedo-boat destroyers) built at the Elbing Works. The armament consists of five 50-millimeter (1.97-inch) rapid firing guns and three training torpedo tubes. The engines are twin-screw, of 5500 to 6000 I. H. P., and are designed to give a speed of 27 to 28 knots. The dimensions are: Length, 200.1 feet; beam, 24.9 feet; draught, 8.53 feet; displacement, 350 tons.
TORPEDO BOAT G102: LAUNCH.—This boat is the first of six (G108 to G112,) building at the Germania Works, Kiel, where she was launched September 7. The details are practically identical with those of S107 in the preceding paragraph.
TORPEDO BOAT HARBOR.—There is to be constructed at Kiel, near the entrance to the Baltic-North Sea Canal, a harbor of sufficient capacity to afford berths for sixty torpedo boats. Barracks to accommodate the crews of thirty boats (about 1600 men) will be built on shore.
GREAT BRITAIN.
BUDGET AND PROGRAM FOR 1902-03.—The Admiralty officials are reported to be at present (Nov. 20) engaged in preparing the budget and program for next year. It is believed that the estimates for new construction will be less than usual on account of the heavy expenditure for the South African War.
BELLEISLE: PREPARED FOR NEW TRAILS.—See “Guns: Firing,” page 830.
AMMUNITION SUPPLY OF NEW BATTLE5HIPS.—It is said that the Admiralty has fixed the ammunition supply per gun for the new battleships at 90 rounds of 12-inch, 200 rounds of 6-inch, and 200 to 300 rounds of 12-pounder (3-inch).
EXMOUTH: LAUNCH.—The first-class battleship Exmouth, 14,000 tons, was launched at the yard of Messrs. Laird Brothers, Birkenhead, August 31, 1901. Her keel was laid August 10, 1899. She is a sister ship in all respects to the Albemarle, Russell, and Montagu, fully described and illustrated in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 167.
KING ALFRED: LAUNCH—The first-class armored cruiser King Alfred, 14,100 tons, was launched at the yard of Messrs. Vickers' Sons and Maxim, Barrow, October 28. Her keel was laid August 11, 1899. She is a sister ship in all respects (including boilers) to the Leviathan, fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 99, page 602.
BEDFORD, ESSEX, MONMOUTH: LAUNCH.—These first-class armored cruisers of 9800 tons have all been launched—the Bedford at the yard of the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company, Govan, August 31; the Essex at the government yard, Pembroke, August 29; and the Monmouth at the yard of the London and Glasgow Company, Glasgow, November 13. They are sister ships in all respects to the Kent, fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 96, page 696.
HYACINTH AND MINERVA: TRIALS.—The trials of these ships, which were made to give a comparative test of their boilers, are fully described under the head of "BOILERS," page 788.
SPARTIATE: READY FOR TRIALS.—This protected cruiser, whose trials have been suspended for more than a year, pending extensive repairs and alterations, is reported to be again ready for trial.
ESPIÈGLE: TRIALS.—This gunboat of 1073 tons has recently completed her trials with the following results:
The Espiègle is fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 169. Though designed for Belleville boilers, as there stated, she was subsequently fitted with boilers of the Babcock & Wilcox type. The machinery was built by the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Company. The trials passed off without incident and were successful in all respects. The first two were for the purpose of determining the coal consumption at different speeds and observing the working of the machinery and boilers. The third was the full power trial.
IMPLACABLE: SINKING OF THE BARBETTES; ENGINE DIFFICULTIES.—It is reported that one of the barbettes of the Implacable has sunk 6 inches. The Engineer (London) says that this occurred through moving the gun in dock, and, as the ship did not happen to be supported directly beneath the barbette, the latter sank; that the difficulty was remedied by cutting off the base of the cone which supports the barbette; and further, that the repairs took exactly one day. It is possible that the sinking is unimportant, but the statements just quoted are rather surprising. How a failure to support the ship underneath the barbette could occur seems remarkable. There ought to be at least half a dozen keel blocks taking this weight. That the difficulty was remedied by cutting off the base of the cone (i. e. the supporting structure) seems no less remarkable. There is no such thing as a cone below the barbette walls; there may be a cylinder or rectangular framing—probably both. If the facts are as stated, there must have been, of course, a great bulge in the ship's bottom; while the transverse frames, longitudinals, and bulkheads must be much bent, buckled, and sprung out of shape. How could all this be repaired in a day? In addition to the troubles mentioned, the Implacable has had some with her machinery. She had three unsuccessful trials, at four-fifths power, on account of hot bearings; and on September 22 she returned to port with her engines broken down after having been out one day.
EURYALUS: ACCIDENT.—While this cruiser was in drydock, on August 24, some of the supporting shores buckled and broke. This led to the giving way of others, and finally the vessel toppled partly over. It appears that the injuries caused are very serious. The bottom is much deformed; many of the boilers are injured and all will probably have to be removed. The sheathing over nearly the whole bottom will have to be renewed as well as some of the plating, and some of the frames will need reforming.
POWERFUL AND TERRIBLE: ADDITIONS TO BATTERY.—These large protected cruisers of 14,200 tons have always been considered to be inadequately armed for ships of their size, especially as they have no armor except that of the 6-inch casemates. It is now proposed to add four casemates, each containing a 6-inch gun. They are to be placed on the gun-deck, one over each of the four midship casemates. This will make all of the casemates double-decked like those of the Drake class.
PROMETHEUS: TRIALS OF SCREWS.—The protected cruiser Prometheus (2135 tons, 7200 I. H. P., 20.5 knots) is to undergo a series of trials with different screws to determine the best design for ships of her class. The first trial will be made with those now fitted and will consist of runs on the measured mile at speeds of 15 to 20 knots. A second trial of a similar kind will be made with screws of greater pitch. She will then be fitted with others of a new type and tried again.
MOORHEN: LAUNCH, TRIALS.—This shallow-draft gunboat of about 180 tons was launched at the works of Messrs. Yarrow and Company, Poplar, August 13. On August 21, she had her official trials. The guaranteed speed of 13 knots was maintained for three hours with open fire-rooms and without using forced draft. During one hour wood fuel alone was used. The speed trial was made while on the way to Sheerness, and for more than two-thirds of the time she steamed against a 25-knot breeze. The Moorhen is a sister ship in all respects to the Teal, which is fully described and illustrated in PROCEEDINGS NO. 99, pp. 581 and 603.
ASSISTANCE: COMPLETED.—This vessel is fitted as a repair ship, or floating workshop. She is also fitted with evaporating apparatus sufficient to supply 150 tons of water per day. She was recently completed at the yard of Sir Raylton Dixon and Company, Sunderland, and is to be attached to the Mediterranean Squadron. The dimensions are: Length, 436 feet; beam, 53 feet; draught, 20 feet; displacement, about 9600 tons. The machinery is of 4200 I. H. P. with forced draft, and 3000 I. H. P. with natural draft. The corresponding speeds are 13 and 12 knots. She will have a 3-pounder gun for signal purposes and will be fitted with apparatus for wireless telegraphy. The complement is 262 officers and men.
TORPEDO-BOAT DESTROYERS: NEW TYPE UNDER CONSIDERATION.-"The British Admiralty has obtained expressions of opinion from leading builders of torpedo-boat destroyers with regard to certain contemplated changes to economize weight and facilitate repairs on vessels of that type. Several destroyers are soon to be built, and it is intended not only to give them increased size and seaworthiness, but also to enlarge their radius of action by providing for larger coal capacity even at the expense of speed. In something like half of the 1000 of these boats which have been added to the British fleet within the last three years the speed rate was 30 knots or over, reaching 32 in the Arab, 33 in the Express, 35 8-10 in the ill-fated Cobra and 36 58-100 in the Viper. In the boats now in contemplation the maximum rate will be only 27 knots. There is this difference, however: The destroyers now afloat are capable of maintaining their maximum speed for only three hours with half a load of coal aboard, while the new ones are expected to maintain 27 knots for four hours with a full supply of coal. To obtain these advantages weights must be rigorously economized, and prospective contractors have been asked whether the two sets of engines could not be built closely back to back, instead of separately, so that one central framing or support for the engines might suffice. The court of inquiry to investigate the wrecking of the Cobra, above mentioned, on September 18, whereby upwards of 70 lives were lost, has reported that the vessel simply collapsed because she was structurally weak, that she did not touch ground and that no errors were made in her navigation. The purchase of the Cobra for the government is condemned by the court.—Army & Navy Journal, October 26, 1901.
The source which inspired the foregoing is unknown, but it seems probable that the chief point which the Admiralty has in view is increased strength. The reduction of scantling, which has been made to attain very high speed, has proceeded to such lengths that probably few of the 30-knot boats are fit to go to sea except in moderate weather. As nearly all of them were tried at very light draught, compared with the ordinary condition of service, their legend speeds are deceptive. They cannot do anything like 30 knots after commissioning—not because less well handled, nor because the machinery was injured in the full speed trial, but because of greater displacement due to additional weights carried. But even if they could attain 30 knots their weakness makes them almost useless as a fleet adjunct. It is not merely that their shell plates are thin; their frames are too light, and their longitudinals of insufficient depth and stiffness to give the requisite girder strength at sea when the waves leave the middle or ends without much support from the water. As within a year, the Seal, Crane, and Vulture have sagged, or hogged, in not unusual weather, sufficiently to rupture their decks or side plating, while the Cobra broke in two and sank, it seems quite time to consider the question of strengthening future construction.
GREYHOUND: TRIALS.—The torpedo-boat destroyer Greyhound had her first trials on September 7. The details are: steam pressure, 240 pounds; I. H. P. 6373; revolutions, 393; mean speed for three hours, 30.15 knots; mean of several runs over the measured mile, 30.42 knots. On September 24, her second (official?) trials took place with the following results: steam pressure, 240 pounds; I. H. P., 6141; revolutions, 398; mean speed for three hours, 30.337 knots. The Greyhound is fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 170.
ROEBUCK: TRIAL.—Le Yacht says that the official trials of this torpedo-boat destroyer, a sister in all respects to the Greyhound (see preceding paragraph), took place October 8, and that they were satisfactory; but that owing to the failure of a boiler tube the coal consumption trial was deferred until October 15. The Rivista Marittima says that the full power trial of the Roebuck took place on September 27 with the following results: steam pressure, 246 pounds; revolutions, 397; I. H. P., 6573; mean speed for three hours, 30.346 knots; mean of several runs over the measured mile, 30.436 knots.
SYREN: TRIAL.—“The torpedo-boat destroyer Syren, the last of a series of thirteen vessels supplied by Palmer's Shipbuilding Company; carried out her full-power trial at Portsmouth on Tuesday (September 10). The revolutions were 382.9 starboard and 380.2 port, and the total indicated horse-power was 6708. The air pressure was 3.6-in., and the mean speed of the three hours was exactly 30 knots. During the early part of the trial the vessel made six runs over the measured mile in Stokes Bay, when the mean indicated horse-power was 6689, and the speed 29.812 knots."—Engineer (London), September 13.
The Syren is described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 170.
COBRA: FOUNDERING OF.—The British torpedo-boat destroyer Cobra foundered at sea September 18, and of the 79 persons on board only 12 were saved. The cause of the catastrophe has been ascribed, with a fair degree of certainty of its correctness, to her breaking in two amidships through the action of the sea, which left her middle body inadequately supported while her ends were lifted by the waves. The Cobra was much the largest of the British destroyers. Her displacement on service was considerably over 400 tons but, owing to changes after completion, her exact displacement, in any assigned condition as to weights carried, is unknown. She was undoubtedly weak. She was built on speculation by Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company, and was commenced in 1899. The Viper, built contemporaneously by Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, was also built as a speculation. It was hoped that their high qualities would attract purchasers, and both vessels were acquired by the British Admiralty. When the Admiralty sent its inspector to report upon the Cobra, prior to completing the purchase, he decided that she was structurally weak, and so stated. Suggestions were made as regards the additions which would be considered by the Admiralty to be sufficient; but as the Cobra was a completed vessel, with engines and boilers in place, it was found to be impossible to do very much in the way of adding strength without pulling her to pieces. Nevertheless, after strengthening her as much as possible, the Admiralty accepted her.
A very full history of the Cobra, of her purchase and loss, and of other matters connected with her and with the Viper, is given in the Engineer (London) of October 25. It is so exceptionally clear, fair, and logical at all points that the compiler regrets its length forbids its inclusion in these notes.
TORPEDO BOAT NO. 107: TRIALS.—"Torpedo boat No. 107 passed her final official full-speed trial at the mouth of the Thames on Monday (September 23). The mean speed on the measured mile was 25.401, and that for the three hours 25.206, the indicated horse-power being 2899. The notable features of the trial were the smoothness with which the engines worked, the low air pressure in the stokeholds—1.6-in.—and the handiness of the boat in turning. The diameter of the circles at full speed was not more than three lengths under starboard helm, and four lengths under port helm; the boat remaining practically upright. The trial was made with the full sea-going load of 42 tons on board."—Engineer (London), September 27.
The first trials, early in September, were not satisfactory, the speed attained being only 24.5 knots. This torpedo boat, which is a sister to No. 108, is described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 170.
TORPEDO BOAT NO, 108: UNSATISFACTORY TRIAL.—Torpedo boat No. 108 attempted her trials on October 18, but was unable to attain the required speed of 25 knots and, after an hour, the trial was discontinued.
NEW SUBMARINE BOATS: LAUNCHES, REMARKS.—"The first of the five British submarine boats launched at Barrow recently (this one was launched October 2) has been undergoing tests preparatory to further trials in deep water. She has been lifted out of the water by means of a floating dock, and deposited on a gridiron, where tests have been made, with a crew of six men on board, of the working of the system of compressed air. The men spent three hours inside the boat before they were restored to the open air. They found no difficulty in breathing, and, it is said, came out of the boat as fresh as possible."—Engineer, London, October 18.
A further series of tests of these boats will be undertaken, and for this purpose it has been decided to lengthen the Experimental tank at Horsea Island, Portsmouth. The tank is 1200 yards long, 60 yards wide, and 30 feet deep. The boats will just be able to enter as the entrance is 12 feet wide and the beam of the boats 11.75 feet. As regards crews for the boats, it appears there will be some difficulty. Only volunteers will be ordered to them and the Admiralty's call has not been freely responded to, notwithstanding the extra pay offered. Furthermore, the rigorous medical examination caused the rejection of most of the applicants. The boats are fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 98, page 396.
HAZARD: TO BE USED AS TENDER TO THE SUBMARINES.—The gunboat Hazard (1070 tons. 3700 I. H. P., and 17 knots) is to be fitted out as tender to the submarines and flagboat of the flotilla.
GREECE.
NEW PROGRAM, CONDITION OF NAVY, ETC.—The following note appears in the Army & Navy Gazette of November 2, 1901:
"According to the Correspondence Politique, Prince George of Greece has been expressing very unfavorable opinions upon the Greek Navy, and the manner in which it is administered. It appears to be the prince's purpose to secure control of the naval forces, as he has already done of the military. A certain flutter has accordingly been created, and M. Delyannis has declared in an interview that his opinions were diametrically opposed to those of the prince, and that he would resist any idea of confiding to the latter the control of the navy, especially as the particular situation of the members of the Royal family deprives them of real responsibility. There seems to be some idea of expansion in the Greek Navy. A rumor has spread that a cruiser, a destroyer, and four torpedo boats would be built in England. A despatch from Rome to the Echo de Paris asserts that Messrs. Ansaldo, Orlando, Odero, and Pattison (of Naples) have formed themselves into a syndicate in order that they may undertake three armored cruisers of large size, and six torpedo boats for the Hellenic Government. The syndicate thus formed would last but eighteen months, and would only have reference to this particular commission, and the arrangement became necessary because the Greek Government demanded pecuniary advantages which no single firm could allow it. This, at least, is the story published by the Echo de Paris."
The remarks concerning the despatch from Rome to the Echo de Paris are confirmed by a similar note in the Moniteur de la Flotte. In regard to this matter Le Yacht says:
"The shipbuilding establishments of Ansaldo, of Sestri Ponente, Odero, of Genoa, Orlando, of Livorno (Leghorn), and Pattison, of Naples, have formed a syndicate to construct in eighteen months, with special privileges of payment, three armored cruisers and six torpedo boats. In addition, it is reported that four torpedo-boat destroyers will be built at Naples."
ITALY.
PERSONNEL: NUMBERS.-" There are at the present time on the active list of the navy: 1 admiral, 7 vice-admirals, 14 rear-admirals, 58 captains, 70 frigate-captains, 75 corvette-captains, 410 lieutenants, 160 sublieutenants, and no midshipmen. The engineering staff consists of: 1 inspector-general of naval engineers, 2 inspectors, 7 directors, 9 chief engineers of first class, 11 chief engineers of second class, 17 engineers first class, 15 engineers second class, 8 assistant engineers first class, 12 assistant engineers second class, 1 inspector-general of officer-mechanics, 2 directors, 5 principal chief officer-mechanics first class, 20 principal chief officer-mechanics second class, 70 chief officer-mechanics, 103 chief officer-mechanics second class, 62 chief officer-mechanics third class. The medical department consists of: 1 inspector, 6 directors, 11 chief surgeons first class, 23 chief surgeons second class, 75 surgeons first class, and 63 surgeons second class. The commissariat branch consists of: 1 inspector, 6 directors, 17 chief paymasters first class, 26 chief paymasters second class, 107 paymasters first class, 107 paymasters second class, 28 assistant paymasters. There are 30 captains, 54 lieutenants, and 57 sublieutenants attached to the Corpo Reale Equipaggi, the men of which are enlisted voluntarily and from whose ranks are drawn the quartermasters, seamen-gunners, trained torpedo-men, mechanics, sick-berth attendants, etc.
"The strength of the seamen personnel is 22,496 men, made up of 3969 petty officers, 17,152 seamen, stokers, etc., 677 boys, and 700 specialists. The seamen number 7651, exclusive of 536 quartermasters and trained helmsmen; seamen-gunners and torpedo men, 5006; artificers, 1146; and stokers, 4140. The men are divided into classes, 18,352 being available for service afloat, and 4144 for shore duty."—Journal of Royal United Service Institution.
BENEDETTO BRIN: LAUNCH.—This first class battleship was launched at the government yard, Castellamare, November 7, 1901. She is a sister ship in all respects, except boilers, to the Regina Margherita, fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 99, page 608. The boilers are of the Belleville type, 28 in number.
AMMIRAGLIO DI ST BON: TRIALS.—This first-class battleship had her trials in May and June. The results were as follows:
Character of trial. Forced draft. Natural draft.
Date of trial May 23. June 26.
Mean draught on trial, feet 24.9 25.0
Corresponding displacement, metric tons 9908. 9950.
Days since last docking 158. 14.
Boilers in use 12. 12.
Duration of trial, hours 1.5 6.
Stream pressure at boilers, pounds 150. 149.7
Steam pressure at engines, pounds 146. 148.
Air-pressure in fire-rooms, inches of water 1.26 0.33
Revolutions, mean 104. 94.4
Indicated horsepower 14,296. 10,407.
Speed, knots 18.3 17.47
Slip of screw, per cent. 16.1 12.5
Coal burned per I. H. P. per hour, pounds 2.18 1.87
The operation of the machinery and boilers is reported to have been satisfactory.—Rivista Marittima.
JAPAN.
NEW PROGRAM UNDER CONSIDERATION.—It is rumored that the Japanese government is considering the question of adopting a new building program. The Jiji Shimpo, one of the leading newspapers of Tokyo, declares that a strong addition to the fleet is necessary. The sole question is that of expense, and if the funds can be obtained there is little doubt that the new program will be a fairly extensive one.
PERSONNEL: NUMBERS OF OFFICERS AND MEN.—There are at present in the Japanese navy 46 admirals, 1828 officers of less rank, 398 cadets, 2543 non-commissioned and petty officers, and 19,149 enlisted men (other than petty officers).
NIITAKA, TSUSHIMA: DESCRIPTION.—These second class protected cruisers are building at Japanese government yards, the former at Yokosuka and the latter at Kuré, though much of the material used in them came from abroad. They will be very similar to the Akitsushima, but the batteries of the new ships will be slightly heavier. The hull is of steel with ram bow and full stern without overhang. The double bottoms will extend throughout the boiler and engine room space and slightly beyond. There will be two signal masts and three smokepipes. The bridge is forward of the foremast and has a searchlight on each end. A third searchlight will be carried on a raised platform aft. The principal details are:
Armament.—Six 6-inch guns: two in shields on poop and forecastle, and four in sponsons on the main deck, one each side abreast each mast. Ten 12-pounders: six in broadside between the 6-inch guns, one each side on the forecastle under the bridge, and one each side in the cabin, well aft. Four 3-pounders in broadside on the main deck, one each side between the forward 6-inch and forward 12-pounders, and one each side between the center and after 12-pounders. No torpedoes are to be carried.
Protection.—Complete protective deck, 1.5 inches thick on the flat and 3 inches on the slopes amidships. Thick gun shields over 6-inch guns, and possibly some armor or thick plating on the sponsons.
Motive power.—Twin-screw, triple-expansion engines, designed to develop 9400 I. H. P. and give a speed of 20 knots. Coal capacity, 600 tons. Niclausse boilers.
Dimensions.—Length, between perpendiculars, 334.6 feet; beam, 44 feet; mean draught, 16 feet; displacement, 3365 tons.
MIKASA TRIAL.—The preliminary trials of the battleship Mikasa, 15,200 tons, gave a speed of 18 knots with 15,207 I. H. P. The Mikasa is fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 96, page 706.
SHIRAKUMO: LAUNCH, DESCRIPTION.—The Shirakumo, torpedo-boat destroyer, built for the Japanese government by Messrs. T. J. Thorneycroft and Company, of Chiswick, was launched October 1. A sister boat, the Asashio, is building at the same works, but is not yet launched. The dimensions of these boats are: Length, between perpendiculars, 216.7 feet; beam, 20.75 feet; mean draught, 6 feet; displacement at this draught, 333 tons. The armament consists of one 12-pounder, five 6-pounders, and two torpedo tubes. The machinery is twin-screw, 4-cylinder, triple-expansion; I. H. P., 7000; estimated speed, 31 knots; bunker capacity, 90 tons. The boilers, four in number, are of the Thorneycroft-Schultz type. The designed speed of 31 knots is to be made at mean load draft of 6 feet, the weight carried being equal to 40 tons. The keel of the Shirakumo was laid on February 28, 1901.
AKATSUKI LAUNCH.—The torpedo-boat destroyer Akatsuki was launched at the works of Messrs. Yarrow & Company, Poplar, November 13. The Kasumi, a sister boat building at the same works, is nearly ready for launching. The armament is the same as that of the Shirakumo (see preceding paragraph). The dimensions are: Length between perpendiculars, 220.25 feet; beam, 20.5 feet; mean draft, 5.33 feet; displacement at this draft, 325 tons. The estimated horsepower of the machinery is 6000, but this will probably be considerably exceeded. The designed speed is 31 knots; and the coal capacity is 90 tons.
ASAGIRI, HARUSAME, HAYATORI, MURASAME: PRINCIPAL DETAILS.—These torpedo-boat destroyers were ordered in December, 1900, and are under construction at the government yard, Yokosuka. The armament consists of one 12-pounder, five 6-pounders, and two torpedo tubes. The estimated I. H. P. of the machinery is 6000; designed speed, 29 knots; coal capacity, 100 tons. The dimensions are: Length between perpendiculars, 227 feet; beam, 21.5 feet; mean draft, 6 feet; displacement at this draft, 375 tons.
TORPEDO BOATS 57, 58, 59: REMARKS.—These boats, of about 80 tons, are under construction at Kuré dockyard and should be completed before the end of the year.
TORPEDO BOATS 60 AND 61: LAUNCHED.—These boats were built by Herr F. Schichau, of Elbing, and sent out to Japan in sections. They were put together at the Kawasaki Works, Kobe, and launched last June. Their displacement is 83 tons.
TORPEDO BOATS 62, 63, 64, 65, 66: REMARKS.—These boats were built by Messrs. Yarrow and Company and sent out to Japan in sections like Nos. 60 and 61. They are being put together at Sasebo and are probably now about ready for trials.
NEW BOATS OF 88 TONS.—Five boats of 88 tons are to be built in Japan; three at Sasebo and two at Yokosuka. The material has been ordered and work on them is expected to begin about the end of the present year (1901). Their dimensions are to be as follows: Length between perpendiculars, 131.5 feet; beam, 16.25 feet; mean draft, 3.3 feet; displacement, 88 tons. The estimated I. H. P. of the machinery is 1200; speed, 23.5 knots; coal capacity, 14 tons. Armament, two 3-pounders and three torpedo tubes.
AWATAKI, HATO, HIBARI, KARI, KIJI, AND TSUBAME: ORDERED.—In November, 1900, orders were sent to the Kuré dockyard to build six torpedo boats of 150 tons each, to which these names are to be given. A portion of the material for the boats has been received, and it is probable that they are now all under way. The work on the boilers and engines is nearly completed. The dimensions are to be: Length between perpendiculars, 147.6 feet; beam, 16 feet; mean draught, 4.75 feet; displacement, 150 tons. The estimated I. H. P. of the machinery is 4200; corresponding speed, 29 knots; coal capacity, 25 tons. Armament, three 3-pounders and three torpedo tubes.
MEXICO.
NEW GUNBOATS: DESCRIPTION.—These two vessels are building at the yard of the Crescent Shipbuilding Company, Elizabeth, N. J. This company was not the lowest bidder, but its plans were preferred by the Mexican government. The vessels are of steel without sheathing, and have quarters suited to a tropical climate; and, in addition to the regular crew, 200 soldiers can be berthed on board. This permits of their use for transporting small bodies of troops from one port to another without the loss of time which might be required if it were necessary to wait for a regular transport. The head of the Mexican commission which is superintending the building of the boats is Colonel Flaviano Paliza, who has with him a construction engineer and a large force of officers and cadets who will see every part as it is built into the vessels and will be ordered to duty on them when they are completed. The principal details are:
Armament—Four 4-inch; four 6-pounders; one bow torpedo tube.
Motive power.—The engines are twin-screw, triple-expansion, designed to develop about 2400 I. H. P. and give a speed of 16 knots. The coal supply will be sufficient for 7000 miles at 10 knots.
Dimensions.—Length, 200 feet, beam, 33 feet; draft, 10 feet; displacement at this draft, 1000 tons.
NETHERLANDS.
NEW TORPEDO BOATS FOR EAST INDIES.—Four torpedo boats for service in the Netherlands East Indian marine have been ordered from the Schelde Shipbuilding Company, of Vlissingen. The contract price is 297,000 florins ($119,394), and the contract time for delivery is 13 months.
NICARAGUA.
ARMINIUS: PURCHASED FROM GERMANY.—A despatch from Managua to the New York Herald says that the Nicaraguan government has purchased from Germany the old armored gunboat Arminius. This old craft is built of iron and was launched in 1864. She was struck from the list of the German navy some years ago and has since been used for harbor service. The principal details are:
Armament.—Four 21-centimeter (8.27-inch), 10-ton, breech-loading rifles of old type. These may be supplemented by light rapid-firing guns.
Protection.—Armor belt, 4.5 inches thick, iron. Turret armor, 7.25 inches.
Motive Power.—Single-screw engines of 1200 I. H. P. Speed when new, 10.5 knots. Coal capacity, about 200 tons.
Dimensions.—Length, 197.3 feet; beam, 36 feet; draft, 13.8 feet; displacement, 1583 tons.
NORWAY.
NAVAL BUDGET FOR 1901-02.—According to Le Yacht, the naval budget for 1901-02 amounts to 4,550,000 crowns ($1,219,400; I crown = $0.268) in the ordinary expenditure, which is an increase of 65,000 crowns over the budget for 1900-01. The sum of 1,388,000 crowns is for pay; 390,000 for schools; 1,067,000 for armaments; and 1,164,000 for new construction. In addition to this, the extraordinary expenditure is fixed at 2,850,000 crowns.
PORTUGAL.
TEJO: LAUNCH, DESCRIPTION.—This high speed gunboat was launched at the royal naval arsenal, Lisbon, on October 27. The Tejo was built upon plans by M. Croneau, chief constructor. The hull is of nickel steel, and the fallowing are the principal details:
Armament.—One 65-millimeter (2.56-inch) gun on the forecastle; six 3-pounders; three on each beam; one 0.4-inch machine gun on the poop; two torpedo tubes.
Motive power.—Twin-screw, triple-expansion engines of 7000 I. H. P., designed to give a speed of 25 knots. The boilers are of the Sigaudy water-tube type.
Dimensions.—Length over all, 231.6 feet; between perpendiculars, 229.6 feet; beam, extreme, 23.9 feet; beam at the water-line, 22.96 feet: depth, 13.1 feet; draft, 7.2 feet; displacement, 532.7 tons (metric).
RUSSIA.
BUDGET FOR 1901-02.—The Russian budget has not yet appeared in full in any publications which have reached the compiler. It will be given at length in the next number of the PROCEEDINGS. According to the Kronstadtskii Viestnik, the total amount of the budget is 98,318,984 rubles ($50,634,276.76; i ruble = $0.515). Of this, the sum of 36,903,856 rubles is for naval construction and armament; 20,485,000 for expenses of ships in commission; 5,359,994 for construction works; 10,891,845 for pay of employees on shore; 4,026,738 for the construction of the port of Emperor Alexander III; 5,200,000 for the improvement of Port Arthur and the port of Vladivostok; 5,740,523 for navy yards and building establishments; 2,402,674 for the superintendence and direction of ports; 1,128,638 for maintaining establishments of instruction and 1,214,063 for hospitals and medical service.
NEW VESSELS ORDERED.—According to the Novosti, five new armored ships with a speed of 20 knots and a displacement in excess of 12,000 tons, are to be built in Russia. The Mittheilungen aus dem Gebiete des Seewesens says that four first class armored cruisers are to be built, one each at Libau, Nicolaiev, Windau, and Sevastopol.
KAGUL, OTSHAKOV: CHRISTENING CEREMONY.—The official ceremony of attaching the silver plate to the keels took place recently—that of the Otshakov at Sevastopol on August 28, and of the Kagul at Nicolaiev, September 9.
BORODINO: LAUNCH.—The first class battleship Borodino, 13,576 tons, was launched at the New Admiralty yard, St. Petersburg, September 8, 1901. A very full description of the Borodino is given in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 178.
POBIEDA TRIAL.—On October 14, the battleship Pobieda, 12,674 tons, underwent steam trials, attaining a speed of 18.5 knots. The ship is not completed in her battery and upper works and may not be ready for service until late next spring.
NOVIK TRIAL.—According to Le Yacht, the Novik has had preliminary trials on which the designed speed of 25 knots was exceeded.
RETWISAN: TRIALS.—On her first trial the Retwisan maintained a speed of 18.8 knots for 12 hours. During one hour the speed was over 19 knots. The Retwisan is fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 181.
LIEUTENANT BOUROKOFF: NAMED.—The torpedo-boat destroyer of 280 tons, 6500 I. H. P., and 32 knots, taken last year from the Chinese at Taku, has been named Lieutenant Bourokoff and added to the Siberian Fleet.
AKOULA, BYTCHEK: LAUNCH; NAMES OF OTHERS OF CLASS.—The torpedo boats Akoula and Bytchek were launched at the Neva Works, St. Petersburg, on August 24. They are of 150 tons displacement, 4200 I. H. P., and 26 knots speed. There are ten similar boats building at the Neva Works; the names of the others are: Keta, Maknel, Nalim, Okun, Paltus, Pescar, Plotva, and Sig.
BAKLAN: LAtnicti.—The torpedo-boat destroyer Baklan, 350 tons, was launched at the Neva Works, St. Petersburg, August 12, 1901. The names of the boats of this class are given in PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 183.
GAGARA, VORON, FILIN, SOVA : TRIALS, DESCRIPTION.—These boats are of the Sokol type and were built at the New Admiralty Works, St. Petersburg. They have all completed their trials recently. The speeds were: Gagara, 27 knots; Voron, 28 knots; Filin, 26.94 knots; Sova, 26.81 knots. The principal details of these boats are said to be:
Armament.—One 12-pounder; three 3-pounders; two torpedo tubes.
Motive power.—Twin-screw, triple-expansion engines of 3800 I. H. P., designed to give a speed of 26.5 knots. The boilers are of the Yarrow type and are eight in number.
Dimensions—Length, 190 feet; beam, 18.5 feet; maximum draft, 11.5 feet; displacement, 240 tons.
BERKUT, YASTRED, NYROK: TRIALS.—These torpedo-boat destroyers are similar to the Gagara class, described in the preceding paragraph, except that they are reported to be 10 feet longer, to have 6 inches more beam, and 6 inches less draft. They were built at the Ijora Works and the first two have had satisfactory trials. The Nyrok failed on her first trial (October 10), being only able to maintain a speed of 26.18 knots instead of 26.5 knots.
MININ: REFIT.—The old armored cruiser Minin (6168 tons, 5290 I. H. P., and 13 knots), is going to be reconstructed for the third time.
PAMYAT AZOVA : REFIT.—The armored cruiser Pamyat Azova (6096 tons, 11,500 I. H. P., 17.5 knots) will receive next year new boilers of the Belleville type, which are now under construction at the Franco-Russian Works, St. Petersburg. At the same time she will have extensive repairs and alterations, such as the reduction of the height of the smokepipes and reduction of the masts from three to two.—Le Yacht, October 5.
ALEXANDER II: REFIT COMPLETED.—The repairs and refit of the old battleship Alexander II have been completed at La Seyne.
SPAIN.
NEW PROGRAM.—It is stated that the ministry of marine has presented to the Cortes a project for the construction of eight battleships of 12,000 tons and four cruisers of 8000 tons, and asked for a credit of 12,000,000 pesetas ($2,316,000) for commencing work upon them. The cruisers are to be built in Spain but the battleships will be ordered abroad. In a despatch from Madrid to the New York Herald, dated November 15, it is stated that the Duke of Veragua, minister of marine, has threatened to resign if the credits for the new construction are not granted. By referring to PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 184, it will be seen that the present program is a revival of that presented by the previous ministry shortly before it went out of office.
SWEDEN.
BUDGET FOR 1902.—The budget for 1902 amounts to 21,445,025 crowns ($5,747,266.70; I crown = $0.268), of which 10,461,982 is for ordinary expenses. The sum of 6,996,110 crowns is allotted for expenses of the fleet, of which 3,851,740 crowns are for personnel, 1,685,000 for material, and 1,479,496 for armaments. In the extraordinary budget the sum of 6,693,915 is allotted for continuing the construction of armored ships A, B, and C; for two torpedo boats of the first class, two of the second class, and for commencing work upon another armored vessel. The sum of 1,206,000 crowns is allotted for the armament of these vessels, and 280,000 crowns for continuing the reconstruction of the monitors Thordön and Tirfing.
PERSONNEL: NUMBERS.—The vote in the Swedish parliament provided for an increase of the personnel of the navy, consisting of 50 officers, 53 petty officers, 350 men and 80 boys. This will give a total of 210 officers, 362 petty officers, 2825 men and 400 boys.
TORPEDO-BOAT DESTROYER: ORDERED.—A torpedo-boat destroyer of 31 knots, of the most modern type, fitted to use both coal and liquid fuel, has been ordered of Yarrow, Poplar.
TURKEY.
THE TURKISH PROGRAM.—During the recent war with Greece the Turkish government awakened to the fact that operations were seriously hampered by the condition of the fleet, and that only the inactivity of the Greek squadron, combined with general European diplomatic considerations effecting Crete, prevented the bombardment of, or levy upon, the Turkish Mediterranean ports. Soon after the war the question of improvement of the fleet was discussed, and it was finally concluded that the financial condition of the country and the time required to produce new ships made it desirable to rebuild the old vessels rather than order new ones. The work was taken in hand at once, and at present nearly all the old heavy ships of the Turkish navy are undergoing reconstruction, while new machinery has been installed in the Turkish arsenals; and it was expected that work upon the Abdul Kader, whose frame was rusting on the stocks, would be rapidly pushed. Having no cruisers to repair, it was decided to build some, and orders were placed with Cramp, Armstrong, and Krupp for one cruiser each. A description of the Armstrong cruiser is given in PROCEEDINGS No. 99, page 614. The cruiser building at Philadelphia is of the same design and dimensions; and that to be built by Krupp is very similar.
MESUDIEH: RECONSTRUCTION.—This old battleship of 9140 tons has just been rebuilt at the works of Messrs. G. Ansaldo and Company, Sampierdarena, near Genoa. The boilers and machinery were removed, and the stern was braced and strengthened. Then twin-screw, triple-expansion engines of 11,000 I. H. P. were put in place of the old ones, which operated a single screw. The new boilers, 16 in number, are of the Niclausse type and are installed in four groups of four boilers each. This disposition requires two smokepipes, and they are much higher than the old ones. The expected speed with the new machinery is 15 knots.
The deck, which covered in the old battery and rested on top of the armor, was strengthened. Above it everything (including bulwarks and rail) was cut away, leaving this the main deck (U. S. Naval system of nomenclature). Above the main deck amidships was erected a superstructure which conforms in shape to the armored enclosure below it, except at the extreme ends, which do not curve out. This superstructure is covered in and the upper deck so formed surrounded by a light rail. Above it, at each end, are the usual bridges. The armor on the side of the ship is undisturbed, except that the ports for the battery are slightly enlarged, but the guns are fitted with thick shields which completely close the opening. The old masts have been removed and replaced by a single military mast abaft the smokepipes, carrying a military top and a small search-light platform. The battery consists of: two 9.2-inch guns (see "Guns," page 812), one forward, one aft, in oval balanced turrets of face-hardened armor, 6 inches thick in front and 3 inches on sides and rear; twelve 45-caliber 6-inch Vickers' guns in the central armored battery, six each side, with semi-circular shields 4.5 inches thick, which completely close the ports; fourteen 3-inch, five each side in the central superstructure and one each side forward and one each side aft on the gun-deck; ten 6-pounders, three each side on the superstructure, and one each side on the forward and after bridge decks; two 3-pounders in the military top; two boat guns.
The dimensions of the Mesudieh are: Length, 331.4 feet; beam, 59 feet; mean draft, 26 feet; displacement at this draft, 9120 tons.
ORKANIEH, OSMANIEH, AZIZIEH t MAHMUDIEH, MUKADEM-I-HAïR,FETh-I-BULEND, AVNI-ILLAH, MUIN-I-ZAFFER: RECONSTRUCTION.—These vessels are all to be repaired at the works of Messrs. G. Ansaldo and Company, Sampierdarena. The four last-named are to be rebuilt, receiving new boilers and engines and a new battery; the others are to have a general refit and be rearmed. The main armament of the larger vessels will consist of one 8-inch gun forward, one 6-inch gun aft, eight 6-inch in the citadel, and eight 3-inch.
UNITED STATES.
PROGRAM FOR 1902-03.—In his annual report the Secretary of the Navy recommends the authorization of the following vessels:
Three first class battleships; two first-class armored cruisers; three gunboats, each of about 1000 tons trial displacement; three gunboats, each of about 200 tons trial displacement, for insular service; three picket boats, each of about 650 tons trial displacement; three steel sailing training ships, each of about 2000 tons displacement; one collier of about 15,000 tons trial displacement; four tugboats.
PERSONNEL: RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.—In his annual report, Secretary Long makes the following recommendations in regard to the personnel:
That the grade of vice-admiral be revived and that the number in the grade be fixed at two (in a later recommendation this is increased to four); that the personnel of the navy be largely increased; that the list of lieutenants be immediately increased to 350, and that of the junior lieutenants and ensigns be increased to 600; an increase in the list of the construction corps; some increase of the list of civil engineers; that no more professors of mathematics be appointed; that the enlisted force be increased by 3000; that the marines be increased 750; that the title of naval cadet be changed to that of midshipman; that the probationary course of cadets be reduced; that no cadet shall be less than 15 years old nor more than 18 on October first of the year of entrance to the Naval Academy; that officers be not retired in the next higher grade (sections 8 and 9 of the Personnel Act); that all officers advanced numbers be made additional, and not simply those advanced for service in the war with Spain; that the service of retired officers should be counted to advance their rank and pay; and that all service for enlisted men in the army, navy and marine corps should be counted towards the 30 years required for retiring.
NAVAL ESTIMATES FOR 1902-03.—"The naval estimates for the fiscal year 1902-03 amount to $98,910,984.63, which is $20,986,449.03 more than for 1901-02. The increase in the estimates for 1903 over the amount appropriated for 1902 for the same purposes was as follows: Pay of the Navy, $1,297,915; emergency fund, $50,000; Bureau of Navigation, $289,646.25; Bureau of Ordnance, $1,303,100; Bureau of Equipment, $1,003,200; Bureau of Yards and Docks, $129,325; public works, Bureau of Navigation, $365,530; public works, Bureau of Ordnance, $1,265,700; public works, Bureau of Equipment, $747,800; Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, $55,000; Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, $826,652; Bureau of Construction and Repair, $2,600,000; Bureau of Steam Engineering, $846,100; Naval Academy, $36,590.32; Marine Corps, $384,600.46; increase of Navy, $2,000,000; total, $31, 148,534.03. The amount recommended for increase of the Navy is $23,703,010, or $1,696,990 less than last year. There is an increase of $2,000,000 in armament and a decrease of $3,696,990 for machinery. The largest single increase is in the estimate for work in the Bureau of Yards and Docks. Last year the appropriation for this purpose was $6,775,010, while the estimate for the new year is $20,781,375. The estimate for the Naval Academy improvements is $1,500,000, half the amount of last year's appropriation."—Army and Navy Journal, October 19.
It is needless to give the estimates in detail as the appropriation bill usually makes very great changes. The provisions of the bill as it passes Congress will be published in No. 102 of the PROCEEDINGS if the bill has been disposed of in time.
CONDITION OF SHIPS BUILDING.—The following is the condition of vessels building on November 1 in percentages of the total work required to complete them:
BATTLESHIPS.
No. Name. Percent. No. Name. Percent.
10 Maine 70 14. Nebraska 0
11. Missouri 48 15. Georgia 2
12. Ohio 43 16. New Jersey 2
13. Virginia 0 17. Rhode Island 2
ARMORED CRUIERS.
4. Pennsylvania 6 7. Colorado 9
5. West Virginia 2 8. Maryland 2
6. California 0 9. South Dakota 0
PROTETCHED CRUISERS
14. Denver 58 19. Cleveland 68
15. Des Moines 57 20. St. Louis 0
16. Chattanooga 48 21. Milwaukee 0
17. Galveston 45 22. Charleston 0
18 Tacoma 20
MONITORS
7. Arkansas 75 9. Florida 74
8. Nevada 91 10. Wyoming 75
TORPEDO-BOAT DESTROYERS.
1. Bainbridge 99 9. Macdonough 98
2. Barry 92 10. Paul Jones 85
3. Chauncey 96 11. Perry 89
4. Dale 97 12. Preble 87
5. Decatur 98 13. Stewart 63
6. Hopkins 76 14. Truxton 78
7. Hull 75 15. Whipple 77
8. Lawrence 99 16. Worden 76
TORPEDO BOAT.
19. Stringham 98 30. O’Brien 98
20. Goldsborough 97 33. Thornton 97
27. Blakely 98 34. Tingey 70
28. De Long 98 35. Wilkes 90
29. Nicholson 97
SUBMARINE BOATS
1. Plunger 45 6. Pike 50
3. Adder 92 7. Porpoise 80
4. Grampus 51 8. Shark 75
5. Moccasin 85
A table giving the places where the vessels are building is to be found in PROCEEDINGS No. 98, page 401.
NEW BATTLESHIPS: GENERAL FEATURES.-The Army and Navy Register, of November 30, says that the Construction Board has agreed upon the designs of the new battleships, which are to be of about 16,000 tons displacement. The battery will consist of four 12-inch guns in pairs in turrets forward and aft; eight 8-inch guns in pairs in four turrets on the main deck, placed like those of the Indiana and Iowa; twelve 7-inch guns in broadside on the gun deck; twenty 3-inch; and the usual number of machine guns and auxiliary pieces. No torpedo tubes are to be fitted.
NEW ARMORED CRUISERS: GENERAL FEATURES.-These vessels, as recommended by the Board of Construction, will have a displacement of about 14,500 tons; speed, 22 knots; I. H. P., about 25,000; coal supply, about 2000 tons. The entire superstructure will, it is said, be armored. The armor over the broadside battery will be 5 inches; conning tower, 9 inches. The battery will consist of four 10-inch guns in pairs in turrets forward and aft; sixteen 7-inch guns; twenty 3-inch; and the usual smaller pieces. No torpedo tubes will be fitted.
OLONGAPO NAVY YARD: LAND ACQUIRED AND RESERVED.—"The President has signed an executive order creating a naval reservation of a large tract of land just acquired by the Navy Department at Olongapo, on Subic Bay, Luzon. The department will now proceed with all dispatch to construct at this point a navy yard and station of the first order, patterning the plans generally after the Mare Island Navy Yard. As soon as this station is properly equipped a large part of the work now done at the Cavite Navy Yard will be transferred to Olongapo. The latter yard can also undertake repairs of the larger vessels of the Asiatic fleet, which are now expensively repaired at Hong Kong. It is a part of the project to ship the Havana floating dock to Olongapo to supply immediate docking needs, and to remain until permanent stone docks can be constructed."—Army and Navy Register, November 16.
SAN JUAN NAVAL STATION: ESTIMATES FOR, ETC.—"Secretary Long will probably submit estimates to Congress in December, amounting to about $3,000,000, for the establishment and equipment of a naval station on the Puntilla at San Juan. The property which will be purchased will cost $300,000. Of course a dry dock will be built in addition to the shops, railroad facilities, etc."—Army and Navy Register, September 7.
NEW DRYDOCKS: ALGIERS, GUAM, NEW YORK.—The floating dock for the Algiers naval station has been towed there from Baltimore, where it was launched on October 3. It is 525 feet long over the blocks, has an entrance 100 feet wide between the walls, and will have a maximum lifting power of 18,000 tons. It will be attached to two steel columns on shore by two steel lattice booms, articulated in all directions; and it will therefore be free to rise and fall with the Mississippi River, which has frequent changes of level, as well as to rise and sink while being operated.
The building of a drydock at Guam is under consideration. Owing to the character of the rock in the harbor, the excavation of a large dock would probably be easy and cheap.
Stone dock No. 4 at the New York Yard will probably be commenced early in 1902. The buildings which are on the site of the dock are all old and none are of much value. They are No. 17, used as a saw mill; No. 19, boat shop; No. 44, master shipwright; No. 25, construction and repair rigging loft; No. 26, ordnance storehouse and crematory.
CINCINNATI AND RALEIGH AS TRAINING SHIPS FOR FIREMEN.—The New York Herald says that Secretary Long has decided to fit out the Cincinnati and Raleigh as training ships for firemen in the navy. These vessels were selected as they have good power, water-tube boilers, and will be able to accommodate a large engineer's force.
NATIVE FIREMEN IN THE PHILIPPINES.—"The bureau of navigation of the Navy Department has completed arrangements for the maintenance of the insular force in the Navy. The men are rated as native seamen, native firemen, etc., with monthly pay ranging from $8 to $28. Men for the insular force will be assigned only to vessels in service in the Philippines and at Guam. They will not be detailed for duty on board of vessels other than those on the station where the men enlisted, and upon such vessel leaving the station, men belonging to the insular force will be transferred to a vessel remaining on the station, unless they make request in writing to remain on board the vessel to which attached and to be discharged wherever the vessel may be at expiration of enlistment."—Army and Navy Register, September 7.
CLEVELAND: LAUNCH.—The second class protected cruiser Cleveland, 3100 tons, was launched at the Bath Iron Works, September 28, 1901. The vessels of this class are fully described in PROCEEDINGS NO. 94, page 376.
ILLINOIS: TRIAL.—The full data of the trial of the Illinois were not available when the notes for No. 99 were prepared. The following particulars are derived from the very full report of the trial by Lieutenant J. M. Pickrell, which appears in the August number of Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers:
Starboard. Port.
Steam at boilers, pounds 177.
Steam at high-pressure cylinder, pounds 175.8 174.1
Vacuum in condensers, inches of mercury 24.6 24.3
Revolution per minute, main engines 118.4 117.3
Mean speed per hour, knots 17.449
Slip of propeller in per cent of its own speed,
based on mean pitch 13.54 12.7
Air-pressure in fire rooms, inches of water 0.7
I.H.P., main engines only 6,219.42 6,427.21
I.H.P., main engines, air circulating and
feed pumps 12,757
I.H.P., main engines and all auxiliaries in
operation during trial 12,898.7
The battleships of this class (Alabama, Wisconsin, Illinois) are fully described in PROCEEDINGS NO. 96, pages 709 and 720.
NICHOLSON: LAUNCH, DESCRIPTION.—This torpedo boat, which is one of the last to take the water of those authorized in 1898, was launched at the Crescent Shipyard, Elizabethport, September 23, 1901. A sister boat, the O'Brien, was launched September 24, 1900. The contract for the Nicholson was executed September 26, 1898, and the keel laid December 6 following. The contract price for hull and machinery is $165,000. The complement will be 3 officers and 26 men. The principal details are:
Armament.—Three tubes for 18-inch Whitehead torpedoes and three 3-pounders.
Motive power.—Twin-screw, vertical, triple-expansion engines, designed to develop about 3000 I. H. P. and give a speed of 26 knots. Three Mosher boilers.
Dimensions.—Length on water-line, 174.5 feet; extreme breadth, 17 feet; mean draft, 4.5 feet; displacement at this draft, 174 tons.
BAINBRIDGE, CHAUNCEY: LAUNCH, DESCRIPTION.—These two torpedo-boat destroyers are building at the works of the Neafie and Levy Ship and Engine Building Company, Philadelphia. The Bainbridge was launched on August 27 and the Chauncey on October 26. The contract for their construction was signed October 1, 1898, and the keels were laid August 15, 1899, and December 2, 1899, respectively. The complement is 4 officers and 69 men. The principal details are:
Armament.—Two 3-inch guns; five 6-pounders; two tubes for long 18-inch Whitehead torpedoes.
Motive power.—Twin-screw, vertical, triple-expansion engines, designed to develop 8000 I. H. P. and give a speed of 29 knots. Four Thorneycroft water-tube boilers, having 315 square feet of grate area and 17,768 square feet of heating surface. Normal coal supply, 25 tons; bunker capacity, 139 tons.
Dimensions.—Length on load water-line, 245 feet; extreme breadth, 23.6 feet; mean draft, 6.5 feet; displacement at this draft, 420 tons; maximum draft aft, vessel ready for sea, bunkers full, 7.56 feet; corresponding displacement, 535 tons; tons per inch of immersion at normal draft, 9.4.
WILKES: LAUNCH, DESCRIPTION.—This torpedo boat is building at the works of the Gas Engine and Power Company and Charles L. Seabury Company, Consolidated, at Morris Heights, New York, where she was launched September 28. The contract was executed September 30, 1898; contract price, $146,000. The keel was laid June 3, 1899. The complement is 3 officers and 26 men. The principal details are:
Armament.—Three 3-pounders, three 18-inch tubes for Whitehead torpedoes.
Motive power.—Twin-screw, vertical, triple-expansion engines, designed to develop 3000 I. H. P. and give a speed of 26.5 knots. Seabury boilers. Normal coal supply, 10 tons; bunker capacity, 70 tons.
Dimensions.—Length on load water-line, 175 feet; extreme breadth, 17.64 feet; mean draft, 4.67 feet; displacement at this draft, 165 tons; maximum draft aft with full load, 7.5 feet; tons per inch at normal draft, 5.25.
TORPEDO BOAT DOCKS AT NORFOLK.—"The Navy Department has completed the plans for housing torpedo boats at the Norfolk Navy Yard. The establishment to be provided will be known as torpedo rendezvous No. 2 and the first work to be undertaken is the construction of mooring slips which will be located on St. Helena, situated on the Elizabeth River directly opposite the main part of the Norfolk Yard. The work includes the excavation of slips to a depth of 20 feet at mean low water; the construction of a timber wharf, as shown on plans; the construction of six piers, making seven slips for torpedo vessels, five being about 72 by 292 feet in the clear between rolling fenders, each wide enough for two destroyers or three torpedo boats; one about 80 by 292 feet in the clear and one about 88 by 340 feet; the furnishing of bollards, standard gauge track, eight small gangways, cleats, steam pipe and connections, water pipe and connections, electrical conduit and fittings, metal poles, lamps and wiring for lighting, fixed wooden benches, rolling fenders, in order to make complete slips for housing torpedo vessels. The Navy Department proposes to expend $70,000 on this work."—Army and Navy Register, November 9.
PORPOISE, SHARK: LAUNCH.—These two submarine boats, which are building at the Crescent Shipyard, Elizabethport, N. J., have been launched, the former on September 23 and the latter on October 18. The boats of this type are fully described in PROCEEDINGS No. 99, page 622.
VENEZUELA.
NEW PROGRAM.—Le Yacht states that the Venezuelan government is purchasing in Germany a cruiser and two torpedo boats.
AMMUNITION.
CANISTER FOR U. S. ARMY.—The Chief of Ordnance, U. S. Army, says: "The results of the test with the combination fuse for 3.2-inch field gun showed that with the fuse cut at zero the minimum effective range of shrapnel is about 200 yards, and the necessity of sometimes covering the ground within this range, particularly in street fighting, coupled with the good dispersion of fragments afforded by canister at close ranges, leads to the conclusion that the shrapnel with the fuse now used cannot be advantageously employed as a substitute for canister." Canister is of great value to vessels operating against infantry, particularly to gunboats in small harbors and narrow rivers. The lack of it in our operations in the Philippines was frequently deplored.
LYDDITE SHELL IN SOUTH AFRICA.—The more we learn of the behavior of lyddite in shells for field guns the less does its value appear. In PROCEEDINGS No. 98 (page 407) there is a note in regard to lyddite shell. Captain Slocum, U. S. Army, in his report to the War Department upon the operations in South Africa, says: "The Lyddite shell has proven one of the distinct disappointments of the war. It has no effect whatever against entrenchments. On exploding, which it almost always does, as far as I could judge, it only makes a small hole about a foot deep and two feet in circumference, and breaks into few fragments. Against the armor of a battleship, for which they are designed mainly, I have no doubt that they would be very effective, and the poisonous gases confined in a closed space would be destructive, but in the open air they are too quickly dissipated to do any injury."As naval officers well know, lyddite shell are not effective, as they cannot be driven through armor before exploding.
LYDDITE SHELL: THE OKEHAMPTON ACCIDENT.—While two sergeants and a private were digging out an unexploded lyddite shell on the range at Okehampton, England, it burst, blowing one of the men to pieces and doing nearly as much to his companions. The ultimate cause of the explosion is unknown. Perhaps the shell was struck with a pick or shovel in such a way as to give a sufficient shock to the fuse. We also know that picric acid will and does attack the iron of the shell, forming ferrous picrate, which is remarkably ready to take fire if struck. Furthermore, if the mealed powder in the fuse should be forced into the shell chamber and into contact with the picric acid a very slight amount of moisture might cause the formation of ammonium or potassium picrates, the latter very sensitive. Whatever was the cause, it is plain that unexploded lyddite shell are exceptionally dangerous to handle; and unexploded shells filled with black powder are not the innocuous objects so many consider them.
ARMOR-PIERCING SHELL IN BRITISH NAVY.—A question was asked in the House of Commons on Thursday, the 25th inst., respecting the use of armor-piercing shell in the Navy. The Secretary to the Admiralty, in reply, said this kind of shell is not filled with high explosives. Shell containing lyddite detonate against thin armor and do little damage inside the ship. No official information had been received showing that the United States Government had adopted a high explosive which can be carried through thick armor, and which does not detonate outside the plate, but explodes by the action of the fuse only. The question whether it was possible or desirable to substitute a high explosive for black powder in armor-piercing shell is now under consideration of the Explosives Committee.—Engineer (London), August 2.
LUMINOUS AND SMOKE SHELLS.—Experiments are reported to have been made in Russia with shells containing acetylene gas in addition to a' bursting charge. The explosion of the projectile causes the acetylene to take fire, thus producing an illumination of 500 to 800 candle power. A German, Herr R. Fielder, has patented a method of rendering the bursting of shells visible at long distances by including in the smokeless powder charge of the shell a cartridge of amorphous phosphorus which, on combustion, produces a dense, snowy white smoke. The major portion of the charge may be made up of this substance, so that, it is claimed, a dense wall of smoke will be produced in front of the enemy, depriving him of a view of the field.
ARMOR.
UNITED STATES: ROYALTIES FOR ARMOR.—The Acting Attorney-General, Mr. James M. Beck, on August 23, rendered an important decision in regard to the right of the Navy Department to withhold payment upon vouchers in favor of the Carnegie Steel Company and the Bethlehem Steel Company, as royalty for the use of the Harvey process in the manufacture of nickel-steel armor plate. The two claims arose under similar contracts, and are, therefore, settled together. The Attorney-General adhered to his former decision in this matter, and decided that payment could not be made at the present time in view of the pending litigation between the Government and the Harvey Steel Company, with respect to the validity of the letters patent. The comptroller says: "If the contention of the Government be sound and the process used by the Carnegie Company in hardening these plates is not the process covered by the Harvey patents, then it would not be the subject of the agreement of March 24, 1897, and the Carnegie Company was not 'required' to pay royalties thereunder. This is the very question at issue in the pending litigation between the United States and the Harvey Company, behind which latter company the Carnegie Company stands as beneficial plaintiff to the extent of the royalties paid by it, for the Carnegie Company is ‘subrogated to the rights of the Harvey Steel Company to the amount of such royalties,’ and the Harvey Company ‘on the written request and at the expense of the Carnegie Steel Company’ must commence and prosecute with due diligence a suit against the United States to recover the royalty due under the said Government license, and must pay over the royalties thus received to the Carnegie Company. It is obvious, therefore, that to pay these royalties is not merely to prejudge the question at issue in the present litigation, but in effect to concede the entire claim. In my judgment, therefore, you are justified in withholding your approval of this voucher."—Army & Navy Journal, August 31.
TRIAL OF 8.8-INCH FACE-HARDENED NICKEL-STEEL PLATE (CAMMELL & CO.).—The test took place at Whale Island, near Portsmouth, England. The plate was 14 feet by 6.8 feet and 8.8 inches thick; and was one of a lot of plates intended for the belt armor of the British battleship Bulwark. It was supported by the usual backing and structure. Three rounds were fired from a 9.2-inch gun with a projectile weighing 380 pounds and a striking velocity of 1900 feet per second. The projectiles were Holtzer, armor-piercing, but were probably made many years ago, as the Messrs. Holtzer state that they have sold no projectiles in England in recent years. They all broke up on impact, the head of one remaining in the plate. The depth of penetration is not reported. There were no cracks and only a slight flaking of the plate about the points of impact.
TRIAL OF 6-INCH FACE-HARDENED NICKEL-STEEL PLATE (ARMSTRONG).—The test took place at Whale Island, August 22. The plate measured 6 by 8 feet by 6 inches, and was made by Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Company, at their Openshaw works. It was submitted for test in compliance with the British Admiralty rules concerning firms which desire to be in the list of accepted makers, and was made under the supervision of an Admiralty inspector. The test consisted of four rounds with a striking velocity of 1960 foot-seconds. A fifth round was fired to ascertain the further resisting powers of the plate. At the conclusion of the firing the plate was found to be neither perforated nor cracked. The projectiles used in the test were Holtzer armor-piercing shell weighing 100 pounds, probably many years old. (See remarks on same subject in note of preceding armor test.)
GIEDELER ARMOR.—The following is from a Berlin despatch to the New York Herald, dated November 20: "Trials have been completed at the Royal Technical High School of a new mode of steel manufacture, declared by experts as likely to have a revolutionary effect on the world's metal industry and progress.
"It is the invention of a Mecklenburg manufacturer named Giebeler, and consists in imparting to all grades of iron a strength and hardness surpassing nearly double that of the best known Harvey, Krupp or Boehler steel, while cheapening production fifty per cent.
"Projectiles hurled at armor plate, treated by the Giebeler process and 7¾, millimeters thick, made an impression of only 1 millimeter, while Kruppized armor, four millimeters thicker, was completely punctured.
"Resistance experiments showed even more astonishing results. Attempts made by powerful machines proved the steel to possess a strength of 163 kilograms per square millimeter, when the testing apparatus collapsed.
"Among the peculiar features of the process is the increasing strength accruing as the steel grows cold. It is claimed that the process permits the metal to be worked cold or hot. Blades of the new steel chop other steel or iron into splinters, as ordinary steel cuts into wood.
"Next week the representatives of Herr Giebeler go to America with the intention of submitting the process to the great mills there."
TERNI ARMOR: TABLE OF TRIALS OF PLATES OF 67, 76, 90, 110 AND 150 MILLIMETERS.—The following is derived from tables published in the Rivista di Artiglieria e Genio for June, 1901.
All the trials took place at Muggiano.
BOATS.
SUBMARINE BOATS: SPAR TORPEDO FOR DESTROYING THEM.-Not much has recently been heard of the British experiments with spar torpedoes which were designed to destroy submarine boats. One of the English service papers says that the Starfish, which is fitted with the apparatus, has been temporarily laid up and the trials discontinued because there are so many spies about who are endeavoring to find out all about her fittings. If she has fired many torpedoes from her spars she is probably laid up for repairs. Considering the relative strengths of hull a destroyer is more likely to be injured by a torpedo at the end of her spar than a submarine-unless the torpedo is almost against the submarine's hull. Altogether, it would seem as if this method of attacking submarines is like Timothy Oldmixon's method of killing fleas, with the added danger to the attacker.
WELIN BOAT DAVITS.—Mr. Axel Welin, the inventor of the Welin breech-plug, now so extensively used in this country and abroad, has recently patented a boat davit which has many points of excellence. The davit, at the lower end, terminates in a quadrant of two or three feet radius, carrying a toothed rack on its circumference. At the point of junction of the davit and supporting arms of the arc, and at the same time in the center of the circle of which the arc forms part, there is a pivoted sleeve. The teeth on the davit quadrant work in a horizontal rack on the deck on which the quadrant rolls. The sleeve travels on a horizontal worm shaft, at the inner end of which there is a crank. By turning the crank the sleeve is drawn in or out, the quadrant rolls along the horizontal rack, and the head of the davit is thus lowered, or raised and inclined inboard to place a boat in a cradle on the skid beams or rail. In heavy davits the weight of the davit is taken by a smooth flange on the quadrant that projects beyond the toothed rack, which is then displaced to one side.
STEAM LAUNCHES, VEDETTE BOATS, ETC., IN FOREIGN SERVICES.—In a paper read by Mr. E. C. Carnt before the Glasgow Engineering Congress, 1901, Mr. Carnt says:
"The establishment of boats (steam) of the various classes of ships in the British navy is as follows:
Pinnaces. Barges. Cutters.
56 ft. 40 ft. 40 ft. 32ft. 27ft. 32 ft. 23ft.
First class battleships 2 1 1*
First class cruisers 1 1 1*
Second class cruisers 1* 1
Third class cruisers 1
Torpedo gunboats and sloops 1
Surveying ships 1
*Only when commissioned as flagships.
"With the construction in this country of warships for foreign navies, the question of equipment of steam boats is brought forward, and we find the Japanese navy adopting two 16-knot 56-foot vedette boats and an open boat, as the steam equipment for the battleship Mikasa, building at Barrow by Messrs. Vickers, Sons, and Maxim.
"The Russian Government requires two 56-foot vedette boats and two 40-foot pinnaces for a vessel building for it in France. These four boats are of steel and very fully equipped.
"The Austrian Government uses a 47-foot wooden turnabout boat with a speed of 11 knots, and are now adopting a specially fast wooden vedette boat 56 feet in length.
"In connection with the vessels recently built by Messrs. Armstrong, Mitchell and Company for the Japanese navy, four 56-foot vedette boats were required.
"Messrs. Armstrong, being always in the front where speed is wanted, asked us to consider the possibility of giving these four boats a speed of 17.5 knots under certain specified conditions.
“These required careful looking into, and the final design became a 56-foot boat with a ram bow, which increased the length about 9 inches.
“The hull was very carefully lightened, consistent with durability, where possible, and the total weight of machinery kept down to 8 tons. The engine was compound, with 8.5 inch by 18 inch cylinders; a water-tube boiler of our own type, with a working pressure of 190 pounds, was fitted.
"On our own private trial the boat gave us an exhibition of speed that we scarcely hoped for, viz., 19.5 knots. The engines developed 320 indicated horsepower at 565 revolutions, without vibration.
"A series of progressive trials were carried out with this first boat, the mean results of which are plotted on the curve attached on the official trials of the four boats, with the load conditions as specified; the mean results were as follow:
Revolutions. I.H.P. Speed. Date.
No. 1 548 297 18,322 May 2, 1900.
No. 2 540 297 18.1 May 2, 1900.
No. 3 538 302 18.25 June 6, 1900.
No. 4 543 292 18.32 June 6, 1900.
"These four boats are, we believe, the fastest vedette boats in the world.
"We are building a similar boat for the Austrian Government; this will shortly be completed, and we anticipate equally satisfactory results."
BOILERS.
TRIALS OF THE MINERVA AND HYACINTH.—These two protected cruisers have recently undergone a series of competitive tests and trials, including a trip from England to Gibraltar and return. They are of the same length, depth, and nominal displacement (5600 tons), but the Hyacinth has one foot more beam. The chief differences are in the boilers and engines. The Minerva is fitted with eight single-ended boilers of the ordinary marine type, designed to furnish steam at 155 pounds, the engines developing 9600 I. H. P. at 140 revolutions. The Hyacinth has eighteen Belleville water-tube boilers, supplying steam at 300 pounds, which is reduced to 250 pounds at the engines and about 150 at the auxiliaries. The engines were designed to develop 10,000 I. H. P. at 180 revolutions.
On her original forced draft trial the Minerva developed 9891 I. H. P. and a speed of 20.34 knots; with natural draft the I. H. P. was 8221 and the speed 19.6 knots. The Hyacinth developed 10,536 I. H. P. on her full power trial, but the speed attained was only 19.4 knots. The low speed was ascribed to bad weather, but the recent trials throw some doubt on this point.
Concerning the recent trials of these vessels, an editorial writer of the London Engineer, in the issue of July 26, said:
"The competitive trials of H. M. S. Minerva and Hyacinth terminated on the 20th instant with the arrival at Portsmouth of the first-named cruiser at 9:50 p. m., and the second at 11:25 p. in. No official figures are available, but the statements published are, we have reason to believe, substantially accurate. It would be waste of space to recapitulate the history of the experiment. Our readers who are not fully informed we must refer to our recent impressions. Last week we illustrated both ships, and gave their leading dimensions. During the run from Plymouth to Gibraltar the engines of both vessels were worked as nearly as possible at 7000 horsepower. Each ship reported herself on arrival, and then continued steaming with the intention of emptying her bunkers, and so ascertaining her endurance at the stated power. The Hyacinth steamed altogether for 103.5 hours, and the Minerva for 150 hours. How much coal the Hyacinth had on board then we do not know. She was driven into Gibraltar, because her boilers leaked so much that the fresh water feed could not be maintained, the evaporators being overpowered. The Minerva lost about two hours repairing machinery. It is stated that at 4 p. m. on Wednesday the 17th, the signal was made, ‘Light up and proceed to England.’ Three-quarters of an hour later the Hyacinth was steaming at 18 knots. At 5:15 p. m. the Minerva was steaming at full speed. On the run home fogs were encountered three times, by which the ships were delayed. But always the Minerva was the faster boat of the two. A boiler tube burst on board the Hyacinth, and a fireman was so severely scalded that he had to be sent to Haslar Hospital. Both ships are to join at once in the maneuvers. We may incidentally mention here that on the run out Vice Admiral Sir C. E. Domville, Mr. J. Milton, and Mr. Wood were on board the Hyacinth, and Mr. Bain, Mr. List, and Commander M. E. Browning were on board the Minerva. Before the run home they changed ships.
"A consideration of the, circumstances of the trial shows that the results were curiously typical. In every way they support the contention of those who advocate the superiority of the Scotch boiler over water-tube generators; but they do more than this. They go to show that the recent high-pressure practice of the Admiralty is in no wise better than the older system. It will be remembered that the Minerva is comparatively an old vessel, built in 1895. She has triple-expansion engines with cylinders 33 in., 49 in., and 74 in., by 3 feet stroke. The boiler pressure is 155 pounds; revolutions, 140; indicated horsepower, 9600. She is at all powers faster than the Hyacinth; precisely why no one knows. Carefully conducted tank experiments proved, we understand, that what may be called the tow-rope resistance of the two cruisers is about the same. No doubt the defect of the Hyacinth lies in the way in which her power is applied, that is to say, in her machinery. The performance of the Minerva was quite uneventful. The only defect manifested was the breakage of the bolt of an eccentric strap, and the consequent bending of one of the straps. The defect was made good with spare gear in two hours. The ship was quite ready to start again on her homeward run the moment her bunkers were filled.
"Leaving the Minerva for a moment, we turn to the Hyacinth. During the first hours of the run out all went well. Then the loss of water began. The evaporators can supply between six and seven tons of distilled water per hour; but this was insufficient to make up the loss. A very curious feature of this loss is that it was found impossible to trace it to its source. The connections and pipes seemed tight, water did not run into the furnaces, nor was it found in the bilges. The loss was not due to priming, of course, because the water would have reappeared in the hot well. The only explanation is that a multitude of very small leaks are equal in effect to one or two large leaks, and that the water was evaporated and went up the chimneys. A most careful overhaul took place at Gibraltar, and there everything was tested by the hydraulic pump. Not satisfied with this, the ship was taken out of harbor and run for twelve hours to make certain that every joint was tight. This being done, she returned to harbor; fires were drawn and the boilers cooled down.
"We now come to the run home. The statement that within less than two hours from the receipt of the signal to light up, the Minerva was at full speed may appear incredible. It is, however, perfectly true. No wonder will be felt that the Hyacinth with water-tube boilers should get steam quickly, but the performance of the Minerva comes as a surprise. It was not a case of banked fires. While in harbor one boiler out of the eight was under steam to supply electric light, etc. On the day before the return voyage began both ships were moved into the outer harbor, or roadstead; and as there was some wind, the pilot refused to move the Minerva with only one boiler going. Steam was, therefore, raised in two other boilers. As soon as the vessel was moored the fires were entirely drawn, the steam blown down through the condensers, the smoke-box doors opened, and the boilers cooled down for about twenty-four hours. When the order to light up came one boiler was carrying 150 pounds; in two boilers the temperature of the water was at 190 degrees Fahrenheit; in the five remaining boilers it was 90 degrees, that being the temperature of the stokehold—not much in excess of the air on shore. The engines were still warm. Both ships started the moment the engines could give them steerage way. It is no matter of wonder that the Hyacinth should get away quickly, but the fact that the Minerva was so little behind cuts the ground from under the feet of those who maintain that the Scotch boiler is too slow for naval purposes. The draft was never forced; it was assisted by the fans, the pressure not exceeding about half an inch. No doubt the result was secured by boiling the top water, the bottom water remaining comparatively cold. If the hydrokineter had been used several hours would have been lost. This is by no means a solitary instance of what can be done in an emergency. The boilers were in no way injured. On the run home they were properly treated. They were never forced beyond their legitimate power—8400 indicated horsepower—which they can attain with assisted draft.
"As to the Hyacinth, we are told that some anxiety was felt about her Belleville boilers; and this seems to have been justified by the deplorable accident to which we have referred. We have said that the performance of the two ships is opposed to the theory that the high pressures recently adopted by the Admiralty are economical. The Hyacinth has four-cylinder triple-expansion engines, the cylinders being 26 inch, 42 inch, 48 inch and 48 inch, with 30 inch stroke, maximum revolutions 180. It is officially admitted that the engines of the Minerva are more economical, although it is claimed that the boilers of the Hyacinth evaporate about 9 per cent more water per pound of coal. So far as can be said, in the total absence of official figures, it appears that the Minerva burns less coal per mile, other things being equal, than the Hyacinth. The engine friction of the latter, because of the short stroke, high speed, and high pressure—250 pounds—must be greater than that of the Minerva's machinery. The coal burned for all purposes, expressed in terms of indicated horsepower, was as nearly as possible the same for both ships, just under 2 pounds.
"The history of the trial is, as we have said, typical. We have the steady,old Scotch boilers, fairly used, and doing their duty perfectly in the one vessel, and in the other we have the Belleville boiler doing as it would seem it always does when pressed. The ship could hardly reach Gibraltar at seven-tenths of her full power, the old trouble, leakage, driving her into port; and be it remembered that the Hyacinth is comparatively a new vessel—1898—that her machinery has been in charge for many weeks of Mr. Gaudin, and that nothing was left undone to make her a success. The Minerva, on the other hand, working up to a higher fraction of her full power, gave no trouble whatever, and beat the Hyacinth in speed.
"A statement appears in the pages of a contemporary, to the effect that when it was found that the Hyacinth was being outpaced by the Minerva, her Belleville boilers were forced up to 10,000 horsepower, yet the ship went no faster through the water: 'The Hyacinth is much more powerfully armed than the Minerva, but her 2000 additional horsepower gives her no appreciable advantage. The trial has demonstrated that the reported speed of the Hyacinth class is fictitious, for, owing to causes which cannot here be inquired into, it is now known that any effort to attain more than 9000 horsepower is labor and fuel wasted. Thus at 7000 indicated horsepower the speed of the Hyacinth was 17.9; at 9400 it was 19 knots; and at 10,000 indicated horsepower it was still 19 knots.' This is only partially true. The particular result named seems to have been due to the state of the weather, and to no other cause. Both ships are affected by rolling and to an extent which deserves investigation. One type of roll appears to have a greater effect in reducing speed than any other; why, no one, so far, seems able to explain.
"The result of the whole trial is precisely agreeable to our forecast. It has added nothing very new to the existing stock of knowledge. The Minerva's machinery behaved just as it has always done. Her Scotch boilers maintained their reputation, and showed once more by how little the Scotch boiler failed a few years ago, and then only as the result of bad design and improper management. The Belleville boilers of the Hyacinth again did just what was to be expected. It will be remembered that we said that the only novelty to be anticipated in their performance would be that they had gone to Gibraltar and come back without a breakdown. This novel experience was not provided. We venture to think that in the light of the results of this trial the admiralty may feel thoroughly justified in proceeding to fit the ships of the navy with properly designed cylindrical boilers, until such time, say five years hence, as they have reason to believe that a really satisfactory water-tube boiler is available."
In the Engineer of August 30, the following appears:
"We publish this week the major portion of the text of the parliamentary paper 'Return of the Particulars of the recent Sea-trials of the Minerva and the Hyacinth,' ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on the 7th of August. This report, it will be seen, supplies little information in addition to that which was given in THE ENGINEER, and in its pages only, on July 26th. We have the facts and circumstances of the run out to Gibraltar and home given in detail. They will be or will not be found instructive according to the way in which they are used. If, far example, the Admiralty refuses to draw deductions which we think palpable, then there is no instruction for the Board in the report. For those who, like ourselves, take it as a plain statement of simple facts, it will be at once interesting and useful, in the sense that it will help us to arrive at some definite conclusions concerning boilers for the Navy, or will confirm the accuracy of the deductions which we have ourselves drawn.
"In the first place, we learn that the principal argument which has been used against the retention of the Scotch boiler in ships of war has no real foundation. It is not true. It has always been maintained that steam could not be raised to the working pressure in the cylindrical boiler with safety in less than about six hours, whereas it is of great importance that steam should be available in less than an hour. The statements made on this subject have been tacitly accepted as true by the outside public. We do not except engineers; least of all do we except ourselves. In the mercantile marine it is always the practice to get up steam as slowly as possible, six hours being regarded as a minimum time for the operation. The idea is that, working in this way, the boilers are spared injurious stresses by being gradually heated up. In merchant ships there is no reason for hurry, and the experiment of getting up steam as fast as possible does not appear to have been tried at all, or, if tried, the results have not been made public. There has been general ignorance on the subject. In any case, the Admiralty have apparently not tried the experiment, although it was one of the most interesting that could be carried out. The water-tube boiler possessed, it was claimed, the transcendent merit that steam could be got up in it in about one-fifth of the time possible with the Scotch boiler. The trials of the Minerva and the Hyacinth have settled this question at all events, for ever. It will no longer be possible to defend or advocate the water-tube boiler on this ground. We have already said that there was very little difference in the time spent in raising steam in the two ships. We have now the precise figures before us. At 4:27 p. m. on the 17th of July the ships received simultaneously the order to light up and start for Portsmouth as soon as possible. The Hyacinth had two boilers under steam, and her engines had been warmed up. At 5:20 p. m., that is to say, in fifty-three minutes after receiving the signal, she was steaming at 7000 indicated horse-power. The Minerva had one boiler alight out of eight at 4:27 p. in. Her engines had been warmed up. We have already given the temperature of the water in her hollers. At 5:16 p. m., that is to say, in four minutes less time than the Hyacinth, she was steaming at full speed also, and we learn that her boilers, which have seen a good deal of service, were not one penny the worse. The idea that steam could not be raised quickly in Scotch boilers is nothing more than a bogey, a thing to frighten engineers with—a mare's nest in short. No mention is ever made of the circumstance that large engines cannot be warmed up in less than two hours, so that period must always be available for getting up steam, no matter what boiler is used, and it is ample for the Scotch boiler, at all events in emergencies. Again, we find that the Hyacinth is far from being as economical a ship as the Minerva. It is not necessary to refer to the consumption of coal per horse-power per hour. We have the far more instructive case of two ships very similar in dimensions, making a given voyage at much the same speed. The Hyacinth burned 550 tons, the Minerva 450 tons. The Hyacinth's engines developed, it is true, about 1000 horse-power more than those of the Minerva; but for some reason unexplained they did not propel the ship any faster. Admiral May, the Controller of the Navy, says, 'The extra horse-power must have been absorbed either in the engines, or on the main shaft bearings, or in the hull. It is possible that the shape of the hull may have had something to say in the matter, but former trials do not bear this out.' The experiments carried out by the Boiler Committee, before the ships went to Gibraltar, gave results showing that while the Belleville boilers, with feed heaters were rather more economical than those of the Minerva, that the engines of the latter required less steam per horsepower per hour. It is well to bear in mind that not the Belleville boilers alone, but the whole engineering policy of the Admiralty is being tried. It has to be decided whether 250 lb. working pressure is really better than 150 lb. This question is scarcely less important than the comparative merits and demerits of different types of boilers. Nothing is easier than being led astray concerning the true nature of the points to be settled. Thus it may be claimed that the Belleville boiler is lighter than the Scotch boiler, but the advantage, such as it is, can be lost if the necessary evaporators required to make up the waste of water are very large, and therefore very heavy. We must take into consideration not so much the weights of different items, as the total weight of all the appliances, coal, and water, required to convey the ship from one port to another port at useful speeds. So far we have failed to find that the Belleville boiler and high-pressure steam give results in any shape or way, and tested by any legitimate method of using figures, which are better than those obtained from the Scotch boiler and the more moderate steam pressures hitherto in vogue; and the tests of the Minerva and Hyacinth only confirm the soundness of the belief that there is not one point or feature in which the new system is not inferior to the old.
"That portion of the report which deals with the condition of the boilers when examined at Portsmouth will be read with interest. It seems that a large number of tubes in the boilers of the Hyacinth were bent. The boiler known as 'No. 10' had fared very badly, the fusible plugs were melted out, nine tubes were bulged, one was burst, with an opening 8in. by 3in. The boilers required, as we stated in our former article, an enormous quantity of water to make up feed. Drinking water, besides the legitimate store of fresh water, was used, and this with evaporators working as hard as they could be driven. The puzzle is what became of the water. The Committee have no explanation to offer. The engineers of the dockyard have found nothing but a number of ‘slight’ leaks. How these can account for some fifty or sixty tons of water per day is more than anyone seems disposed to say. The latest information available is to the effect that the Admiralty have asked Messrs. Delauney, Belleville and Co., of Paris, the patentees of the Belleville boilers, to send over two representatives to assist in making a survey of the Belleville boilers of the cruiser Hyacinth, and to suggest a remedy for preventing the excessive loss of feed-water. If the water finds its way into the furnaces, its evaporation represents a dead loss of fuel, to say nothing of other evils entailed. The boilers of the Minerva gave no trouble whatever up to the last few hours, and then the draught became bad because of the formation of ‘birds’ nests’' as the curious rings of solidified coke formed round the tube ends are called. Mr. Yarrow, plagued with these rings years ago in the days of locomotive torpedo-boat boilers, carried out experiments which proved that the formation of these rings is due to the presence of a small percentage of iron in the coal. It is not often met with in Scotch boilers unless they are pressed pretty hard. Very little importance need be attached to this birds' nesting. Under ordinary circumstances the tubes would have been swept in the usual way, and the nests broken off. At the worst they involved nothing more serious than cooling the boilers enough to let men pass into the back uptake and sweep them off with a wire brush. They are, as we have said, due to impurities in the coal; and something of very much the same kind takes place in water-tube boilers, ridges of coke forming along the tubes, and choking the air spaces. Finally, we may say that the report contains several tables, mostly of very small value which we have not deemed it necessary to reproduce."
The Engineer continues the remarks about the trials in the issue of September 6 as follows:
"We commented last week on the experiments which have been made with the two cruisers Minerva and Hyacinth; so have several of our contemporaries. We find it expedient, therefore, to say a few words more about these vessels, and the lessons to be drawn from their performance. Some confusion of utterance is evident; some lack of appreciation of the facts, and the bearing and teaching of the facts; a tendency to exalt the value of those points which tell in favor of the Admiralty, and a desire to understate those which tell against its policy. It is necessary under these conditions to set the facts in their true light, neither exalting nor depreciating their significance. In the first place, it is essential that the word 'if' should be eliminated. ‘If’ this had not happened then the result would have been different. ‘If’ this, that, or the other had occurred then right would have been wrong, and wrong right, and so on. All this may be useful, and no doubt is useful in its proper place; but the word 'if' is certainly not in its proper place when it is used to obscure issues, or lead up to erroneous deductions. An example of the misuse of the little word is found in the argument that possibly ‘if’ the Belleville boilers of the Hyacinth had been built by a French firm the workmanship would have been so much better than it is assumed to be, that no leakage would have taken place. Again, it is more than hinted, of course, 'if' an English firm chose they could turn out as good work as any French firm. The implication here is worse than the original suggestion.
“Let us, leaving these things, come down to hard facts as set forth in the official documents. We have two ships, very much alike as far as the hulls, weight of armament, and dimensions are concerned. The machinery of the Minerva represents probably the best that could be done under the old system; that is to say, with Scotch boilers, triple-expansion engines, and 155 lb. pressure. The ship has seen a good deal of service, and her boilers are no longer new. The Hyacinth is, on the other hand, the embodiment of the latest system of naval propulsion—she has short-stroke, high-speed engines, Belleville boilers, and 250 lb. pressure. To talk about 'if' is simply disingenuous in connection with these two cruisers. We have nothing to do with the 'might have been.' So far as they go they are the embodiments of two different systems of marine propulsion. These two systems could not possibly be tried more fairly. We cannot even think of conditions that would be more likely to give an instructive result from experiment. The new system has failed as compared with the old system. We are told, by way of excuse, that 'if' there had been more experience with the new system the results would have been different. There is no evidence whatever that any amount of experience could have modified the results. With 10,000 indicated horsepower the Hyacinth cannot steam as fast as the Minerva with the same displacement working at 8400 indicated horsepower. It is suggested by the Admiralty that the frictional resistance of the high-speed high-pressure machinery is so much greater than that of the Minerva's low-pressure low-speed—by comparison—machinery that the loss is explained. The hypothesis seems to be in accordance with the facts. The only result of further experience, pushed to its logical conclusion, would be a reversion to the older type of boilers and engines for the Hyacinth. For the last six years we have continually been told the same story—'There are difficulties. If we had more experience, they would be surmounted.' We shall hear the same story, we think, for another decade. The most sanguine believer in the fitness of Belleville boilers, and high-speed engines, and great pressures for cruisers, must have been shocked by the results of the Gibraltar run. It is quite impossible to assert with any expectation of being believed by competent authorities, that the Hyacinth is an improvement on the Minerva. In saying this, it must be very clearly understood that we do not assert that because the Belleville boiler has not been a success, all water-tube boilers must be failures. We do assert that the trial of the Minerva and the Hyacinth tell us nothing, supply no information whatever on this point. Because in this experiment Belleville boilers have been badly beaten, we must go on to argue that no other form of water-tube boiler could have succeeded. About this question—a very important question, no doubt—the runs to and from Gibraltar are absolutely silent. It seems absurd to insist on this limitation, but it is necessary.
"It is not to be disputed that the boilers of the Hyacinth could not be kept supplied with water, and that they suffered from the work they had to do. But, it is argued, the cylindrical boilers were just as bad. The Admiralty ferrules were much worn, and the retarders were wasted somewhat at combustion chamber ends. The brickwork also had suffered. It is not necessary to say more than we said last week about the boilers of the Hyacinth. We have already explained that the bird-nesting, of which so much has been made, is due to the presence of a little iron in the coal. The rings are quite easily removed. A stout wire tube brush driven in from the front end will knock them off. No trouble is experienced with them in fast Atlantic service, nor is there any really to be feared from them in the Navy. That the Admiralty ferrules were wasted is quite likely. They have probably seen a great deal of service. The retarders are neither more nor less than pieces of hoop iron twisted into a spiral and put one into each tube. The cost of each is a few pence. No intelligent engineer who understands boilers can be misled for a single instant as to the true meaning of the reports on the condition of the boilers of the two ships which were published in our last impression. The result of the whole trial is the lesson that the Hyacinth is quite incapable of steaming at much over 6000 indicated horsepower for more than 150 hours, owing to the waste of water, and apparently the bending and bulging and splitting of tubes. The Minerva, on the other hand, could steam at that power until all her coals were gone, and would be ready to run again for a similar period as soon as her bunkers were refilled, no repairs of any kind being needed that could not be carried out in two or three hours; while, if put to it, she could steam for 1200 miles or so at 8700 indicated horsepower. These are plain statements of incontrovertible fact which tell their own story.
"Before the Hyacinth and the Minerva ran to Gibraltar, a series of experiments were carried out by the Committee to test coal consumption. The results are given in a table in the report. This table we have not reproduced because the figures are in various ways involved and confusing. Wise men try one thing at a time, if they can. Either the Committee is not composed of wise men, or they could not. Thus we have the Hyacinth working with closed exhaust and low-pressure jackets, and with open exhaust and 'with jackets,' compared with the Minerva working with open exhaust and jackets. It may, perhaps, be well to explain what the words 'closed exhaust' mean. Nearly all the auxiliary engines in men-of-war are non-compound, and are very wasteful when worked with high-pressure steam. When the main engines are working at 250 lb. a reducing valve lets down the pressure for the auxiliaries to 150 lb., but they are, of course, still wasteful. The closed exhaust is by way of compounding them. They all exhaust into a closed system loaded to about 28 lb. per square inch. The exhaust steam is thence led into the evaporators, the low-pressure receiver of the main engines, or the auxiliary condensers. If a little make-up feed-water is required, then, instead of live steam being put into the evaporators, the auxiliary exhaust is used. Of course, this cannot be done when the full-power of the evaporator is required, for then full pressure must be used. The Minerva is not fitted with closed exhaust. The figures given in the table are so mixed that nothing of moment can be made of them. We do not know whether the consumption of fuel is for all the auxiliary machinery, as well as for the main engines, or not. We cannot tell from the tables whether the water lost is credited as though evaporated in the boilers or not. We are told that the Minerva used .484 lb. of water per horse per hour for jackets and make-up feed, and that of this 0.2 lb. went for feed and 0.284 lb. for the jacket; but this is so small a jacket condensation that there must either be some errors in the figures or else the jacket is nearly useless. No doubt valuable data exist concerning these experiments; but before they can be used to any good purpose they must be re-cast in a form different from that of the table appended to the report." The following is the statement of the President of the Boiler Committee, giving the events of the two runs:
"Representatives of the Boiler Committee, consisting of the President, three members, and the joint secretaries, embarked in H. M. S. Hyacinth and Minerva at Devonport, about 2 p. m. on July 6. The ships sailed at about 3 p. m. on that day, and started working up to 7000 horsepower. It was intended that the ships should maintain 7000 horsepower till all the coal, except that in the reserve bunkers (82 tons), was exhausted. By 3.45 p. m. the revolutions in the Hyacinth were 152 per minute and the horsepower 6994, and the trial was considered to have started from that time. The Minerva's trial commenced at 4 p. m. The Minerva soon showed that she was the faster ship, and steadily drew away from the Hyacinth. By midnight on the 7th the Minerva was about 4½ miles ahead.
"When passing through the Straits of Gibraltar, early in the morning of the 9th inst., a fog was encountered; the Minerva eased down for 55 minutes, while the Hyacinth had to ease down for two hours. On running out of the fog both ships again worked at 7000 horsepower.
"At 4.30 p. m. on July 10, a bolt of the ahead eccentric strap of the starboard intermediate engine of the Minerva broke, and the starboard engines had to be stopped; the port engines continued running. The strap was found to be damaged, and had to be replaced by the spare one. This work was carried out in about two hours, and at 6:40 the starboard engines started working again, and were worked up to the required power.
"It had been arranged that the water in the reserve tanks of both ships should be used as the only make-up feed-water until it was reduced to 20 tons, in order that the amount of make-up feed used per day might be accurately determined. When the reserve had been reduced to 20 tons, this water was to be kept intact in the tanks ready for use in case of emergency, and all make-up required was to be obtained from the evaporators.
"Special reserve tanks had been fitted in the Hyacinth to hold about 100 tons; this, added to the original reserve tank stowage, gave a total reserve tank stowage of about 140 tons. The total reserve stowage of the Minerva was about 170 tons.
"When the amount was reduced to 35 tons in the Hyacinth, the staff engineer asked to be allowed to start the evaporators on account of the difficulty of getting the water out of the tanks by the special pump fitted for these trials. Two Weir's evaporators working with exhaust steam were started at 5:30 a. m. on the 9th, and the two Normandy's during the afternoon of the 10th.
"At 1:15 a. m. on the 11th of July, the staff engineer of the Hyacinth reported the engines would have to be eased on account of the large loss of water, and the trial was abandoned from 1 a. m. All the evaporators were working at this time, and in addition to the water from the reserve tanks, 25 tons of drinking water had been used for boiler makeup. The Hyacinth returned to Gibraltar at slow speed, arriving there on the evening of the 11th.
"The Minerva continued steaming at 7000 horsepower till 11 p. m. on the 12th, at which time there were still 39 tons of coal in the bunkers, not including the reserve, and 20 tons of water remained in the reserve tanks.
"The average horsepower of the Hyacinth was 7047 for 103.25 hours, with a coal consumption of 1.97 pounds, and the distance run was about 18to miles at an average speed of 17.6 knots; the Minerva's horsepower was 7007 for 147 hours, with a coal consumption of 2.06 pounds, and the distance run was about 2640 miles, at an average speed of 17.96 knots.
"On the night of the 10th of July, flaming occurred at the after funnel of the Hyacinth, but no flaming is reported from the Minerva: On the examination of the Minerva's boilers after arrival at Gibraltar, it was found that the openings in the Admiralty ferrules were seriously choked, the size of the openings, in some cases, being reduced to about one-third the original.
"The boilers and engines in both ships worked well on the way out, with the exception of the eccentric strap bolt of the Minerva, and a number of leaks which developed in connection with the boilers of the Hyacinth; these later appeared to become worse after the engines were suddenly eased on entering the fog on the 9th, on which occasion the pressure of the boilers became sufficiently high as to lift the safety valves.
"The loss of water in the Hyacinth was at first attributed to leaky feed suction pipes, but during the stay at Gibraltar these pipes, the feed and hot-well tanks, and the boilers and boiler blow-outs, were water-pressure tested, and no leaks beyond those already known to exist in the boilers were discovered.
"As no serious leaks could be discovered during the stay at Gibraltar, the leaky joints in the Hyacinth's boilers were remade by the ship's staff; and on Tuesday, the 16th, the ship was taken out for a run at about 7000 horsepower, to test the amount of feed water being lost. This was found to be at the rate of about 55 tons a day, from the records of a six hours' run; after being under way three hours, the engines were eased by order from the deck, and the boiler safety valves allowed to blow off freely, so as to reproduce the circumstances that occurred in the fog on the 9th July. The rate of loss of water was calculated from a steady three-hours' run before easing and a steady three-hours' run after easing, a fresh start being made after easing down, and the water lost during the period the safety valves were allowed to blow being neglected. On return, the Hyacinth anchored in the bay at 4:30 p. m., and all fires were drawn except those in two boilers. The Minerva steamed from the Mole with three boilers alight, and anchored in the bay at about the same time as the Hyacinth anchored; fires were drawn from two boilers.
"Gibraltar Dockyard made a spare eccentric strap for the Minerva, and supplied it to the ship on the morning of the 17th.
"At 3:30 p. m. on the 17th, the Committee embarked; at this time the Hyacinth had two boilers alight for auxiliary purposes, and the Minerva one.
"The boilers of both ships had been thoroughly cleaned during the stay at Gibraltar.
"Before the ships began the homeward run, a communication as follows was handed to the captain of each ship:
“‘On the responsibility of the ship's officers, a large quantity of fresh water for boiler make-up has been taken as a precautionary measure in the double bottoms of the Hyacinth, and in the extra reserve tanks of both ships. These latter tanks were fitted specially for the outward trials, and do not form a part of the ship's ordinary fittings. It is to be understood that, except the amount originally allowed to each ship (about 40 tons in the ordinary reserve tanks), this is to be used in cases of emergency only during the homeward run. The evaporators, if they have not been in use before, are to be started as soon as the 40 tons mentioned have been used up, and then the make-up required is to be obtained from the evaporators. If the evaporators are unable to supply the whole of the make-up required, their use at maximum obtainable output is to be maintained, while the remaining water used may be taken from the reserve tanks.'
"In the case of the Minerva, the expenditure of the 40 tons in question was not exceeded, but the Hyacinth had used the 40 tons by 5:15 a. m. on the 20th, though all her evaporators had been working practically all the time.
“At the conclusion of the trial it was reported that 98 tons of water had been used from the reserve tanks of the Hyacinth as make-up feed, in addition to that made by the evaporators.
“The ships were informed that on the signal being made at an unknown time after 4 p. m. by the senior officer at Gibraltar, fires were to be lighted in the boilers not at work, and the ships were to proceed to Portsmouth as fast as possible. The signal was actually given at 4:27 p.m.
"The engines of both ships had been warmed through by steam from the boilers alight.
“At 4:30 p. in. the Hyacinth's engines were worked slowly in accordance with orders from the deck, steam being supplied by the two boilers which were alight. At 4:52 the after group of boilers were connected up. At 5:05 the forward group and at 5:09 the middle group were connected up, the steam pressure being 200 lb. At 5:20 p. m. the Hyacinth was proceeding at 150 revolutions per minute, the horse-power being nearly 7000.
At 4:30 p. m. the Minerva's engines were worked slowly in accordance with orders from deck. The boilers were connected at the following times:
"2nd, 4:55; 3rd, 5:02; 4th, 5:07; 5th and 6th, 5:10; 7th, 5:12; 8th, 5:15.
"The engines were working up to full power at 5:16 p. m., but had to be eased several times between 5:30 p. in. and 8 p. m., on account of eccentric straps warming up.
"At 5:15 a. m. on the 18th the Hyacinth was about six miles ahead of the Minerva; but, both ships running into a fog, the Minerva ran up to the Hyacinth, and at 9:30 a. m. on the 18th, on emerging from the fog, the ships were nearly level, the Minerva being slightly ahead. Both ships then worked up to the maximum power, but throughout the day the Minerva was stated to have gained one-third of a knot an hour on the Hyacinth. At 7 p. m. another fog was encountered, and the ships went slow through the night, keeping close to each other.
"At 9 a. m. on the 19th they were again level. The fog having cleared, both ships went on again, and during the day the Minerva gradually drew ahead, and was stated to be going a quarter of a knot an hour faster than the Hyacinth. At 7 p. m. the Hyacinth again eased, owing to fog, and went slow till 5 a. m. on the 20th, the Minerva being out of sight ahead.
"The Hyacinth then steamed at over 9000 horsepower till 6:10 p. m. on the 20th, when the fires of No. 10 boiler were drawn on account of a burst tube; one man was slightly injured by the steam and hot coal.
"At 9:50 p. m. the trial in the Hyacinth finished, the ship being then off St. Catherine's, and she arrived at Spithead at 11:30 p. m. The Minerva had passed St. Catherine's at 8:20 p. m., and anchored at Spithead at 9:45 p. m.
"The coal used by the Hyacinth on the way home was stated to be 550 tons; by the Minerva, 451 tons.
"The Hyacinth's evaporators were all in use practically the whole time, but the Minerva used hers but little.
"The maximum power developed by the Minerva was about 8700 horsepower, while that developed by the Hyacinth was nearly 10,000 for at least two hours, during which time the Hyacinth did not perceptibly gain on the Minerva. The Hyacinth's average power when running clear of fog was about 9400, and the Minerva's about 8400 horsepower.
"From the results of the outward run it appears that the radius of action of each of these vessels at 7000 horsepower, as far as the coal is concerned, should be, roughly, Hyacinth, 2930 miles; Minerva, 3000 miles.
"No difficulty was experienced in either ship at any part of the outward or homeward runs in keeping up a sufficient supply of coal to the fires.
COMPTON DOMVILE, Vice-Admiral, July 26, 1901. President of Boiler Committee."
COALING SHIP.
COALING BRITISH SHIPS AT SEA.—The recently-introduced arrangement for coaling from a collier at sea did not prove advantageous during the evolutions of the combined squadron off the coast of Portugal. The Royal Sovereign only took ten tons per hour in calm and favorable weather. On the following day the Empress of India attempted the operation while the sea was somewhat disturbed, and was unable to take any fuel from the vessel.—Army & Navy Gazette.
COAST DEFENCE.
UNITED STATES: SHIELDS FOR GUNS: PNEUMATIC GUNS.—The proceedings of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification at its meeting of June 6 have just been approved by the Secretary of War. In many respects this meeting of the board was the most important which has occurred for many years. The thickness and size of shields for rapid-fire and coast-defense guns were decided upon; it was unanimously decided that dynamite guns for firing high explosives were unfitted for modern purposes, and the plan for the forthcoming test of mortar batteries at Portland, Me., was approved. For 6-pounder and 15-pounder rapid-firing guns the board decided that the shields for the protection of the gunners should be one and one-half and two inches thick, respectively. They are to be of the simplest form practicable to afford the necessary protection. The larger guns of 8, 10 and 12 inches caliber, mounted en barbette, are to be provided with shields of a thickness not exceeding 4½ inches. The shields for all guns shall be made of modern face-hardened armor, and shall be of a uniform thickness for the different types. In order to determine the amount of protection afforded, the best method of securing the shield to the mount, and distributing the effect of the impact of the projectiles on the maneuvering of the gun and mount, the board has made an allotment of $8000 to make tests with regulation shields mounted on dummies.
The board unanimously decided that dynamite gun batteries are obsolete in view of the recent developments in means of defense. This means that we are to have no more of these batteries beyond those now in the service. As a matter of fact, the dynamite gun did not use dynamite for firing high explosives, but wet gun cotton. The experience of past years has distinctly shown that batteries of this kind do not meet the requirements of the service. The Navy has had the like experience and has practically abandoned dynamite guns.—Army & Navy Journal, June 13.
CONSTRUCTION.
NOTE.—Under this head will appear notes on Design, Materials, Sheathing, etc.
JUPITER STEEL.—Considerable attention has recently been paid to experiments with this steel. The following is derived from an article in the Scientific American:
"The manufacture is carried on under several patents granted to Andres G. Lundin, and the composition of the steel, the method of the manipulation in the furnace, the special materials and careful work in the molding, have resulted for the first time in the history of the art in the production of a cast steel which, in tests carried out at the navy yard at Boston, has proved to possess qualities of strength and ductility equal to those of forged steel. These excellent results are obtained, moreover, with but little sacrifice of the high economy which distinguishes ordinary cast steel. Perhaps the best evidence of its remarkable qualities is found in the fact that cold chisels and hatchets, cast to the finished shape in this steel, will, after being put on the emery wheel, perform their work and hold their edge with perfect satisfaction; and one of the most striking evidences of what might be called the wrought-steel qualities of this cast-steel product is the fact that at the request of the writer two of these cast chisels were placed end to end and welded with perfectly satisfactory results.
"The stock consists of a large variety of mild steel scrap, such as boiler plate clippings, borings from the gun shops, the scrap from sheet-steel works, old crankshafts, and, indeed, any kind of steel that possesses the necessary composition to make up the furnace charge. The melting is carried on in a large furnace house, the steel for the smaller castings being melted down in crucibles and the metal for the larger castings being melted in 25-ton Siemens' open-hearth furnaces. The preparation of the furnace charge and the introduction of the various ingredients during the furnace treatment is carried out in the manner and proportions indicated by the following example, which will serve to show the proportions, but not, of course, the actual amounts which are treated at any one time in the furnaces, the latter having, as we have said, a capacity of 25 tons.
"A hundred pounds of steel scrap is placed in a crucible in the furnace and melted to a boiling point of about 4000 deg. F. When the boiling point has been reached, from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds of ferrosilicon, containing 12 per cent silicon, is introduced into the molten metal. As soon as the ferrosilicon has melted, 2 to 8 ounces of ferromanganese, containing 80 per cent manganese, is mixed with 3 pounds or less of aluminum, and this mixture is introduced into the molten metal, where it quickly melts. After the resulting composition is thoroughly melted, it is tapped into ladles, carried to the various flasks and poured into the molds.
"In tests recently carried out by the government this steel has shown a tensile strength of 67,300 pounds to the square inch, and an elongation of 25 per cent in 8 inches, while in the bending tests a one-inch-square bar of this cast steel was bent cold through an arc of 93.5 degrees without fracture. As a result of these excellent qualities, Jupiter steel is finding a wonderfully wide range of usefulness in the industrial arts. Thus, the ship work which is being done for the government and private shipbuilding firms includes the rams for the new United States battleships Rhode Island and New Jersey, each of which castings will weigh 43 tons, and the stern frame, keel, and sternpost for the same vessels. Other castings include shoes for marine engines, engine thrust bearings, knees, and many small parts ordinarily made of forged steel for the interior construction and fittings of ships, engine beds, engine cranks, crossheads, gear wheels, etc. The castings for the battleships Rhode Island and New Jersey alone will equal in weight over a million pounds."
MAGNALIUM.-"On several occasions we have remarked the difficulty of obtaining any precise information about the properties of this comparatively new alloy of aluminum. An article on the subject, however, has recently been printed in one of the German technical papers, from which we are able to extract the following particulars. Under the generic name of ‘magnalium,' alloys are now prepared containing between 10 and 25 parts of magnesium per 100 of aluminum. With 10 parts of magnesium the material is said to have the mechanical properties of rolled zinc; with 15 parts to resemble cast brass; and with 20 or 25 parts of magnesium to imitate hard drawn brass and the various grades of red bronze. Dr. Mach, the inventor, finds that sodium, carbon, and nitrogen in the original aluminum cause the alloys to be of no value; and this probably explains why the earlier attempts made by Wöhler to produce a useful alloy of these two metals were quite unsuccessful. Additions of tungsten, nickel, and copper, are not harmful to magnalium, except in so far as they increase the specific gravity of the alloy. Ten to 15 per cent of antimony has the advantage of raising the melting point from 700 deg. Cent. to a white heat. When less than 10 per cent of magnesium is mixed with the aluminum, the alloy rolls well and is especially suitable for manufacturing sheet and tube. Large quantities of magnesium adapt it better for casting purposes.
"The mechanical properties of magnalium have been investigated by Herr Kaempfer. The alloy turns well, yielding long coherent shavings; it can be drilled and milled readily, and does not slip or bind. Under the file it resembles soft brass; it does not clog, and the finest cut files can be used. It takes a high silver-white permanent polish; and it can be easily blackened. Its hardness is greater than that of pure aluminum, for it cannot be cut with a knife; so that cock-plugs, spindles, gear wheels, and keys can be constructed of it. It shows a fine-grained fracture something like steel, instead of the coarse zinc-like appearance of aluminum. Its specific gravity is 2.52 ± 0.03. The tensile strength of magnalium ranges between 20 and 24 kilos. per square mm.—12.7 to 15.2 tons per square inch—whereas that of aluminum is only 7 kilos. per square mm.—4.5 tons per square inch. This is Kaempfer's figure for ordinary aluminum; we should prefer to quote 7 tons for cast metal, and 10 to 14 for sheet or bars. Magnalium can be easily coated with gold or nickel—? electrolytically—and it can be soldered satisfactorily. The alloy is stated to resist the atmosphere well, not to rust, and to bear exposure to ammonia and sulphorous acid. It has been taken up by Voigtländer und Sohn, the opticians of Brunswick, while Siemens and Halske, of Berlin, are reported to be using it in armatures and motor car construction. At present its cost is high, as the price of magnesium is still 18 marks per kilo.; but hopes are entertained that a larger market for magnalium may reduce the price of that metal considerably."—Engineer (London).
GUNPOWDER AND EXPLOSIVES.
NITRO-CELLULOSE AND SMOKELESS POWDERS.—A review of Lieutenant Bernadou's new work on "Smokeless Powder, Nitro-cellulose, and Theory of the Cellulose Molecuse" is given at the end of this number of the PROCEEDINGS. This book covers ground hitherto vacant in the literature of ordnance chemistry. There is much that is new and original and the remainder of the work is made up of valuable material, brought together for the first time, which would require much reading to discover and much more to put in such acceptable form. Every one interested in ordnance should study it carefully.
NAVY SMOKELESS POWDER.—The Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, U. S. Navy, says that the manufacture of smokeless powder for the navy is now in a satisfactory state and no further trouble is to be anticipated with the powder now being made, which is much superior to that being turned out a year ago. The precautions and inspections called for by the recent general order are sufficient to insure the safe storage of nitro-cellulose powders, even if not of the very latest and best type. The explosion at Indian Head was probably caused by the decomposition of some powder made when the process of manufacture was just begun there and of much inferior quality to that now produced. The powder which exploded at Mare Island came from private manufacturers, and while the examining board could not positively demonstrate that the explosion was caused by decomposition, the evidence goes far to support that conclusion. Admiral O'Neil says that the Bureau does not doubt the safety of cordite powder, but believes that it deteriorates with age, is very susceptible to changes of temperature, which affects its efficiency, and is very destructive to the bores of guns. Black powder is still used for ignition charges, as all attempts to use fine grain smokeless for that purpose has resulted in a dangerous rise in pressure.
SMOKELESS POWDER FOR THE ARMY.—The Chief of Ordnance, U. S. Army, says: "The question regarding the use of powders with and without nitroglycerin seems to be, all circumstances considered, in favor of powders of a pure nitrocellulose type, when sufficient chamber capacity in the guns is given to permit of their use. In the matter of erosion, experience has not been sufficient to demonstrate the effect of nitrocellulose powders. It is learned, however, that a 4-inch and 5-inch gun have been fired about 700 times each with this powder, and yet they do not show any appreciable wear or falling off in velocity. "As to the stability of smokeless powder, the only test is time, and there is nothing to show that the various mixtures of nitroglycerin and gun-cotton are in any way superior to gun-cotton alone."
COMB-SHAPED POWDER or MM. DU BUIT AND LUCIANI.—MM. Du Buit and Luciani have recently conducted a series of experiments with smokeless powders made up in shape of a comb, and, from the accounts published, this seems a very favorable form of grain. The experimenters say they are able to vary the action of powder within wide limits by changing the shape and size of the teeth, or fringe, and of the back of the comb, or rod to which the fringe is attached. At first glance the form selected does not seem particularly well adapted to the end sought. The burning surface does not progressively increase as inflammation proceeds and our judgment would be that the pressures would rise too high early and fall too rapidly as the combustion proceeded. Or, if kept within bounds as regards the maximum, the mean and ultimate pressures would be too low; and that an attempt to sustain the pressure would result in much unburned powder. The proof of the pudding, however, is in the eating, and the following results are claimed to have been achieved. The French 47-millimeter (3-pounder) gun, which, using a charge of 550 grams of ordinary powder, gave a velocity of 2840 f. s. with 38,340 pounds pressure, gave the same velocity with 475 grains of the new powder and the pressure was less than 28,400 pounds (2000 kilos. per cm. sq.). In a 3-pounder of 60 calibers' length the velocity with powder of ordinary form is 3018 f. s., and the corresponding pressure 38,340 pounds. The comb powder in this piece gives the same velocity with a pressure of 34,080 pounds. With pressure of 38,340 pounds the velocity was increased to 3372 f. s. In a 2.96-inch field piece, which, with a charge of 625 grams of ordinary powder, gave a velocity of 1640 f. s. with 28,400 pounds pressure, the same weight of new powder gave a velocity of 1771 f. s. and a pressure 25 per cent less. By increasing the charge until the pressure reached 28,400 pounds, the velocity was increased to 1968 f. s. In a 5.9-inch gun of 45 calibers the service charge gives a velocity of 2625 f. s. with a pressure of 36,920 pounds (16.5 tons per square inch), while the new powder gave 3018 f. s. with the same pressure.
These results are remarkable and certainly the means by which they are brought about are worth investigating. As a commentary upon the above, it is interesting to compare the remarks of Mr. Sohlman upon the most desirable shape of powder grain. (See the following note upon the "Development of Smokeless Powder in Sweden.")
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMOKELESS POWDERS IN SWEDEN.—In a letter to Engineering, London, Mr. Ragnar Sohlman, of the Bofors Works, Sweden, says:
"The interesting articles in your esteemed journal on the subject of American experiences in regard to the different kinds of smokeless powders, fully corroborate the similar results arrived at in Sweden..
"In this country nitroglycerin powders have been used by the navy since 1892, and have of late been adapted also for certain heavy guns belonging to the coast defense; whereas the army is using principally a nitrocellulose powder, manufactured at the government factory.
"Up to 1896, smokeless powder was used by the navy only for the light quick-firing guns. That year it was adopted also for the new 12-centimeter (4.7-inch) quick-firing guns.
"The nitroglycerin powder employed for these purposes was ordinary ballistite, containing 50 per cent nitroglycerin and 50 per cent nitrocellulose of about 12 per cent nitrogen. The heating and erosive effect of this powder is very much the same as that produced by cordite. By using a more suitable shape of the grain—tubes instead of cords—it was, however, possible to attain a satisfactory velocity without too excessive pressure, thus avoiding a too great erosive effect on the bore of these light guns.
"In 1897, during firing experiments carried out at Bofors with a 15-centimeter (5.9-inch) quick-firing gun with very small chamber space, it was found that the heating effect of the powder was too considerable to make it suitable for a gun of this caliber. After a few rounds, a considerable wasting away of the metal around the seat of the projectile was perceptible. After three rounds, using the same metal cartridge case, this was completely worn out at the edge, and could not be used further.
"It was then found necessary to alter the composition of the powder in order to obtain a lower temperature of combustion and, consequently, less corrosive effect.
"This aim was arrived at by lessening the per centage of nitroglycerin to 25 per cent, and using a ‘moderant,’ which is at the same time a solvent for nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose. In this way it is easy to obtain a composition giving even a lower development of heat and larger volume of gas per unit of weight than a pure nitrocellulose containing a low per centage of nitrogen, such as, for instance, the German Troisdorf powder.
"To prove this, the following results obtained by calorimetric test of the two powders may be cited:
Heat units Volume of gas combustion Heat volume of
Kind of powder per gram. Permanent. Aqueous. Total. gas per gram. *
Nitroglycerin powder 922 813 165 978 901.7
(Yielding 11.27 per cent N. *)
Troisdorf powder 943 750 172 922 870.5
(Yielding 11.98 per cent N. *)
* Nitrogen determined by nitrometer.
"As will be observed, the nitroglycerin powder is capable of performing a slightly greater amount of work per unit of weight, under the same conditions, although the heat produced per gram is somewhat less.
"These theoretical calculations have been upheld by actual experience, the modified nitroglycerin powder having given satisfactory results in various heavy guns, up to such of 25.4 centimeters (10-inch) caliber.
"The experience in Norway, where a similar nitroglycerin powder is used by the army as well as by the navy, for guns of all calibers, and also for the army rifle, seems to be very much the same as in Sweden. Since 1893, when the powder was first introduced into the service, no serious complaints have been made against it.
"In taking cordite as the representative type of powders containing nitroglycerin, as has been done by the author of a paper which appeared on March 8 in your journal, and condemning the whole class on account of the demerits of cordite, a great injustice is certainly done towards the more modern types, which do not share the same faults. For it can hardly be denied that cordite is in several respects an antiquated powder, however great may have been its merits at the time of its first appearance, and even then these merits were disputed.
"Thus, the cord shape is not by far comparable to the tube or multi-perforated grain, when a high ballistic effect with moderate pressure is desired.
"Further, the use of insoluble nitrocellulose, together with a moderant—vaseline—which is not a solvent, either for nitroglycerin or for nitrocellulose, causes serious disadvantages, which are still further aggravated by the excessive percentage of nitroglycerin contained in the powder. By exposing cordite to heat and pressure, it is easy to cause the nitroglycerin to separate from the nitrocellulose in a way very similar to the squeezing out of water from a wet sponge. It is all but possible that the same phenomena occur, at least partly, in the combustion of cordite in a gun. If this be so, the nitroglycerin will burn slightly quicker than the nitrocellulose and vaseline, producing a higher temperature in the beginning of combustion of the charge than the composition of the powder and the colorimetric data would indicate.
"A further disadvantage of cordite, which does not exist with the low percentage nitroglycerin powders containing soluble nitrocellulose, is the exudation of nitroglycerin, which takes place at a low temperature.
"The main advantage of the nitroglycerin powders are, in the view of your correspondent, their absolute freedom from porosity. A nitrocellulose powder, containing a few per cent of volatile solvent, is apt to lose part of this during prolonged storage. The evaporation of the solvent will cause a tendency of the interior of the grains to contract. As the surface is hard and brittle, the grains will be exposed to internal stresses which may, under unfavorable conditions, cause their breaking up in the bore of the gun, thus producing an excessive pressure.
"In the evaporation of the solvent, a certain porosity is unavoidable. This porosity causes a certain hygroscopicity of the pure nitrocellulose up in the bore of the gun, thus producing an excessive pressure.
"The advantages claimed for the pure nitrocellulose powders are a high degree of chemical stability and low temperature of combustion. As it seems, however, quite feasible to arrive at the same results, and gain other very important advantages, with a nitroglycerin powder containing a low percentage of nitroglycerin, such powders will probably, as is also pointed out by Mr. Willcox, prove the most satisfactory for the future."
Mr. Sohlman's first paragraph refers to a long article by Mr. F. A. Willcox, B. Sc., which was published in Engineering. Taking as a guide rather old experiments made by our army ordnance officers, Mr. Willcox reaches the conclusion that the best smokeless powder is likely to be one in which there is a moderate amount of nitroglycerin (say not over 25 per cent) combined with gun-cotton. That our army ordnance officers have not arrived at the same conclusion is apparent from the report of the Chief of Ordnance. (See note "Smokeless Powder for the Army," on a preceding page.)
CHLORATE MIXTURES: KEEPING QUALITIES.—The keeping qualities of mixtures in which one of the chlorates is a principal ingredient have not been considered satisfactory. Perfectly safe when freshly made—more so than many explosives of better general reputation—they usually deteriorate through time and even moderate irregularities of temperature until they explode spontaneously or with the very slightest shock. In the annual report of H. B. M. Inspectors of Explosives for 1900, published during the past summer, we find that several chlorate compositions have passed the storage stability tests and are now licensed for use and carriage in Great Britain.
BORLAND SYSTEM FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NITRO EXPLOSIVES.—Mr. W. D. Borland has recently taken out (in England; date of patent January 19, 1901) a patent for the manufacture of nitro explosives. In the specification the patentee describes, first, a method of regulating the hardness, density, and explosive qualities of nitro compounds, whether in the form of powder or otherwise, and second, a method of removing the solvent which usually clings to a small but injurious extent in the manufactured nitro explosives.
"It has been usual in the manufacture of granular and other nitro-compound explosives to treat them with solutions of materials having a solvent or other regulating action. The above patentee finds that it is possible greatly to enlarge the scope of such treatments by employing emulsions instead of solutions. These emulsions consist of methylated spirits and small quantities of some such material as acetone, camphor, liquid paraffin and benzoline, or refined naphtha. The liquid paraffin is very slightly soluble in all these materials, except benzoline, but it forms with them a good emulsion, and may in the emulsion be introduced into the nitrocellulose compound without having, as is usual, first to subject the compound to the action of solvents, and then to the process of introducing the oily matter.
"The effect, upon the ballistic qualities of the powder, of introducing the oily material in the form of emulsion, is very different to that resulting from its introduction in solution. By this emulsion method a very hard grain may be obtained, which at the same time is porous. The proportion of the following example of an emulsion used per ton of powder would be about 120 gallons:
1000 parts by volume of methylated spirits.
10 parts by volume of acetone.
5 parts by weight of camphor.
5 parts by weight of liquid paraffin.
30 parts by volume of benzoline or refined naphtha, specific gravity .700 to .776.
"The above emulsion is suitable for treating a granular nitro-compound, consisting mainly or wholly nitrocellulose.
"As regards the removal of the small quantities of volatile solvents, which are retained in the nitrocellulose explosive, the presence of such a non-volatile body as liquid paraffin would rather increase the liability to retention of the remaining volatile portions; but the patentee overcomes this difficulty, both as regards compounds treated with this emulsion, and with solution, by treating the nitro-compounds with warm air. The temperature of the air should be about 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and should be charged with watery vapor. One method of so charging the air is to admit a small jet of low pressure steam into the inlet opening of a fan for supplying the warm air. Air so charged speedily removes the remaining volatile constituent parts, and a further benefit is reaped inasmuch as the generation of electricity, which is frequently observed in dealing with hot dry nitrocellulose explosives, is practically obviated."—Arms & Explosives.
GUNS.
UNITED STATES NAVAL GUNS: EXTRACTS FROM REPORT OF CHIEF OF BUREAU OF ORDNANCE.—The following extracts from a résumé of the report of the Chief of Bureau of Ordnance are derived from the Army and Navy Journal of October 26. The complete report has not yet (November 10) been published.
"There were no important developments in armor or naval ordnance during the year, but improvements were made in details. Hereafter in constructing guns of and above 6 inches caliber provision will be made for an inner and outer barrel, instead of a solid forging as heretofore. The bureau has taken steps to procure greater efficiency in guns by introducing heavier projectiles and by seeking powder of higher ballistic power. The bureau knows of no guns afloat or soon likely to be put afloat equal in energy to those being manufactured for United States' vessels now building. Our equipment is fully up to the highest standard maintained abroad for vessels of corresponding class and age.
"Work at the naval gun factory has been carried on continuously, the principal machines being kept running two, and often three, shifts of eight hours in twenty-four.
"The number of guns completed during the year was 143, and 256 were partly completed. There were also on hand at the end of the year, forgings, on which no work had been performed, for a large number of guns of all the calibers.
"The 6-pounder automatic guns do not meet with universal favor in the service. The automatic feature need not be used, however, unless desired."
UNITED STATES SEACOAST ARTILLERY: NEW 16-INCH GUN.—The principal details are as follows: Charge, 576 pounds of the present army smokeless powder; or 1176 pounds brown powder; chamber pressure, 37,000 to 38,000 pounds; projectile, 2370 pounds; muzzle velocity, 2300 f. s.; muzzle energy, 88,000 f. t.; length of gun, 49.25 feet; diameter of breech, 5.0 feet; diameter of muzzle, 2.33 feet; caliber, 16 inches; weight, about 300,000 pounds; shrinking between tube and jacket, .06 inch; weight of tube, 102,000 pounds; weight of jacket, 76,000; at 40 elevation, the estimated range is 20.98 miles; maximum elevation of point of trajectory, 30,516 feet.
GUNS FOR SPANISH NAVY.—It is reported that the Spanish Minister of Marine has ordered from Messrs. Vickers, Sons & Maxim a number of 177-millimeter (6.97-inch) rapid-firing guns. The weight of projectile is stated at 96 kilograms (211.6 pounds—which is excessive for this caliber), and that the required speed is eight shots per minute. It is quite likely that the gun is the 7.5-inch.
BRITISH I2-INCH, 40-CALIBER WIREWOUND GUN (VICKERS-MAXIM).—This gun, built by Messrs. Vickers, Sons & Maxim, is intended for the new battleships. Its section is shown in Fig. 1. The dotted lines above the gun show the pressure curves with nitrocellulose powder and with cordite. The longitudinal shading in this as in the other figures shows the wire. The total length of the gun is 496.5 inches; length of powder chamber, 87.2 inches; diameter of powder chamber, 17.5 inches; length of bore, 480 inches; travel of shot, 33 feet; maximum pressure in gun, 17 tons; weight of projectile, 850 pounds; cordite charge, 207 pounds; corresponding velocity, 2500 f. s. when gun is new; nitrocellulose charge, 321 pounds; corresponding velocity, 2674 f. s. for a very large number of rounds, the loss from erosion with nitrocellulose powder being very slight compared with that from erosion caused by cordite; energy corresponding to a velocity of 2500 f. s., 36,837 foot tons; energy corresponding to 2674 f. s., 42,144 f. t.; weight of gun, 50.35 tons.
(3 diagrams found here in the original document are not produced in this Word document.)
TURKISH 9.2-INCH, 47-CALIBER GUN (VICKERS-MAXIM).—Guns of this type (see Fig. 2) are to be mounted on the reconstructed Mesudieh, a description of which vessel will be found in this number of the PROCEEDINGS under the head of "Ships, etc.,—Turkey," page 776. The type differs somewhat from those supplied to the British naval service. It is about two calibers longer and is wirewound for only about half the length. The total length of the gun is 442.35 inches; length of bore in calibers, 46.7; length in inches, 430; weight of projectile, 380 pounds; weight of charge, 82 pounds of cordite, or 101.75 pounds of nitrocellulose; corresponding velocities, 2550 f. s. and 2700 f. s.; corresponding energies, 17,134 f. t. and 19,210 f. t.; maximum chamber pressure, 17 tons; total weight of gun, 28.05 tons.
BRITISH 7.5-INCH GUN (VICKERS-MAXIM).—As may be seen by an inspection of Fig. 3, this gun is wirewound throughout its length. This is not the gun which has been so frequently illustrated and described (e. g. Scientific American, January 12, 1901), but is shorter, being only 45 calibers in length, and it weighs 2 tons less than the 50-caliber piece. It is intended for the new British battleships and cruisers. The total length is 349.2 inches; length of bore, 337.5 inches (exactly 45 calibers); weight of projectile, 200 pounds; weight of cordite charge, 50 pounds; weight of nitrocellulose charge, 79.36 pounds; corresponding velocities, 2775 f. s. and 2920 f. s.; corresponding energies, 10,680 f. t. and 11,825 f. t.; maximum chamber pressure, 17 tons, total weight of gun, 1403 tons.
JAPANESE 50-CALIBER 6-INCH GUN (VICKERS-MAXIM).—This gun (Fig. 4) is wirewound for about half the length. It is the new type Japanese gun, and is from five to ten calibers longer than those now in service. The total length is 309.73 inches; length of bore, 300 inches; weight of projectile, 100 pounds; weight of cordite charge, 29 pounds; weight of nitrocellulose charge, 47 pounds; corresponding velocities for both powders, 3000 f. s. (but this velocity will not be preserved if cordite is used on account of the erosion); corresponding energy, 6240 tons; maximum pressure in gun, 15.5 tons; total weight of gun, 7.98 tons.
SPANISH 45-CALIBER, 14-CENTIMETER (5.5-INCH) GUN (VICKERs-MAXIM).—This (see Fig. 5) is the new type Spanish gun which will be placed on some of the vessels now building. Unlike the guns already described, it is not wirewound and is therefore probably a stiffer and more accurate piece. It is like the latest model of our 6-inch guns in having an inner and outer tube extending the full length and in having a very long jacket. Both jacket and outer tube are put on from the muzzle with a taper of 1 in 500 with the usual shrinkage; and the breechplug is housed in a ring screwed into the outer tube from the rear. The breech is further reinforced by an external hoop. The total length of the gun is 257.73 inches; length of bore, 248 inches; weight of projectile, 88 pounds; weight of cordite charge, 20 pounds; weight of nitrocellulose charge, 31.5 pounds; corresponding velocities, 2614 f. s. and 2880 f. s.; corresponding energies, 4169 f. t. and 4991 f. t.; maximum pressure in gun, 17 tons; total weight of gun, 5.925 tons.
UNITED STATES NAVY 3-INCH, 50-CALIBER, SEMI-AUTOMATIC GUN AND MOUNT.—This gun (see Figs. 6, 9, and 10) differs from our rapid-fire 3-inch in having a Hotchkiss block instead of the Welin plug and modified Fletcher mechanism. The mechanism is similar to that of the 6-pounder semi-automatic gun now in service. The particulars of the gun proper are very similar to those of the 3-inch R. F. G. given in the table in PROCEEDINGS No. 99, page 555, but even where identical they are given here for convenience. Total length, 161.95 inches length of bore, 150 inches; weight of charge (navy smokeless, nitrocellulose), 5 pounds; weight of projectile, 13 pounds; corresponding velocity, 2800 f. s.; corresponding energy, 709 f. t.; weight of gun, 0.9 ton.
The mounting (Fig. 9) consists of a top carriage A, which works in a steel cone-shaped pivot stand B, and has its upper part formed into a crosshead C. The cone is provided with gun-metal liners, and the pivot is secured to it by means of a pivot nut D. The cylindrical sleeve E, in which the gun is free to slide in recoiling, is supported by trunnions F in bearings formed in the arms of the top carriage; and it is provided with two hydraulic cylinders G, in which work pistons attached to a lug on the under side of the breech end of the gun. The elevating and training are effected by means of a shoulder piece, H, attached to the sleeve. The top carriage is fitted with a clamping screw and a traversing clamping segment which fits into a groove, K, in the liner. When tightened by means of the handle, L, this segment secures the gun in any required position of train. A similar handle at M clamps the gun at the desired degree of elevation.
Protection is afforded the gunner by a shield, N, which is bolted to flanges, P, forged on the arms of the top carriage. The hydraulic cylinders are provided with tapered grooves, which allow the liquid to escape around the pistonheads, and so regulate the flow that a constant pressure is maintained during recoil. Inside the cylinders are strong spiral springs surrounding the piston rods which, being compressed by the rearward motion of the pistonheads, return the gun to battery after the recoil is checked.
The breech mechanism and semi-automatic gear are shown in Fig. 10. Under the rear end of the sleeve, A, is the pistol grip, B, which contains the trigger, C, and on the right side is a detachable lever, D, by the movement of which the breech block, E, can be raised or lowered. The breech block is capable of vertical movement and contains the mainspring, F, the firing pin, G, the sear, H, and the cocking lever, I. Between the hydraulic cylinders there is a powerful flat spring, K, which works the breech mechanism.
To prepare the gun for firing, the breech is opened by the movement of the hand lever, D, the handle of which is supported in a shallow crutch formed on the side of the sleeve. This lever turns the crank, M, the action of which brings down the breech block, E, and compresses the flat spring, K. At the same time the main-spring; F, is compressed and kept compressed by the sear, H. The breech block, in moving down, strikes the lower extension, O, of the extractor and causes the upper portion to move out from the face of the barrel and bring two small projections, P, over the upper edge, L, of the breech block, E, thus preventing it from rising from the pressure of the spring, K. The cartridge is pushed smartly into the bore and, as it goes forward into the chamber, its rim strikes against the extractor and forces back the projections, P, releasing the breech block which now rises, pressed up by the spring, K, which rotates the crank, M. The tail end, R, of the sear is now engaged with the toe, S, of the trigger, and by pulling the trigger, C, the scar is released and the firing pin, G, is thrown forward by the main-spring, F. This fires the cartridge and the gun recoils in its sleeve. The recoil, which is controlled by the hydraulic cylinders, compresses the counter-recoil springs, which return the gun to battery. As the gun returns, the action pawl, T, engages the hook, U, on the crank, M, and causes the crank to turn about its axis and thereby bring down the breech block. The extractor throws out the empty shell, first loosening it by a slow movement which increases rapidly enough to give it the necessary impetus to clear the breech. The action then proceeds as before.
VICKERS-MAXIM BREECH MECHANISM FOR 6-INCH GUN.—The breech mechanism shown in Figures 7a, 7b, 7c, 8a, and 8b is the new Vickers-Maxim design for 6-inch guns, and is used in our service on the 5-inch, 6-inch, 7-inch, and 8-inch quick-fire guns. The breech-plug is divided into six segments, four of which are threaded, so that two-thirds of the circumference is used to resist the powder pressure.
The link for actuating the breech-plug is pivoted to a pin, G, projecting from the breech-plug, B, at one end, and pivoted at the other end to a short crank, H, which is mounted on the carrier, D. Partly around the boss of this crank, H, are formed "skew gear" teeth, which gear with "skew" teeth formed around a sleeve keyed to the hand lever. A loading tray, I, is provided, which is automatically moved across the breech face of the gun, and at the same time raised into the loading position while opening the breech (or lowered when closing it).
The firing gear is arranged for firing by electricity or percussion, and is directly operated by the hand lever, A, so that the gun is absolutely safe against firing after the breech commences to open. For this purpose a nut, K, is fitted on the end of the mushroom stem, L. In this nut a vertical slide, M, which covers the end of the primer, N, is worked by means of two spring bolts. One of these bolts, O, engages with a cam, P, on the hand lever, A, the other, Q, in a groove, R, in the link of the breech mechanism. An ejector, S, actuated by the movement of the slide, is fitted in the nut. A spring-retaining catch is fitted in the end of the mushroom stem and prevents the primer from being jerked out, however violently the mechanism may be closed.
The motion is as follows: When the hand lever, A, of the breech mechanism, is swung away from the gun, the cam, P, forces the slide, M, downwards in the nut, K. As the hand lever, A, continues to swing away from the gun, it eventually loses its connection with the spring bolt, O, of the slide, M, and the downward movement of this slide is continued by the movement of the link, F. which actuates the other spring bolt, Q, and keeps the slide, M, in the correct relative position until the breech is closed. When the slide, M, has been moved down far enough, it actuates the ejector, S, thus jerking out the primer. On the first movement of the slide, M, downwards, and before the breech has commenced to unlock, the firing pin, C, is partly drawn back by means of the toe, with which it is provided, engaging with a quick incline on the rear of the firing gear nut. The spring bolts are arranged so that in the case of misfire the slide, M, may be pulled down by hand far enough to eject the primer and insert a new one, so that it is unnecessary to open the breech.
THREE-POUNDER AUTOMATIC GUN.—This gun (Figs. 11 and 12) is now under trial for use in the United States Navy. It is made by the Vickers-Maxim Company, and has some features which make it superior to the semi-automatic type. It loads its own cartridge, so there is no danger of burring the face of the breech in loading, or deforming the cartridge by striking the shell, or failing to give the cartridge sufficient force to trip the extractor lugs which hold the breech block down. The automatic feature insures against accident resulting from opening the breech too soon after a hang-fire. This is a very real and serious danger with smokeless powder and must not be lost sight .of. The gun and mount are shown in Figs. 11 and 12.
The mount consists of the usual top carriage, A, resting on a circular pivot stand, C, the stalk of the top carriage passing through the socket, B, being secured by a nut underneath. The socket, B, is secured to the lower part of the pivot stand by the holding-down ring, D. The sleeve, E, through which the gun recoils, is provided with a hydraulic cylinder in which works a piston attached to a lug on the gun. On the sleeve are forged the trunnions, G, which are supported in the trunnion seats, H, in the arms of the top carriage.
The elevating and training of the gun are affected by means of the shoulder-piece, K, which is attached to the sleeve. Attached to the top carriage is the elevating segment, N, grooved to receive the front end of the clamping bar, P, which is attached to the sleeve. This bar being tightened in the groove by means of the wheel, R, the gun is fixed at the required elevation. A training clamp is provided by a screw bolt which passes through the socket, B; the outer end is bent at right angles to form a lever. The shield, M, is bolted to the arms, LL, which are cast in one with the top carriage.
The hydraulic cylinder has grooves in its inner surface which allow the liquid to escape around the pistonhead and which so regulate the flow that a constant pressure is maintained during recoil. Inside the cylinder there is a strong spiral spring surrounding the pistonrod, which, being compressed during recoil, returns the gun to battery.
The hopper-feed mechanism is shown in Fig. 12. Its operation is as follows:
When the gun recoils it brings the carrier rest, A, under the lug, B, on the carrier, C, and does not leave it until the gun has returned to its firing position; the carrier, C, can therefore under no circumstances descend until the gun has returned to battery. During the recoil the face of the breech of the gun forces the plunger, D, with its pawl and feeder, E, back until the hook, F, on the pawl, G, passes the lug, H, on the shoulder-piece, I. The pawl is raised by its spring, K, and the hook, F, engages with the lug, H, thereby cocking the plunger piston, D. The gun returns, and at a certain distance before reaching battery, the action pawl, coming into play, opens the breech, and the ejection of the empty case begins.
When fully back to battery, the carrier, C, descends, being clear of the carrier support, A, and after being moved a certain distance it engages with the part of the pawl forming the feeder, E, depressing it, and finally disengaging the hook, F. from the lug. H, on the shoulder-piece, I.
The plunger piston spring, K, reacts and returns the plunger, D, with its pawl and feeder, E, to its original position, the feeder forcing the cartridge in the carrier forward, shooting it into the chamber.
The breech block, L, now rises and, during its ascent, raises the lifting lever, M, and through it the carrier, C. When this latter is nearly home, it engages through the projection with the tail. N, of the escapement, and moves it out of the path of the cartridge in the hopper, 0. The cartridge, being thus liberated, slides through the hopper into the carrier, its place in the hopper being taken by the next cartridge, which in turn is locked by the escapement as the carrier descends, and is liberated on the return of the carrier.
When the breech is closed the gun is ready for firing, which is effected by pulling the trigger. By holding the trigger back the gun continues to load and fire without stopping.
NOTE.—The descriptions and plates of the guns described in the foregoing notes (beginning with that of the British 12-inch piece) are derived from an article on the " Development of Ordnance," by Lieut. A. T. Dawson (late R. N. and now a distinguished ordnance engineer), read before the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and published in Engineering (London). To this most excellent periodical the compiler of these notes is under constant obligation for information concerning every branch of the naval profession.
KRUPP AUTOMATIC BREECH MECHANISM FOR LARGE GUNS.—The operation of the breech is effected by a gear wheel which engages in a rack moving with the gun, but not so rapidly. The gear wheel turns a conveyer screw, operates the breech mechanism and opens the breech. Apparently, from the description given, the breech is started open during recoil, and not during the return of the gun to battery. The British patent bears date of June 29, 1901.
POZZUOLI-ARMSTRONG GUNs.—Fifteen or twenty years ago Messrs. Armstrong, Mitchell & Company (now Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Company), established a factory at Pozzuoli, near Naples, Italy, for the manufacture of guns and ordnance material under their patents and designs, and the present Elswick Company still has an interest in the works, if it does not own them. There have been numerous rumors that many guns made at the Pozzuoli factory have proved seriously defective, and the Kriegstechnische Zeitschrift (No. III, 1901) contains an article upon the subject. In this article it is stated that in December last the question was brought up in the Italian parliament, where the charge was made that certain guns furnished to the Italian government by the Pozzuoli factory were so weak that they would not stand a single full charge. The Minister of Marine admitted that the guns referred to were defective, but stated that the defects were to be made good by the Armstrong Company. It was impossible to learn if the charges were based upon very recent work, but in the parliamentary (Italian) discussions of the past eight years it appears that there has been repeatedly manifested a distrust of the material turned out by the Pozzuoli factory. The list of failures is a very long one. Those mentioned in the article are: a 100-ton gun for the Doria, found defective; two 10-inch guns for the Cristobal Colon, rejected on account of defects; the guns of the San Martin had to be constructed in England, notwithstanding this entailed much delay, owing to strikes at Elswick; one 10-inch gun for the José Garibaldi failed; sixty-eight new guns for new Italian ships were rejected as unfit for service after trials, and had to be repaired or replaced. The failures seem to be due partly to poor material, but chiefly to poor workmanship.
AMERICAN MACHINERY FOR TURKISH ARSENALS.—It is reported from Constantinople that there is every reason to believe that an American syndicate is likely to secure the contract for the renewal of machinery in the Turkish arsenals. At the present time the existing plant, on which many hundreds of thousands of pounds have been spent, is practically valueless, having been allowed to rust and generally to fall into incurable disrepair. It is, in fact, scarcely worth its price as scrap-iron, with the added cost of removing it. Assuming that the American syndicate does actually receive a substantial order, its members will most probably be the sole beneficiaries. Knowing what we do of the Ottoman character, the assertion may with perfect safety be made that the efficiency of the Turkish arsenals will not be increased by any change of plant alone. What is first required is an alteration in the machinery of the Government.—Arms & Explosives, July, 1901.
PERSIAN ORDNANCE FACTORY.—The Russian press says that the quality of the work turned out at the gun factory at Teheran, Persia, under the superintendence of German officers, exceeds all expectations. Excellent reports have been given of twenty-three guns of various calibers. Machinery is expected from Germany by means of which 200,000 to 500,000 Mauser cartridges will be produced daily. Factories are also to be established shortly for the manufacture of side-arms. Ten Persian officers have been sent to Germany to be present at the experiments with new quick-firing Krupp guns, and two went to Havre to witness the firing of the Creusot guns.—Army & Navy Journal, July 20.
GARLAND AUTOMATIC 1-POUNDER.—Agents of the Russian government have been in treaty with Mr. Frank M. Garland, of New Haven, Conn., U. S. A., with regard to his invention of a quick-firing gun, especially designed for use in the fighting tops of warships, which will fire 1 lb. projectiles at a rate of 208 per minute. The gun is said to be capable of keeping up this rate of fire, presumably with intervals, for 12 hours at a stretch, and if so, it is certainly a deadly weapon. Two Russian agents appear to have submitted it to searching tests, and to have reported favorably upon it, and they are now awaiting the confirmatory report of a third expert. Should his verdict agree with those already given, we understand that Russia will be prepared to purchase the entire plant, in which case it is probable that Mr. Garland will go to Russia to superintend the processes of manufacture.—Arms & Explosives.
ADAPTER FOR FIRING BLANK CARTRIDGES FROM AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUNS.—Mr. W. G. Hay, of Liverpool, England, has recently patented a device for firing blank cartridges for automatic machine guns whose mechanism is operated by the lateral escape of gas from the barrel. Applied to the muzzle is an adjustable stop by which the passage for issue of the combustion gases can be more or less throttled, so that they are for a time maintained at sufficient pressure to blow aside the lateral gas lever or operate the piston or plunger which works the lock mechanism. In order to render the blank cartridges suitable for being fed by the usual mechanism they may be elongated; but preferably there is put in the mouth of each a hollow wooden plug of bullet shape. These plugs, it is stated, as they meet the stop at the muzzle, are burst into small pieces by the gas pressure within them. The stop for the muzzle is preferably in the form of a set screw lodged in a socket which can be screwed on the muzzle. Patent issued May 15, 1901.
GUNS: FIRING
NOTE—Under this head will be given notes referring to firing tests of guns, target practice, special practice, accidents to guns while firing, etc.
TESTS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF U. S. NAVAL GUNS.—The following descriptions and tests of U. S. Naval guns, 3-inch, 4-inch, 6-inch, and 12-inch, are furnished by Lieutenant W. G. Turpin, U. S. N., recently assistant inspector of ordnance at Indian Head.
UNITED STATES NAVAL 12-INCH, 40-CALIBER GUN: TRIALS, AND REMARKS UPON GUN AND MOUNT.—This is the latest design of 12-inch guns, and is designed to give 2800 f. s. with a chamber pressure of 17 tons, using a suitable smokeless powder. The principal advance over the older guns is the increased initial velocity and consequent increased energy of the projectile. Two things produce these results, the increased length of the bore and the increased size of the powder chamber, the latter of which is most important.
The mount, like that of all recent guns, is of the spring-return type, having four recoil cylinders, each of which contains a set of springs to return the gun to battery. The gun proper is without trunnions and recoils in the line of fire in a sleeve which carries the trunnions, elevating gear, and recoil cylinders.
The breech mechanism is an adaptation of the Fletcher-Farcot mechanism to the Welin block. The stepped slotted screw, owing to greater portion of the circumference (three-fourths in this gun) bearing, permits a shorter block and reduces the time of opening, as the necessary angle of rotation and length of translation (retraction) are both less.
The gas check is of the De Bauge type with split rings instead of discs. The firing lock is of a new type (Mark VIII), in which the opening of the lock automatically ejects the old primer; it is designed to use the combination primer. The elevating gear is of usual type for these guns and can be operated either by hand or power.
The following are the ballistic results of firing one sample of smokeless powder, using the ordinary 850-pound projectile.
Round. Charge, Pressure, Muzzle
pounds. tons. velocity, f.s.
1 240 5.95 1913
2 280 9.35 2123
3 304 10.9 2344
4 328 13.0 2531
5 350 15.5 2770
6 360 16.5 2837
7 370 18.0 2885
8 376 20.5 2899
UNITED STATES NAVAL 6-INCH, 50-CALIBER GUN: TRIALS, AND REMARKS UPON GUN AND MOUNT.—This gun is similar to the 5-inch of the same length (see PROCEEDINGS No. 98, page 425). The breech mechanism is exactly the same. The piece is designed to give a velocity of 3000 f. s. with a pressure of 17 tons in the chamber. The velocity in service is fixed at 2900 f. s.
The mount is of the pedestal type, being somewhat modified from the earlier designs to withstand the increased energy of the gun. The latter is trunnionless, recoils in a sleeve and is returned to battery by springs. The recoil cylinders are two in number and are placed under the gun. The cartridge case has been discarded and the charge put up in a bag. The modified De Bauge type of gas check is used. The lock is arranged for electric or percussion firing and automatically ejects the old primer case when the breech is opened. In case of failure of the primer the gun can be cocked without opening the breech.
The elevating and training gears are of the usual type and are convenient to the gun firer, who stands on a platform revolving with the gun.
Round Charge, Pressure, Muzzle velocity,
lbs. tons. f.s.
1 33 7.45 2141
2 36 8.9 2325
3 40 11.95 2577
4 44 14.5 2822
5 45 15.35 2848
6 46 16.15 2935
7 46.5 16.35 2955
Tests of another sample:
1 30 7.8 2153
2 35 9.83 2365
3 40 12.4 2677
4 43 14.4 2821
5 44.5 15.3 2850
6 45 15.8 2932
UNITED STATES NAVAL 4-INCH, 50-CALIBER GUN: TRIALS, AND REMARKS UPON GUN AND MOUNT.—In this gun the brass cartridge case is retained and the projectile is made up in one with the powder. The powder is enlarged as in the other guns and this necessitates a bottle-shaped case. Like the other 50-caliber guns, this is designed for a velocity of 3000 f. s. with a chamber pressure of 17 tons, but the service velocity is fixed at 2900 f. S. The gun recoils in a sleeve and is returned to battery by springs in the two recoil cylinders, which are placed underneath the sleeve. The mount is of the pedestal type. The breech mechanism is the modified Fletcher-Farcot and operates a Welin breech plug, which has two blanks and four threads. The plug is carried in a collar, but does not have to be retracted before the breech is open, but is swung directly out as soon as unlocked. The extractor is carried on the front end of the block in a manner somewhat similar to that of the Dashiell. Electric or percussion firing can be used, the change being made by shifting a small catch. The primers in the cartridge cases are all of the combination type. The following are some of the ballistic results obtained with this gun, using a 32-pound shell:
Round Charge, Pressure, Muzzle velocity,
lbs. tons. f.s.
1 12 9.1 2200
2 14 12.8 2586
3 15 14.35 2761
4 15.5 15.9 2891
5 16 16.4 2943
With another lot of powder:
1 10 4.65 1831
2 13 8.1 2343
3 15 12.1 2751
4 15.5 14.3 2899
5 16 17.4 3039
With third lot of powder:
1 10 6.3 1893
2 12 8.7 2201
3 13 10.3 2363
4 15 13.3 2717
5 15.5 14.2 2805
6 16.1 15.15 2903
With a fourth lot of powder:
1 12 9.7 2315
2 14 13.0 2657
3 15 16.0 2922
4 15.5 16.3 2972
5 15.75 16.7 3003
With fifth lot of powder:
1 14 13.0 2668
2 15.5 16.4 2982
3 15.75 18.2 3079
With sixth lot of powder:
1 15 16.6 2931
2 15 16.3 2898
3 15.5 17.6 3046
4 16 19.0 3155
5 16.15 20.2 3204
All these results are good, except, perhaps, the first, which was a little too slow burning for the gun. The second and fifth samples gave excellent results as regards both pressure and velocity. The last sample showed a high ballistic efficiency per pound but the pressures were high.
UNITED STATES NAVAL 3-INCH, 50-CALIBER GUN: TRIALS, AND REMARKS UPON GUN AND MOUNT.—This gun, like the 4-inch, has a bottle-shaped brass cartridge case with the charge and projectile in one. Like all of the 50-caliber guns, it is designed to develop 3000 f. s. velocity with 17 tons pressure in the chamber. The service velocity is fixed at 2800 f. s. The gun recoils in a sleeve. The recoil cylinders, two in number, are placed under the gun and contain the liquid and counter-recoil springs. The breech mechanism differs somewhat front that of the larger guns as the step system is not used. The plug has no motion of translation to the rear, but is swung out as soon as unlocked. This is effected by cutting away in the arc of a circle the blanks of both plug and screw box, which are farthest from the hinge of the plug. This latter is not carried in a collar but its rear end is held in a plate which closes the breech, and is hinged like the usual plug collar. The later types have a catch to prevent the rebound of the plate when closing the breech. The plug is rotated by means of a small rack sliding in the breech plate, resembling that in the Dashiell mechanism. The firing mechanism is for percussion, and the lock can be cocked when the breech is closed. The case is not ejected entirely by the extractor; that is, it is not violently thrown out—it may be fully ejected if the gun is slightly elevated. The gun is trained and elevated by mechanism, as it was found to be too heavy for training and elevating with a shoulder piece. No rapidity tests were made, but it can be loaded and fired much more rapidly than is consistent with accurate firing. The endurance of these guns seems to be ample. Several have been fired a large number of times. One has been fired 376 times with high velocities and pressures—the latter ranging from 13 to 19 tons—and it shows no signs of wear or erosion. The following are some of the ballistic results attained with the service 13-pound projectile:
Round Charge, Pressure, Muzzle velocity,
lbs. tons. f.s.
1 4 9.6 2337
2 4.5 13.0 2710
3 5 14.75 2841
4 5.1 15.4 2915
5 5.2 16.3 2942
With another sample of powder:
1 4 8.7 2109
2 4.5 10.75 2331
3 4.75 11.9 2470
4 5 13.0 2590
5 5.2 13.65 2656
6 5.4 14.7 2778
7 5.6 16.55 2858
With a third lot of powder:
1 4.75 11.9 2534
2 5 14.8 2796
3 5.1 14.8 2824
4 5.2 15.8 2870
5 5.3 16.5 2902
Of these samples the first was much the best.
UNITED STATES NAVAL 7-INCH GUN: TEST.—According to newspaper reports, this gun has, within a few days, had a very satisfactory test. With a projectile of 170 pounds (165?) the muzzle velocity was over 3000 feet, the chamber pressure being 17 tons. The designed service velocity is 2900 f. s.
MORTAR TRIALS AT PORTLAND.—"Most encouraging reports come to us of the results of the trial of mortars at Port Preble, especially with regard to the accuracy of fire. On one of the small islands in the harbor chosen as a target, it has marked a space equivalent to that of the length and width of a modern battleship. Within this space fell 25 per cent of the mortar shells fired at long range. Within a circle having the length of the battleship for its diameter one-half of the shots fell."—Army & Navy Journal, November M.
BROWN 10-INCH WIREWOUND GUN: BREECH BLOWN OFF; DESCRIPTION OF GUN.—This gun, which was recently completed, gave way at the ninth round while under test at Sandy Hook Proving Ground October 28. The jacket yielded near the forward end of the screw box, its rear end containing the breech plug being driven to the rear with such force that it struck and wrecked a concrete structure, 200 feet in rear, on which lay several unmounted mortars. The shock of striking the concrete broke in two the ring of the jacket which had been broken off. [This is an excellent commentary on the character of the jacket metal.] The breech block and bushing surrounding it were practically uninjured. Mr. J. N. Brown and Mr. H. M. Munsell, trustees of the Brown gun, attribute the giving way of the jacket to the failure of the De Bauge gas check, whereby the whole forward surface of the plug and breech bushing was exposed to the powder presence. This is possible, but unlikely. A properly constructed De Bauge gas check, having suitable steel rings, acts better and obturates more perfectly with a high pressure than with a low one; one that fails must be very poorly constructed. And an ordinary failure to obturate perfectly would not allow the gas to escape fast enough to create a high pressure behind the gas check. The most likely cause of failure was that the cast-steel jacket was of insufficient strength. Cast steel is very uncertain in its behavior. Its power to resist very sudden stress is not to be measured by methods that are accurate enough with forged metal. The behavior of the ring of metal pulled off the jacket shows it must have been very brittle and of slight tenacity, or it ought not to have broken when it struck the concrete. For twenty years cast steel has been discarded as a gun metal, and it is hard to understand why the designers of the Brown gun should jeopardize their work by using it. It is by the incorporation of such ill-considered features that many otherwise good inventions have failed. While the compiler is opposed to all systems of wirewound guns in the present condition of gunpowder development as affording no useful addition to the transverse strength of the piece, while in all systems of wirewinding the longitudinal stiffness is seriously impaired. Now longitudinal stiffness is necessary to insure accuracy and reduce the amplitude of the lateral vibrations in the long guns of the present day.
So far as can be judged from theoretical considerations and the tests as far as shown, the Brown gun is probably as good as any wirewound piece. If the segments can be so closely fitted as to bring their full elastic strength into play, the discontinuity of the metal must tend to check vibration in the chase. But the close fitting of the segments must be a difficult matter, for the friction which is relied upon to enable them to exert their strength in a transverse direction must resist the squeezing effort of the wire to bring them into proper position.
The Brown gun has frequently been described, and the compiler in tended to furnish a section of the gun in the notes for this number of the PROCEEDINGS, but the drawing was accidentally omitted. It consists of a thin tube surrounded by a segmented body. Over this is wound several layers of wire. Over the wire a thin casing of steel covers the chase and a jacket, with its front end reaching over the rear end of the casing, extends far enough beyond the breech face of the tube to form a housing for a breech ring, or bushing, in which is formed the screw box. The segmental core for the 5-inch gun (and it is similar for the 10-inch) consists of eighteen sheets of steel 19 feet long, 24 inches wide at one end, 6 inches at the other, and one-seventh of an inch thick. The manner of combining them may best be illustrated as follows: Imagine sheets of elastic cardboard of these proportions (say one-twelfth of the dimensions given) laid in a pile so that the edge of each is set back slightly from the edge of the one beneath it. Hold the sheets so that they will not slide upon each other and roll them up into a slightly conical tube about half an inch in inside diameter. If the sheets were properly placed before rolling, the outer edges of the cardboard will show at equal distances around the circumference. Now smooth out the interior of the tube by smoothing down the edges of the cardboard until the interior is a perfect cylinder. In the actual gun the sheets are put together in this way but are shaped before being assembled. After the segments are in place, numerous clamps are put on to hold them together and the tube inserted by hydraulic pressure. The wire is then wound on with a tension of 2600 pounds, but as the cross-section is small this is equal to a stress of 128,000 pounds per square inch. The end of the wire is secured by means of a metal plug in a hole in the first shoulder of the muzzle ring, thence to the breech and back to the muzzle again. The second layer begins at the second shoulder and is similarly wound as are the remaining layers. The chase jacket is then forced on by hydraulic power and a threaded muzzle cap or ring screwed on. The jacket is then shrunk on, the lining tube bored and rifled, and the breech bushing fitted and slotted to receive the breech plug.
GATHMANN GUN TEST: FAILURE TO ACHIEVE RESULTS EXPECTED BY INVENTOR.—Strictly speaking, this was a projectile test; but as it involved the whole Gathmann system, including gun, powder, and projectile, it has been placed under the head of GUNS: FIRING. Only newspaper accounts of the test are as yet available. And many interesting points are not touched upon. The inventor claimed that the gun would develop a muzzle velocity of 2100 foot seconds with only 20,000 pounds maximum chamber pressure. This the compiler regarded as absurd. The newspaper accounts do not give the velocity attained but say that the muzzle energy was 40,000 foot tons. This would mean a muzzle velocity of about 1800 f. s., which is probably all the gun is capable of safely developing.
The target was a steel armor plate supported by the same sort of structure as is found behind it in ships. In rear of this, and bracing it to receive the blow, were heavy pieces of timber driven deeply into the earth, and in rear of this again a heavy sand butt. The plate was of Krupp face-hardened steel, made at the Carnegie armor factory, and its dimensions were: 16 feet by 7.5 feet by 11.5 inches. The weight of the Gathmann shell was 1860 pounds. Its probable striking velocity, a little less than 1800 f. s. In the first trial, November is, the projectile struck the plate near the center, dishing it about two inches at the point of impact but not otherwise injuring it or its supporting structure. On the 16th of November two more shots were fired at the target. The first struck in the right side of the plate about half way from the center to the edge. The only effect was to force the right edge of the plate backward a few inches. The other shot was directed at a similar point on the left side of the center. It buckled the framing behind the armor considerably and set back the left edge of the plate about 18 inches. Mr. Gathmann admitted that the results were not up to his expectations but thinks they warrant further experimentation, and that if it had been a battleship which was struck the shock of the explosion would have put her out of action. In this he is certainly mistaken. Not even the crushing of the plate into several pieces would necessarily put the ship out of action.
BRITISH I2-INCH GUNS: SPEED OF FIRING.—In the recent trials of the 12-inch guns on the new British battleship Formidable, ten rounds were fired from two guns in 4 minutes 46 seconds, and six rounds from two guns in 2 minutes 24 seconds. In all cases the start was with loaded guns.
BRITISH 9.2-INCH GUNS: SPEED OF FIRING.—At the recent trials of the 9.2-inch guns of the Aboukir, five shots were fired from one gun in 85 seconds. The weight of the projectile is 380 pounds and that of the cordite charge 52 pounds.
FATAL ACCIDENT WITH 6-INCH GUN ON THE ROYAL SOVEREIGN.—A terrible accident took place on board the British battleship Royal Sovereign on November 9, by which Captain Spurway, R. M. A., and five men were killed, one other man possibly fatally injured, and three officers and thirteen men less severely injured. The accident is reported to have been caused by the protrusion of the firing pin so far beyond the face plate that it struck the primer with sufficient force to fire it when the breech plug was forced home and before it was screwed into place.
BELLEISLE: PREPARATIONS FOR NEW TRIALS.—The old type battleship Belleisle has been refitted for further trials as a target. A plate of Krupp steel 4 inches thick and 20 feet long has been placed in one side and similar plate 6 inches thick on the other. The firing will be done by the gunboat Pincher, of 265 tons, which has had mounted on board a 9.2-inch gun and several smaller pieces. The trials are expected to be of long duration and the results will be carefully observed. After every shot the Belleisle will be visited and the effects carefully noted.
TARGET PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS, BRITISH NAVY.—"The following instructions have been issued by the Admiralty to the Commanding Officers of all British Naval Stations: 'All ships under your command that exceed 4000 tons displacement are to carry out target practice once a year under the following conditions:—A target, 50 ft. long by 25 ft. high, and having a mast 35 ft. high, is to be laid out. At this, each ship is to make two runs on a straight course, opening fire at 6000 yards from the target. One run is to be made for each broadside. The ship to steam at twelve knots, and firing is to be continued for four minutes during each run. All heavy guns that will bear are to fire on each run, but not light quick-firing and machine guns. The firing basis is not to be marked by buoys, and the distances of the target are to be found and given to the guns by the methods which would be available in war time. One ship is to mark for the other, and only actual hits are to be counted. No ship is to carry out this exercise that has not completed a quarter's practice since commissioning. An annual report of the results obtained by these long distance practices is to be made to the Admiralty.'"—Army and Navy Journal.
BEST TARGET RECORDS IN BRITISH NAVY IN 1899, 1900, 1901.—The best scores in the British navy for the last three years are: 1899, Scylla, 46 per cent of hits with 6-inch gun, 80 per cent with 4.7-inch gun; 1900, Terrible, 60 per cent with 9.2-inch guns, 77 per cent with 6-inch guns; 1901, Terrible, 64 per cent with 9.2-inch guns, 80 per cent with 6-inch guns. Lieutenant M. Woollcombe, gunnery lieutenant of the Terrible, in his report on the recent prize firing, says: "The shooting and loading of the after 9.2-inch are worthy of notice; in six minutes this gun fired 12 rounds and hit the target 9 times, which is 1.5 hits per minute. This is more than the fleet average for 6-inch Q. F. guns."—London Times.
RECENT TARGET PRACTICE IN BRITISH NAVY.—"The much greater interest that is being displayed in the Navy in the matter of good shooting is bearing fruit and is one of the most gratifying signs of the times. Admirable records have been made by the Terrible and Barfleur in China, while in the Mediterranean Sir John Fisher's officers have accomplished excellent things. Thus the Isis made considerably over 30 per cent of ascertained hits with her 6-inch guns before going out to China and the other records of the ships were extremely good. Now it is reported from China that the Ocean, in firing 110 rounds from her 6-inch guns, has made an average of over 52 per cent. It is, of course, very desirable that such results should be carefully verified, and that the splash of the shell should not be counted as a hit. We do not for a moment suggest that this has been done, but where high records are made it is very desirable that they should be completely authoritative. It is certain that good practice is now being made at ranges never before dreamt of, at any rate for real fighting, and evidently, if even 10 per cent of hits can be made at 5000 yards and 5 per cent at 7000 yards, it would be worth while, in a chase, to open fire at the latter range, and very possibly at the opening of a regular engagement. Some slight doubt has been suggested as to 30 per cent of hits having been made at a target supposed to represent a cruiser at 5000 yards, but it is well ascertained that this percentage has been exceeded in the Mediterranean, and the fact that 80 per cent of hits has been obtained by the Terrible strongly disposes us to look for very high averages, and the 52 per cent of the Ocean, though highly gratifying, is not perhaps surprising. The Terrible's results were phenomenal, but the Prince George last year made a record of 55.9 per cent, while in 1899 the Scylla had 46 per cent of hits with 6-inch guns and 80 per cent with 4.7-inch guns. The progress made is most gratifying and is admirable testimony of the efforts made by the officers."—Army and Navy Gazette, London, September 7.
TARGET PRACTICE IN FRENCH NAVY: OLD TORPEDO BOAT AS TARGET.—"The French Mediterranean Squadron has been engaged in its guarterly target practice. At the conclusion of the exercise, the ships proceeded to a point at which the Toulon authorities had moored an old torpedo-boat, which was to serve as a target for shrapnel shell. The aiming practice is said to have been good in most of the ships. It was hoped that the torpedo boat, in which some special arrangements had been made, would not sink, and that it would be possible to discover the amount of damage done upon her, which would have been interesting, considering the smallness of the target and the range, which was between 2000 and 3000 metres. Unfortunately for this hope the torpedo boat went to the bottom. It is not known whether this was owing to the direct blow of a shell or to damage caused by the shrapnel bullets."—Army & Navy Gazette, London, September 7.
IMPROVED SPEED OF FIRING OF FRENCH 34-CENTIMETER GUN.—The 34-centimeter turret guns of the Valmy have recently been fitted with a new system of loading designed by M. Guye, chef d'escadron de l'artillerie coloniale. The former speed of fire was one shot in 4 or 5 minutes. With the new apparatus the speed is slightly more than one shot per minute. Starting with the guns loaded, five shots were fired in less than four minutes.
NEW AUSTRIAN FIELD GUNS.—"According to the Pester Lloyd, the trials of the new wrought-bronze field guns, which are to be introduced into the Austrian Army, have proved very satisfactory. During the tests, which were conducted under conditions closely approximating to those of actual service, the trial batteries developed only a few slight faults, which are now in process of being remedied with a view to further trials being made. At the same time, it is in contemplation to make tests of the Ehrhardt quick-firing gun, first independently, and subsequently side by side with batteries of the bronze guns. The final decision as to which model shall be adopted will be made after the artillery practice at Veszprim, in Hungary, which will take place in the Emperor's presence some time in September."—Arms & Explosives, August, 1901.
COMPETITIVE TRIALS OF FIELD GUNS AT SANDY HOOK.—"The trial of field guns now going on will probably continue at Sandy Hook until after January 1, when the guns will be sent to Fort Riley. The trials with these guns are likely to continue, therefore, well on towards next May. Two foreign guns are being experimented with besides the Lewis and the Ordnance guns. The total weight of these guns behind horses approximate 3950 pounds, and the weight of the shell loaded and fused 15 pounds. A muzzle velocity of 1700-1750 f. s. is required with a pressure not to exceed 33,000 pounds per square inch. The powder must be of a known and satisfactory composition. Ammunition is furnished at the expense of the Government. Minor defects, not causing material delay, may be corrected, but no change of construction is permitted. Special attention is given to the mechanism of the gun, and the carriage, with reference to simplicity, strength, certainty of action, ease with which cylinders can be filled, broken parts of the carriage replaced, the gun mounted, elevated, depressed, moved from one extreme to the other in azimuth with wheels level or with one wheel higher than the other. The location of sights for easy and quick laying, especially while loading, will be noted; the number of bearing surfaces, the facility of cleaning and lubricating them, and the length of trail and weight on trail in limbering. The calculations by which the strength of various parts was determined will be verified.
There will be tests with defective ammunition, and the dust and rust tests. Ten rounds will be fired with excessive pressures, two each with 35,000, 38,000, 40,000, 42,000, and 44,000.
When metallic ammunition is used, ten rounds will be immersed in water for five minutes, and then allowed to stand twenty-four hours before firing. Additional rounds will be subjected to a humidity test at a temperature of 100 degrees F., and relative humidity of 95 degrees for thirty days and then fired. Each limber with chest completely filled will be mounted on a vibrating table and be subjected to the jarring thereon for forty-eight hours, to see if the serviceability has been affected. It will also be subjected to the moisture test. Limber chests will be exposed to the weather for two weeks, and then examined and part of the contents fired.
In testing the guns for accuracy 50 shots will be fired, if necessary, at a 2500-yard target from clay or loam platform. Each gun will be subjected to four tests for rapidity. 1. Rapidly unaimed shots from loam platform, 10 rounds, the trail having been set by one shot. 2. Rapidity with accuracy from clay platform, 10 shell and 10 shrapnel at 2500 yards, the trail having been seated and range secured by not exceeding two sighting shots. 3. Same from macadam road or rock platform. 4. Maintained rapidity; forty-five aimed shots from clay platform. During this test the target will be twice changed; the targets being so placed that the trails will have to be shifted. These tests for accuracy and rapidity will be made at Fort Riley. Fifteen rounds will be fired in the general tests from clay, loam, sand, rock, and macadam platforms, five each at extreme and zero elevations, and extreme depression, an equal number of shots being with the gun at extreme position right and left, and in mean position. In these tests the jump, departure from line of fire, and depth of trail and wheels will be noted. When necessary to move the trail the power and time required will be noted. In addition, twenty rounds will be fired with trail rigidly supported by an oak post set into the ground and braced to prevent yielding. Carriages having recoil on the ground will, in rapidity tests, be limited to 40 feet, and the ground will be broken up to assimilate actual conditions. These guns and carriages which have not failed in the above will be subjected to a practice march of 150 miles, following country roads as much as possible. Careful examination will be made of the equipment en route and at the end of the march. Such additional rounds will be fired over and above those mentioned as may be deemed necessary to establish any point arising, and such additional tests will be conducted as may for any reason seem necessary to the Board of Ordnance and Fortification."—Army and Navy Journal, November 16.
GUNS: MOUNTS
UNITED STATES NAVY: NEW I2-INCH MOUNT.—In his annual report, Admiral O'Neil, Chief of Ordnance, U. S. Navy, says: "Plans have been prepared for a new type of mount for the 12-inch, 40-caliber guns, in which there are but two recoil cylinders, located under the gun, the counter-recoil springs being placed below the recoil cylinders and actuated by levers which are attached to the yoke on the breech of the gun by connecting rods. The arrangement proposed allows of a reduction in the diameter of the barbette armor and of a reduction in the size of the port opening, both very important features.
NEW TYPE SIGHTS.—There have been some patents brought out abroad for an improved type of gun sight, in which the line of sight remains fixed and the gun is moved independent of the sight. The value of this invention is that the gun-firer can keep his eye on the target at all times, and a sight-tender can change the range (and elevation of the gun) without disturbing him. Patents for sights of this kind have been taken out by Maxim-Vickers, Krupp, Armstrong, Grenfell, Dawson, Schneider-Canet, and others.
INSTRUMENTS USED IN ACTION, ETC.
NOTE.—Under this head will be given notes on searchlights, range finders, stadimeters, torpedo directors, etc.
VERTICAL BASE RANGE FINDER.—In his annual report, Admiral O'Neil says: "A new type of vertical-base range finder for use in the tops of vessels is on trial and gives promise of being a useful instrument."
BARR AND STROUD RANGE FINDER: REMARKS.—"Fleet Engineer Rees, R. N., speaking at a James Watt dinner at Glasgow, with Professor Barr, of Barr and Stroud range finder fame, in the chair, attributed the excellent shooting of the Terrible recently, every shot on the target from some guns—to Professor Barr's invention.—Engineer, London, January 25, 1901.
KLEPTOSCOPE: REMARKS, DESCRIPTION.—This instrument, which is designed for use in submarine boats, is similar to the periscope used in the French submarines. It is said to possess several advantages over the periscope, as it will have a more extensive field of observation (60 degrees), will not deform the images of external objects, permits of magnifying the images, and is inconscpicuous, as the part above water consists merely of a tube 5 inches in diameter. The Kleptoscope is the invention of Messrs. Russo and Laurenti, Italian naval engineers, and is now under trial by the Italian naval authorities.
SMALL ARMS
NEW MODEL U. S. ARMY RIFLE.—In his annual report the Chief of Ordnance says: "A sample rifle, embodying all the merits of the present service arm, has been made, with simpler machining cuts, fewer parts (therefore less expensive to make), and double-lugged bolt for use of a cartridge giving 2200 or more feet per second velocity, and it has been tested sufficiently to warrant the construction of a second and improved one on the same lines. This rifle will be equipped with the rod bayonet."
KRAG-JORGENSEN MAGAZINE: NEW MODEL.—The Krag-Jorgensen Company has brought out a model of the magazine in which there are said to be some improvements, but the method of loading the magazine and its position remain unchanged.
KRAG MAGAZINE: CYLINDRICAL TYPE.—Mr. C. H. J. Krag (Norway) has recently taken out a British patent for a cylindrical magazine. From the sketches published it is hard to see why the piece does not break in two at the magazine, as there seems to be very little to hold it together at this point.
BRITISH SERVICE RIFLE: DEFECTS, ETC.—"A somewhat curious memorandum has been issued by the Commander-in-Chief. It appears that considerable trouble—which is a mild way of putting it—has been caused during the war, more particularly with regard to the Imperial Yeomanry and other volunteer troops, by the loss of breech-bolts from the Lee-Enfield rifle. Those who are well acquainted with the .303 Service arm are aware that it is by no means perfect, and stories have long been current as to the necessity for securing the breech mechanism from unpremeditated opening by the use of a boot-lace or other contrivance. This tendency, however, is common to practically all bolt-actions, especially when the rubbing surfaces become a little worn, and it does not necessarily affect either the safe handling or the general efficiency of the weapon when in use. But there is a grave difference between this mere shaking open of the breech and the absolute freeing of the bolt from its shoe. In the one case, there will probably be the loss of one cartridge, and some little confusion in bringing the rifle up for firing, caused by the necessity for putting the bolt into position; in the other case, the weapon is entirely useless. From the existence of a necessity to draw attention to this contingency, it is evident that the stop-spring and hook on the bolt head, which are supposed in the Lee-Enfield to prevent the complete retraction of the bolt, do not stand the test of ordinary Service conditions. They are, in fact, not sufficiently strong to do the work required of them. It is no sufficient remedy for this state of affairs that the memorandum in question draws attention to the existence of a safety stud which will lock the bolt in position, and further points out that for the future the cost of replacing lost breech-bolts will fall more or less directly on the men who handle the weapons. It is to be hoped that this detail, among many others, is receiving attention from the experts who are engaged on the not impossible task of improving still further our ,essentially patchwork Service small-arm."—Arms & Explosives, October, 1901.
NEW GERMAN RIFLE, MODEL '98: TESTS OF AUTOMATIC RIFLES.-"It will be remembered that we gave, a few months ago, an illustrated description of the new Mauser rifle, 98, which has been adopted for use in the German army, and we understand that the manufacture of this arm is being proceeded with in due course. The German military authorities, however, do not appear to regard this improved magazine rifle as representing finality, for we learn that they are now subjecting various types of automatic rifles to a series of exhaustive tests at Spandau. For the present, while several kinds are being experimented with, no definite decision has been made, so that the re-arming of the troops with the new Mauser will continue pending further developments."—Arms & Explosives, September, 1901.
In regard to the issue of Model '98, the Revue du Cercle Militaire says: "Up to the present the model '98 has only been issued to the navy, to the infantry regiments of the Chinese expeditionary force, and to the 'Corps de garde.' During the past year no other troops have received the new gun. According to the Berliner Tageblatt, they are going to begin the rearming of several corps with model '98. The quantity of arms manufactured during the year at the works at Spandau, Erfurt, and Dantzic, and also the Mauser Works at Oberndorf, is sufficient for the armament of five or six army corps. The first corps to receive the gun is the third corps, which will get them in November and December (1901)."
NEW SWISS MAGAZINE RIFLE UNDER TRIAL.—“The Swiss military authorities are said to be now engaged in testing a new type of magazine rifle, the mechanism of which, according to rumor, is to effect a revolution in the rifle-making of the future. This remarkable weapon is the invention of M. Fleury, an engineer living at Aesch, near Basle, who is said to have got hold of the key to the whole question of magazine rifles. Probably this is a somewhat cryptic method of stating that the rifle embodies new features of more or less practical value, but as the Swiss military authorities are still preserving the utmost secrecy with regard to M. Fleury's invention, it is difficult to gather quite the direction in which novelty is shown, or how far it goes towards revolutionizing the construction of magazine rifles generally."—Arms & Explosives, August, 1901.
NEW SWISS REVOLVER.—"Swiss military papers speak in high terms of the new revolver which has been adopted for the mounted troops of the Swiss Army and which is the invention of two Berlin engineers. The recoil on firing brings a fresh cartridge from the magazine into the barrel. The pistol weighs 800 grammes (1 lb. 13 ozs,), and its centre of gravity lies immediately over the hand of the firer. The magazine carries eight cartridges, and practised shots can fire 48 rounds in from 28 to 30 seconds. The calibre of the weapon is 7.65 millimetres (0.32 inches), and its range is given at 2000 yards."—Army and Navy Journal, June 29, 1901.
BANG STRAIGHT PULL RIFLE.—Mr. S. H. Bang (Denmark) has recently taken out a British patent for a straight pull magazine rifle. The turning of the breech bolt to unlock, its backward and forward movements, and its turning during closing are effected by the backward and forward working of a hand-operated sleeve, or cover, which catches around the breech bolt, and which slides upon guides running parallel to the bolt. British patent dated August 10, 1901.
HAMILTON AUTOMATIC PISTOL.—This is the invention of Count G. H. R. Hamilton (who is, notwithstanding his name, a Swedish subject). The special feature of the arm is the recoiling bolt, which is of curvilinear form and moves in a correspondingly curved guide in the butt of the pistol. Date of British patent, May 11, 1901.
FORTELKA AND LEITNER MAGAZINE PISTOL.—This arm is the invention of two Austrians, Messrs. F. Fortelka and W. Leitner, and the British patent is dated June 15, 1901. The mechanism is operated in a manner which resembles that of operating a double action revolver. Starting with the pistol discharged the first part of the pull of the trigger revolves the bolt; then the bolt is retracted, the empty case expelled, a new cartridge (pushed upward by a spring) slips into place ahead of the bolt, the bolt moves forward, loads the fresh cartridge and fires it. To continue the operation, it is then necessary to release the trigger. After it has gone forward again, pulling upon it causes the operations described to be reproduced.
A CHINESE INFANTRY RIFLE OF MAMMOTH SIZE.—The following account is translated from the Rivista di Artiglieria e Genio: "On account of its curious character we reproduce from the France Militaire of August 12 the following data of a gun with which the infantry of the Celestial Empire is to be armed, and which is the heaviest and most inconvenient piece at present known.
"This arm which, according to the paper mentioned, would be adopted after the Chinese troubles were over, is made at the Shanghai arsenal and is nearly a copy of the German Mauser, Bodel 1888, but on a scale almost three times as large.
"The caliber is 15 millimeters (0.59 inches); the length without bayonet is 2.55 meters (8.36 feet); the weight is over 20 kilograms (44 pounds). In order to handle a piece so unusual in character, three soldiers are required instead of one—two to hold it on their right shoulders in a horizontal position and the third to fire it.
"The range is equal to that of a small cannon, being 4000 meters (4373 yards). The cylindro-ogival bullet is like an artillery projectile, is of steel, and weighs 100 grams (0.22 of a pound); the muzzle velocity reaches 700 meters (2297 feet)."
CHINESE ARSENALS.—"Mr. Gerow D. Brill, who was until recently in the employ of the Chinese Government, states the Chinese have arsenals and smokeless powder factories at Foochow, Hanyang, Nanking, Chengtu, and near Canton. At Hanyang there are factories working at full pressure, night and day, turning out hundreds of magazine rifles, and they have also all the machinery and metal for making large ordnance, quick-firing, and machine guns. There is also a factory there for the production of smokeless powder, and this is now in full work. The same informant expresses it as his opinion that Chang-chi-tung is one of the wisest men in the country, and that he is not making arms and ammunition for nothing, nor reorganizing the army without some definite object. He concludes an interview by saying, 'No one can tell what is going to happen in China.'"—Army and Navy Journal, October 5.
SMALL ARM FACTORY AT CALCUTTA.—"It is practically certain, says a Times telegram, that a rifle factory will be established on the good site available for a gunpowder factory at Ishapur, near Calcutta. The establishment of such a factory, capable of producing 25,000 rifles annually, would greatly increase the defensive strength of India, particularly as the work of the cordite factory in the Nilgeris is proceeding rapidly. India, in a few years, will be self-supporting as regards all war material except guns for artillery purposes. The manufacture of steel shells has proved a complete success."—Engineer (London), June 28.
PENETRATION OF BULLETS IN SAND.—In his annual report, the Chief of Ordnance, U. S. Army, says: "Tests show that the penetration of rifle bullets into sand and loam at 50 feet does not exceed 6 inches; at 500 yards, 13.5 inches; and at 1000 yards, 16.5 inches. At the short range of 50 feet the velocity is so high that before the displacement of the sand by the bullet the latter is completely destroyed; the lead is fuzed and the steel casing torn into ribbons."
PENETRATION OF SOFT-NOSED BULLETS IN FLESH, BONE, ETC.—The following letter appears in the Army and Navy Journal of November 2, 1901:
Some experiments I made at Matanzas, not long ago, with the valuable assistance of Dr. Lusk, veterinary surgeon, 2d Cav., convince me that the destructive effects of the soft-nosed or mushrooming bullet are generally exaggerated.
I used a Mauser pistol, and, as I wished to determine the stopping effect in a nelee, I took a range of about six feet.
The steel jacketed bullet passed through from four to six 2x4-inch pine scantlings, while a bullet with half jacket and a square-shouldered soft nose, mushroomed and stopped in the second scantling regularly, and sometimes in the first.
Photographs of the track of this bullet through flesh showed mushrooming, and indicated that it would deliver the full effect of its blow instead of passing through, with, perhaps, little loss of energy, as in the case of the full steel-jacketed projectile.
I tested this on a condemned horse, which was shot through the brain and then immediately experimented on, while the flesh was warm and practically living. Shots were fired so as to pass through the full thickness of both hams from side to side, piercing the skin four times; the bullets, passing on, were not recovered. The channels of the two bullets were then immediately laid open side by side, and no difference in the track of the jacketed and the soft-nosed bullet could be noted; nor was there any difference in the size of the final wounds of exit. It is presumed that the photographs showed the result of experiment on cold, stiffened flesh, and that resistance offered in that case was sufficiently great to set up the bullet.
In a recent publication, the track of bullets through plastic clay has been offered as evidence of mushrooming effect; this will, I believe, also prove unreliable.
Firing at the canon bone the effect of the two bullets was the same—the bone was shattered, and literally pulverized. I was unable to get perforations of the leg bones without breakage with either bullet at this close range; the effect on knee and hock joints was shattering.
In passing through the skull from side to side the wound of exit of the soft-nosed bullets was double the size of that of the jacketed bullet, in this case the soft bullet having mushroomed on entering the skull.
In general no greater destructive effect was obtained by the use of the soft nose except where the bullet struck a bone and then passed on in the body.
FREDK. S. FOLTZ, Captain 2d Cavalry.
Havana, Cuba, Oct. 16, 1901.
TORPEDOES
TORPEDOES FOR S. NAVY: REPORT OF CHIEF OF BUREAU OF ORDNANCE.—The following is derived from the annual report of the Chief of Bureau of Ordnance, U. S. Navy:
"The use of torpedoes on large vessels has practically been discontinued, no provision having been made for them in the latest battleships and cruisers, and the torpedo armaments of the Olympia and San Francisco have been removed.
"Twenty-nine Whitehead torpedoes, Mark II, 5 meter, 45 centimeter, have been manufactured, and have successfully passed the required tests. One torpedo of this lot has been fitted with a device for superheating the compressed air, which upon experiment has been found to be of value.
"Two new gyroscopic steering gears for use in torpedoes have been tested. One has given good results. A feature of this new device is that it can be so adjusted that after the torpedo has been launched the torpedo will turn in the water through a predetermined horizontal angle, and then take up a straight course. Further experiments are in progress. A Kaselowsky steering gear, adapted to a Whitehead torpedo is in process of construction, and will soon be ready for trial.
"Six submerged tubes, of the Elswick-Whitworth type, for the Maine, Missouri, and Ohio, are in process of construction at the naval gun factory.
"An electrically driven air compressor has been completed and tested. Its dimensions are 75 by 56 by 34 inches over all. Its weight is 5000 pounds, the motor weighing over 3000 pounds, the machine and base weighing something less than 2000 pounds. The motor is shunt wound, makes 300 revolutions per minute, and develops 25 horsepower with an 80-volt current.
"There was installed on the Morris, at the torpedo station, an experimental torpedo electric firing apparatus. After tests with this, it is now being installed on all torpedo boats and torpedo-boat destroyers.
"This apparatus has a keyboard which can be manipulated by the commanding officer while he is conning the vessel. From this keyboard he can ascertain when the torpedo tubes are loaded and primed. By means of it he can fire at will any torpedo or all torpedoes at once from his position at the conn.
"The device, used in connection with the adjustable gyroscopic steering gear previously referred to, will enable the torpedo vessel to fire all its tubes simultaneously at one target, for after entering the water the torpedoes will all pursue a predetermined course in the direction of the target, as arranged for by the adjustment of the gyroscopic steering gear and the train of the torpedo launching tube."
ABOVE-WATER TUBES IN BRITISH NAVY.—"After an experience extending over fifteen years, the Admiralty have decided that, with the exception of the stern tube, all above-water torpedo tubes in battleships and cruisers are useless, and the earliest opportunity is to be taken of removing them. As this decision affects every ship in the Channel squadron, the annual refit of those ships will take considerably longer this year than usual."—Engineer, London, October 25.
LEAVITT AIR-HEATING APPARATUS FOR TORPEDOES.—Mr. F. McD. Leavitt, of Brooklyn, has taken out patents for heating the compressed air used in Whitehead torpedoes. In order to prevent refrigeration troubles, and to increase the efficiency of the air charge in Whitehead torpedoes, the air is heated near its point of exit from the flask by the burning of a supply of alcohol, whose flow is held in check and controlled by the pressure of air existing in the flask. The compressed air is free to enter an air space in the spirit receptacle, so that when the torpedo is set in motion the reduction of air pressure in the flask allows the pressure of the air in the spirit receptacle to preponderate and so force the spirit through an open tube into a vessel near the air passage, where it burns after being kindled by a fuse ignited on the release of the torpedo. The British patent is dated April 24, 1901.
ORLING-ARMSTRONG TORPEDO "ACTINAUT."—This torpedo is operated by wireless currents. It differs from the Varicas torpedo (PROCEEDINGS No. 97, page 207) in some respects, but the general principle involved is apparently the same. No good description of the details of the torpedo have yet appeared. It has been under development for several years, and about two years ago it was reported to have had successful trials before the king of Sweden. The following note appeared in the Army and Navy Journal of November 16:
"Experiments with the Orling-Armstrong system for the transmission of power without wires have been witnessed at Hughden by the Naval attachés of Germany, Austria and the United States. To this torpedo, which is steered by invisible radiation, the name of ‘Actinaut’ h as been given. Captain Coerber, of the Imperial German Navy, was chosen by his colleagues to manipulate the apparatus at a distance of 1300 yards from the torpedo, while Captain von Schwartz and Commander Clover, of the Austrian and American Services, approached the trench in which the actinaut floated, in order to observe the movements of the rudder to port or starboard, according to the operator's will. It could, however, be held in three positions only—hard aport, hard astarboard, and amidships. The inventors claim that a simple mechanical contrivance will enable the rudder to remain five, ten, or fifteen degrees to port or starboard, as the movements of the target may require. An electric lamp enables the operator to keep the torpedo in view at night, while a contrivance for expelling a jet of water into the air, on the principle of a whale's blowhole, marks the position of the ‘actinaut’ by day."
DE LUCA—WHITEHEAD TORPEDO TUBES.—A new model torpedo tube, to which this name is applied, was tried on board the torpedo school-ship Trinacria at Spezia, Italy, on August 9, 19, and 20. The Italia Militare e Marina says that the trials were very successful and that vessels of the Italian navy will hereafter be fitted with tubes on this system.