AUTOMATIC STEERING. 61 
We have discovered, since we have gone to sea, that every ship acts differently. We found 
very quickly that it was entirely possible to avoid any hunting in keeping the ship on its 
course, and it is just as easy to keep the ship on its course by proper manipulation of the 
automatic machinery, as can well be imagined. The weather does not usually change mate- 
rially in a minute or an hour, and if a man can, by making suitable adjustments, take care of 
his ship every hour, or every two or three hours even, it is not a particular hardship for him 
to do it, and this device makes it possible to keep the ship on such a true course that it is well 
worthy of doing it. 
I will say, in answer to Commander Howard, that the S. S. Munargo, over a period of 
twenty-four hours, in the same sea area and the same kind of weather, actually made, by auto- 
matic steering, a half knot more speed, at three revolutions of the engine less, which the chief 
engineer of the ship solely attributed to the automatic steering. 
Mr. Rocers :—What percentage is that? 
Mr. Mitts:—She is a 16-knot boat. I do not know how close that comes to Mr. 
Sperry’s estimate, but it shows a very marked saving. 
In connection with hunting, in answer to Commander Howard’s query, the ship does not 
hunt. She has large inertia and, owing to the quick rudder control, never swings far or builds 
up large forces. The rudder control with the automatic steering is so much faster that, if 
you happen to be in the steering engine house, you can tell immediately, when the ship changes 
from manual to automatic, by the reduction of rudder angle, and the more frequent appli- 
cation of small angular change. Still, it does not hunt, as you might imagine, through these 
small angles. Often for a period of two or three minutes, the rudder will remain stationary, 
because there are no inertia effects built up in the ship. 
Tue PresipENT:—The next business on the program is the presentation of the paper 
entitled “Details of Naval Design from Jutland,” by Commander Herbert S. Howard, C. C., 
U. S. Navy, Member. 
Commander Howard presented the paper. During its presentation Rear Admiral David 
W. Taylor, C. C., U. S. Navy, Honorary Vice-President, occupied the chair. 
