NOTES ON THE ARMAMENTS OF BATfLESHIPS. 29 



am sure I shall violate no confidence in giving you a brief indication of a few of the 

 steps taken by the Navy Department before accepting and adopting that form of 

 turret-mounting. It had been contended by many that this system of mounting 

 was entirely impracticable, and would prove so in service; that, while the materiel 

 might stand the blast of the upper turret guns, the personnel in the lower turret 

 could not. Many experiments were made, first with turret structures on shore, 

 and subsequently by so mounting a gun on board ship as exactly to simulate the 

 conditions which Avould exist on board ship in the proposed design. We began 

 the experiments with only animals in the lower turret which was being fired over 

 and measured the intensity of the blast by pressure gauges ; subsequently, the best 

 possibly practical test was made by stationing in the turret in the places of maximum 

 pressure the officers who were really responsible for the design. (Laughter.) Those 

 gentlemen had witnessed all the experiments, of course, but from a comparatively 

 safe distance, as did all the others engaged in making the experiments; but, on 

 this occasion, they had such great confidence in the design that they themselves 

 went into the lower turret and were promptly followed by others ; they were then in 

 an excellent position to say that it was an entirely practicable arrangement and 

 that the guns of the upper turret could be fired under the most disadvantageous 

 conditions, and with entire safety to the men in the lower turrets. That, in brief, 

 is the procedure that the Navy Department adopted before accepting that method 

 of mounting for the turret guns of its first battleships of this type. 



It is also gratifying to note that the development along that line has been 

 quite continuous, and although our later ships have increased in size and in the 

 total number of heavy guns, the method of mounting originally demonstrated by 

 experiment has been continued; and other very important naval powers have also 

 come to accept this method of mounting as being one of the best. 



I almost feel like apologizing for making this reference to recent U. S. naval 

 designs, because it concerns matters in which I have had some considerable per- 

 sonal interest; but now and then one reads very adverse comment concerning our 

 naval materiel, and it is therefore somewhat reassuring to know that our naval 

 progress is being watched with interest by foreign navies and that certain very 

 important features of our designs are being incorporated in those of leading naval 

 powers. 



I could not attempt to go over the many interesting points raised by Sir 

 William. This kind of paper is one which should bring forth a most useful discus- 

 sion from a great many interested sources, and I sincerely trust, for the information 

 of those responsible for our warship designs — -for the information of all of us, in 

 fact — that the written discussions of this paper will be very complete, as it will 

 unquestionably add greatly to the value of our proceedings. 



Before concluding these brief remarks, I desire to invite attention to a comment 

 made by Sir William which struck me as exceedingly [interesting. It is one that 

 has been discussed before, of course, but one to which I do not think sufficient 

 attention has been paid. We all know the marvelous advances made in gunnery 



