The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-08
HONESTY VERSUS robson.
GOOD SENSE ~ BRITdIN'S NAVY AND
WASTE IN THE IMERIC1N.
An IroncInd Frigate Butt under Private Con.
tract In England ne Compared with n ship
Tint secor Robeson - Go. OverhnuIed.

| SAN FRANCISCO. May 26.-Tho British frlg-'
| nte Triumph. tho flagship OF Admiral Do
| Horsoy. Commander-inC Chief OF the British
naval forces in the Pacific Ocean. Ia now in this
hnrbor. bound from Es1uimault to the scat OF
war on the const Of Chill and Peru TO protect
British interests against injury by the contend
| ing parties. Tho Triumph Ia n powerful broad
side ironclad. designed by Edward ]. Reed
| lately Naval Constructor to the British Admit
rally. n well-known writer and authority on
naval architecture. and Member Of Parliament
| for Pembroke in Wales.
The Triumph was built under contract by the
Palmer Ship Building Company. at Jarrow-on.
| Tyne. She IL $50 feet long. IS feet beam. and
&c feet hold her hull lie iron. with double bot
tom. and is shcathed with rolled iron plato
armor. eight inches thick amidships. and six
| inches at the bow and stern. The engines areby
| the Maudsleys OF London--i S92 indicated horse
| power; two 9s-inch cylinders. with feet stroke
| OF piston. Speed on trials. 14.07 knots speed
ut sea. under steam alone. 12K knots; draught
| forward "a feet inches aft 20 feet inches;
| height OF battery above water line. feot
2 inches; displacement. G.GG0 tons; tonnage. by
! Govern nient rules 3 800 tons. Tho armament
| is ten 12-ton guns and four ca FOUNDERS.
The fouhng Of iron bottoms with an increas-
| jecton 10 the employment OF large iron ships as
cruisers in distant sous, where there are no dry
| docks OF sufficient size to receive such shins
! for the purpose OF cleaning their bottoms. To
| overcome this objection and furnish the British
navy with two heavily plated cru'sihg ships for
| the Admiralty decided that the Triumph and
| hor sister ship. the Swinsure. should be com.
ulcted with n covering of teak over the iron hull
| ana armor up 10 thr deep LOAD iinr' thls teak
| shcatng was in turn sheathed with heavy COP
per which will last for five years without
renewal. keeping tho, ships bottom
clean and bright, and protecting her
womId result from The f"ulIng Of an unproeeted
| iron bottom To guard against corrosion " tho
| iron hull by possible contact with the copper
and ruddcr post of the Triumph and Switsurr
are Of gun metal bronx. cast in one piece and
| weighing upward Of sixty tons. This system o.
! building added largely To tho cost OF the two
ships They were built under the constant nni
| close inspection Of two experts detailed by The
! Admiralty TO remain ut the build ing yard during
! working hours. and insnect and approve every
plate. bolt and rivet that went into the shine.
| The Triumph was launched Sept q. 1870.
| and is In splendid order. and has required no
| heavy repairs since her completion.
| have given these full details of ono OF the
| finest md most effective cruising ironclads
ahoat ior NE pHrpose OF cGmparing thI "1st 9,
| ship building firm. under q contract with ING
British Admiraliy-the conditions and very inl
specifications Of which were rgidly enforce l.
| with the cost OF vessel partially butt by that
favorte Of Secor kobeson. John Roach Tho
| comparison Of tho methods practised by the
English Admiralty in their dealings with pi.
waite shipbuilders. and tho loose. extravngnnt
| DDS pursued 10y Robeson and Hnnscom in their
dealings with john Roach and other favor d
The total cost OF the hull. engines, and out.
fitted for sea. was in dollars. 81 .255' 40 am
| indebted 10 "a Washington letter which appeared
| IN THE SUN of June 16. 1873, headed ltohe-
sons Friend Roach" for the following details
connected with the building OF monitor"
known as the new ppr'an to tase tne pa Ia OF
war NJ cost Of sl.974,623. and condemned by
llanscom as unsnworthy and nnnt Tor com
pletion or rgpair-th though IN 1873 Ihomgs Row
land had offered TO complete her for 1858 600
and turned oyer 60 Roach, II appears by n
new vessel was begun ly Roach without ,orma
contract. and without plan or specifications be-
INK furnished by the Department.
John Rosch went with NJ. work Technically 10
was ,erarins the llritin Ac,nnliy he Va. builint
tie loose ii, c.ic hi- original oicr rho Old ~
t broken va" ap Roae6 allowing siss toy hSr @asrs
muen Of which doner', went inio ,he new .e,'L ray
slcer, llo, 9nl ",!.9gt ,ni.r,,,ion were md, nnn
,r Of nice Three days before he let! the den9rimsns
tor he eompel"n f Sis n.e.. nSr,ion oi Sn ocsd
yessL She had then cost 500 ,t Under The new con
peuns her hull sia1tn6 Tor her engines. and s2uOn
ior her boilers. IN all. sl.ii2.77l
This was in March, 1871 The following AUGUST the
N,set wac h,ltetq ~ h.iest ana "9lHtr' nav ~ con
plotted win her wcilhi on board. hcf deck would he
Saysl coasiractof Icntlall and Engineer Erbcrwooi
s,schcailon. weIc riwn S ii, tn,ireii 81 i1"1
rqri,an. n9r were any m.a,nlc, adopted 10 ascertain
ihs vessel as far a.. constructed ant u finished r., ron
lakcn TO protect the Go'crnmcnrs interest whether IL
,hc cost OF building the vessel ar IN securing ,rcnryfo
her when hui Ihc manncr M which the new Puritan
bic carcessness"
Now Roachs Puritan was to have less than
two-thirds the displacement OF the Triumph
less than two-thirds her weight " armor. less
than one-hali her weight and power OF Hrmn-
ment. ana less horse power Iron WIS fully 80
per cent. cheaper in 1867 than it WAS IN 1869
| 40. The Puritan was to be "A mustless ship.
needing no outlay for mnsts. rigging. and sails
The Triumph Is iull-riggcd ship. The Pnrl-
tan was to curry but SIX days coal. The Tri-
umph carries twenty days conf. Tho en-
ginrs boilers. and all machinery OF tho Tri-
unlnil cost. completely fitted in the shin. total
OF s23s'l4O. Inc engines ani boilers ol ltuach's
vessel were To- cost. without extra fittings.
SO23Ou1, Ne boilers alone costing only So, llO
less than Maudsleys' bill for all the machinery
OF the Triumph.
This compirison Of expenditure ana results
explains how lIooeson managed TO eNpend from
eighty TO ninety millions over and above tho
legitimate expenses OF the navy, in swindlng
contracts Tor which the country received moth
ing but useless hulks and worthless machinery
when with one-third Of the money honestly
and wisely expended tho country might have
had navy that would have sustained It's rcpu-
taIi9n OF having the best war shlps qloat.
1863, no found several good ships and many
worthless ones; BY a careful wedding out u
these last and Iudicious and honest use
OF moderate appropriations. he could have
punt up navy that would have boen both use
III ana cred table TO inc country. Instead Of
LEFT upon his henchmen and favoritcs. Expended
enormous appropriations, and left the country
win relatively weaker naval force than II had
possessed at any time during the present cen
Jury. lie not only robbed the country. but no
INUNDATED IT, md nowhere is this humili-
htlon more kecnly felt than It is on
! thls Pacific Coast hY all who nre
informed rs to tho worthless character of the
rotten hulks which composed the United Stntes
navy IN the Pacific Ocean. England. France.
| Germany and Russia have frigutes and cor
vrtes in these seas which one cannot look nj
without sense Of humiliation and shame that
we have no ships equal 10 them in any ono
| quality OF an efficient cruiser. while such ships
hs we can occasionally show TO the foreign naval
| visitors that come into our hurhor have cost
| double, and often treble. the cost of Europrnn
ships OF "A corresponding tonnage and superior
| armament and speed
While tho European maritime powers nro
| sending each u sufficient naval force 10 protect
me Interests OF Their people IN Chill and Poru
! against aggression from tho boy no means COM
! Irmpuble naval forces Of tho helligrrenis tho
| United States Navy is represented uytho richety
! wooden corvette p"nsacola-a sh IN that can nri-
inrrrapturenorr run away from tie ships Of tho
| ieruNlan or Cnilldn nnvies. ami that b. looked
upon with pitying contempt by tho officers II
the Europenn hcrts, Yet Robson spent up-
WArd OF fllOQO0O in repairs ON this useless
nqhIk ana on her worthless engines. which
VIII not drive her oyer eight knots an
hour, with u consumption Of coal that will driyo