| Show FANCY WOOD IS DANGEROUS naval officers take M from vessels in tle ti balu yalu H U atle the details of tile great naval battle at the mouth of the balu yalu river as laid before the public in the associated press dispatches have been of great interest to naval officers this euga engagement gement is bound to have an effect on naval construction st in at least oue one feature it is noted by the naval experts that the heaviest losses in the fight cht were caused by fire and at least three of the vessels engaged were in rames flames during the fight caused by the explosion of small shells from the secondary batter lotteries lat teries 1 that steel ships should prove to bo be combustible was regarded as an extraordinary tra fact calling for esplan explanation anil and correction and the atta attention of the board of naval bureau chiefs has been directed to that end the result will bea be a heavy reduction inobe in the amount of woodwork that will be allowed in the ships ot of this country during the great naval meet at hampton ampton II roads preliminary to the review at new york the visiting foreign naval officers expressed astonishment and delight at the luxurious apartments and finish of the interiors of our ships which made the foreign vessels seem barren by contrast the british vice admiral hopkins nop kins corn com that his officers had bad been discontented by the comparison of their own plain quarters with the mahogany machogan y finish carved and decorated wardrooms of our ships the british naval vessels by the way are arc exceptionally devoid of this class of work and plain steel walls unadorned even by pictures are the rule rather than the exception cep tion the objections to woodwork had already been under consideration by the naval designers when they received the hint conveyed by the yalu balu fight of the startling danger from fire to which these splendidly fitted ships were exposed and as a result it is safe to predict that in designs for future american warships the british officers will find nothing to envy on the score of luxury soza some covering it is true is necessary to prevent th the e sweating of the steel walls the british rely for this upon heavy coats of paint |
