New-York tribune., 1886-02-09
IN FAVOR or A NEW NAVY.
PLANS FOR ORDNANCE AND WAR SHIPS.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE FOR COAST DEFENCE-rHE
srNATE CnMMITIEE,s REPOET.

nance and War ships to-day submitted the commlttees
report Members Of the committee visited all the prne
pal works yards this country, and two members
who re in England during the last summer took the
opportunity to visit the woowch arsenal the Chatham
dock yard, the proving grounds at Shoeburyness ana
other works OF public and private character III that
country.
The report says It is the final and decided Judgment of
the practical gunmakers that open hearth steel Is best
adapted for heavy guns and armor 81 But It must be
borne in mind" 1t says hat no private or public es-
tabshsnt prepared to furnish tho heavy masses OF
metal needed for guns that accepted by other
the best types for the shifting ana the
heavy plates placed the latest ships or for the
turret. aud Of shore defenccs Our steel
makers ready contract to furnish all such how
ever and entertain doubt OF their ability to reproduce
all the latest and cosest machinery that isneeded TO
manufacture such metal OF the best character"
Referring TO the machinery In tho navy yards the
committee says: There less than differ
yards which expensive tools for the building
engines and boilers distributed while but one has
plant for fabrication Of modern heavy ordnance
and If them has suitable plant for the manufact
OF tho pIrts OF hevy guns or for the con-
slructOn Of steel ships" Tue cOmnittee concnrs IN ne
recommendations of Secretary Chandler OF the Navy
Yard Commss that there should be concentration
Of the plant ana work in such yard or yards as may nave
facilities for the repairs Of engines The wash
iugton Navy Yard contains the best gun'faDrlcauhg
ant the United States and was selected by the Gun
| Foundry 30 rd the best adapted lOr tne
men OF a naval gun factory. While the Mare Island,
! Portsmouth Hoston Brooklyn. Washington, and Nor
folk yards nave facilities for building wooden hus.
only one, the New-York yard Is mentioned as having
l even far" plant for the construction OF hnls OF
metal There lack of facilities for the manufacture
OF marine engines In private shops.
! with regard to ship building the committee says
The evidence submitted herewith shows that iron aud
steel ships of De bnt IN the United states.
Builders of and SUCCESSFUL experience stand
ready TO bud as ast a. the Government II
Kly To order The latest vessels Of the best types
built by foreign nations especially those heavily Ar
mored aud carrying guns up to the weigh of ITO
tons, are the Iesults of many costly experiments.
stimulated BY fierce competition aud generous rewards
Tor success. foreign builders have rapidly parfected
their work and struggling close 10 twenty Knots an
hour Ncvertneess the history of Navy IN the days
when patrIO, ism demau led eNerton TO have "a navy
shows that the ships United states were IN the
nrsr rank They can bo placed there agdln when the
Nation demands. Tne SHIPS Of the future Will be
bnt Of STEEL the gunbOdts aud partly protected
| sOup, mostly OF moderate tonnage. may be COMPOSITE.
or constructed OF steel frames pnked with wood Some
of these be built in our navy yards after
comparatively moderate expenditure for improvements
OF the plant.
The vital Importance Of protecting the Pacific coast
| mnst not be overlooked Tn Mare Island Navy Yard
has la 20 ami excellent drydocK we'll advanced toward
| completion. It SHOULD also have full and modern
the yard condition also to build certain classes of
| ships"
The committee found that the present armament In
rt. and ar~cutl> nunrr~ 2O6) pieces of all cdlDres
These are all mulzc Oad-r-. They require thrythrre
/ kinds of aiunuuon Tney are totally inadequate To
tbc defence OF the most important harbOrs. Tho num-
brr Of scryicciDlo naval great guns $3.50 To these
must added the twenty our bre-chlOHdng, built up
forced steel rifles type for the monitors aud
cruisers. OF which ouy ten arc yet hnshed These
| r,qurr thirty kind. OF ammunition ALI save the mod
cru rifles Tered for the monitors aud cruisers are
! Of classes whose mlnufacturr Is Hb ndoned by the
nations which have devoted themselves 10 PericcuhS
! cannon. -, D..
Of the comp raye merits o. cast ron and steel for
heavy ordnance the committee s'ys tha wh7h a coDl
patIsOn made between tTO guns glInH 1h equiI GU
sry found that tnr steel gn weighs bnt lt'c more
than half It's competitor, AID co''s but Iie more sneh
are the manifest uu' er"utts ana W va
cast lun th1t the ar-uuent may ne considered
c!use THIS l. the emphatic Judgment OF Europe ana
IA accepting that Judgment thiS tolhtte" coners We
officers L oxp'rts. Tue co ami tee cohclahrs
steel tue proper material Tor the aror VI shlps
..fIrr@ are three ways" continues the report. "of
budmg nrayy guns AID T,rVux arn0r one Is IN WORKS
Daut and ucted Oy the Governments the second lI
works subsidized by Gosrrnnent lotasua virtual part
nrrshp: third In partl" by he Government WORKS
aud partly by private I"rson IL ls entry praeucaDe
making aud commanding abundant capita, are ready 10
undertake to cast forge, aud deliver to te Govrrnm-nt
rough parts of steel guns adopting thr best known
processcs of producing lie Suitable steel pr"Nei AT every
sie by and tUrgoi by the hydraulic process
The additional plant Tor this share VI tn' wotn "u @
| cost nearly "a million The rruaiuinE wOtk OF me Dor
!
skill cerrainy but be wei done In Government
shops under the supery yslon o our own officers.
.nr manufacture of srmor must be intr1sed wholly
to private persons II best be finished where 1t Is
n our coast drfeu oes are put into the condition
demanded by the present state of the art OF warfare
they must sub ,tanilaly entirely renewed and our
ueS NAVY must in like manner be almost wholly new
crration. Tue task ~ not iEDt one our Prese na
ona resources such that the burden OF dong what
the best military science aud jnd tment recO nmend IL
lar less proporOndleY than what the country freely
did whom IT. coast deences nnd It's Navy ah" @ tne arm arm
! Rlnrut were among the best In the world We believe
that order to produce guns with reasonaDe degree
OF rapldty two Government guhla'tol!rs "ouo "e
prohtaDly employed. aud would We absolutely needed
s SxI pG%s a 'S5 d Ti the Both
nave Acrlrnt railroad and water communications WIN
and with the places where the products Will be
nreded Both are away from the disturbing inileaees
of great centres of pnpuatun and each has saluDOuS
climate. Each place l. easily defensOle against Tor
We are well assured that at least $40 900 900 capital
f. rrndy placed at the service OF ;he Government
upon terms that would be approved by wise ana capdoe
Tho comrnttre rIzes its conclusions as follows:
The United States mctaurg ically independent for
| all purposes OF warfare.
The mtuuicure OF iron aud steel for peacotul pur;
poses has kept ere with the foremost science ana SKIN
of the world. For steel making. the casting capacity Is
ample but the heavy forging an finishing Of guns and
| arnor Will require new and costly plants
Tue machinery ana machine tools of the Navy yards
sufficient Tor tue building q" enelnts Dut nuch o
Is obsoe;e aud no longer economical; the means OF
building iron or steel ships AR" lacking one yard mas
plant of limited 'apacity for finishing steel guns
aud has done some good work.
As "a partial check upon private builders and a.
a In case Of necessity, some shOs shohh
he but IN Navy yards the parts be furnished by
ate foundr,es ships III general should Oe bnllt Dy
and yards capable of dong
the work The Of repairs ~ such that
some government Yards should bo kept roay to make
them. IL
Arnor plate and engines should be obtained wholly
from private manufacturers
TIE costly experiments Of twenty-five years have
REACHED a ,ta.e which instihes certain conclusions
Guns should be made OF open-hearth steel IorEed
chamberrd of Gal bers ranSihs from hVe
to sixteen nones, lengths ranging from thirty 10 thr-
ty-six caDers. Amor aud prjrotilos should be made
steel 1he hydraulic forging press prounces
better results than the stcanhhmmer costs mnch less
and should be used work. ships should
be- of Steel but certain minor classes may
be compOSte-of steel and wood
The OF guns suitable for ships and coast
defence should be divided between private foundrles
and government shops tue former proviing the Forged
and enprre parts, the latter 1nsng those parts aud
uss them.