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response to naval opinion, to put three pints in a quart cup. After careful consideration of the feat- ures desirable, and considering the ne- cessity for strict! conformity with the law, the designs of the South Carolina and Michigan were evolved The writer is of the opinion that, at some periods in all services, too much consideration has been given in design to the development of characteristics tending to efficiency in individual ship action, to the detriment of a correspond- ing efficiency in squadron or fleet action. This has doubtless been due to lack of - proper knowledge available as to squadron or fleet maneuvers-- a knowledge recently much _ aug- mented by the naval maneuvers con- ducted by different countries, and by the experience gained in the Spanish-Ameri- can and Russo-Japanese wars. The attainment of the desired results in the South Carolina and Michigan could only be reached from a most careful consideration of all questions, and the elimination of such features as were con- sidered least tending to fighting efficiency under the conditions in which they might naturally be called upon to act. These considerations led to the arrangement of battery shown in the -belief that broad- side fire through a considerable arc from bow to stern was of vastly more moment in fleet action than volume of fire ahead or astern. It seems to be generally con- ceded that this deduction is correct. The increase in weight of the struc- ture necessary to provide against a large increase of stress due to the location of turrets was considerable. The hull weight, as compared with previous de- signs, may be seen from the curve. The raising of the weights vertically higher than had been the practice on ships of similar design necessitated increase of beam to provide the necessary stability. An exhaustive series of model experi- ments was conducted, resulting in ob- taining a model giving, on the same horsepower, a considerable increase of cpeed over that obtained on previous ships of same length and displacement, although on the limited displacement it was not attempted to provide for a speed as high as the Dreadnaught's. The results of the Russo-Japanese war have indicated how serious may be the results of torpedo and mine damage, the Japanese having lost by mine the Hat- suse and Yashima, with several smaller vessels, and the Russians the Petropav- lovsk, Boyarin, Yenesei, and _ several smaller ships at Port Arthur; and the Russians having received severe injuries on Sebastopol, Pobieda, and Bayan by mines, and on Pallada, Retvizan, Tsesare- witch, Bevoi by torpedo, putting these ships out of service for considerable pe- _any other, is the multiplication of lux- "TAE MARINE. REVIEW riods at a time when their services were most needed. It, therefore, becomes one of the most serious problems of the de- signer to provide against the fatal re- sults of such explosions. From such accounts as are available as to the damage to under-water hulls by mines and torpedoes, it appears that, when in contact, the explosion of a mine of the Japanese type has sufficient force to pierce the shell the inner bottom, and in many instances the longitudinal coal bunker bulkhead inboard where lo- cated in what may be called the con- ventional place and manner. Two experienced naval architects, Mr. W. A. Dobson in this country and Sir E. J. Reed abroad, have independently evolved schemes of protection against such damage by the fitting of interior. armor below the water-line in such form as to limit the damage. The only argument that one can pre- sent against this scheme is the weight in- volved, and when this becomes prohibi- tory from the effect on the other quali- ties necessary other means must be adopted. The most recent U. S. design, it is be- lieved. safely provides against a fatal re- sult of any damage other than the com- plete demolition of the underwater hull by a suitable arrangement of transverse water-tight compartments, the arrange- ment of longitudinal bulkheads and plat- forms so as to give three skins between such damage and any explosive carried by the vessel, or any compartment of sufficient size to endanger stability. The most careful thought was given to protection against such damage on. these designs, and while any such pro- tection must be expensive in that rarest of commodities to the naval architect, weight, it is believed that the desired ob- ject has been obtained. A purely peace-time development, and one from which, after considerable ob- servation and reading, the writer believes that the U. S. designer suffers more than uries, stich as considerable quantities of steam heat, peace-time hospitals, bath- rooms and washing arrangements with hot and cold water, elaborate messing. arrangements, laundries, sheathings, elab- orate hospital spaces, cold storage--items which are daily increasing in number and weight to the great hampering and natural injury of other features The writer appreciates that it is said against the designer who criticises the increase of such luxuries that he does not have to suffer from their omission, but believes it would be astonishing to the average person to show the im- mense weights taken up in such things, and the sacrifice in the other, and in war aI time more desirable qualities of a vessel of war necessitated thereby. During the last session of Congress, impelled, no doubt, by the design of the Dreadnaught and the laudable desire that the United States should not be be- hind any other power in preparations for her national defense, Congress passed an. act providing :-- "That * * * the President is hereby authorized to have constructed * * * one first-class battleship, carrying as heavy armor and as powerful armament as any known vessel of its class, to have the highest practicable speed and greatest practicable radius of action and to cost, exclusive of armament and armor, not exceeding six million dollars; * *:°*? It will be noted that the only limitation here is one of cost. In this respect the problem becomes more easy of solution. The legislative body naturally and. properly limits the expenditures for na- val purposes, hence one of the largest problems confronting the designer is that of cost, and a continual effort must be made to simplify the details of construc- tion, to reduce unnecessary items to a minimum in order to prevent exceeding appropriations. In this, however, his work is not essentially different from merchant designs, where the designer -must.so draw his design that the owner's money is not wasted. The Bureau of Construction and Re-- pair, where the writer is on duty, has been engaged on the preparation of the department's designs for these ships, but as they are to receive the consideration of the department and Congress, to- gether with the designs of any other na- val architect of standing, before decision -- is reached as to the one finally adopted, he is not at liberty to discuss the features of the design. : It is pertinent to say, however, that the necessities of the casc as to the amount and concentration of gun-fire, protection, and speed, have combined to produce a problem difficult of solution in providing along with these, in satis- factory measure, the necessary strength, stability, and maneuvering qualities in damaged condition which may not un- likely obtain when she is called upon to engage in war. It must be continually borne in mind by the designer that his vessel requires to enter dock at intervals to permit of her continuing in efficient condition for service. He is therefore necessarily lim- ited by the size of the docks she is to -- enter, and is further limited in draught by the draught in harbors which che will in all probability be required to enter. This seems a somewhat backward way _ of working it, as it would seem more logical to construct the docks to fit the