Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-19
A TOUGH PROBLEM.
Secretary Tracy Hard at Work on a
Legacy Left Him by Mr.. Whitney.
PAYMENT FOR TIE THURLOW GUN.
Both Secretaries of the Opinion That the
Company Should be Paid.
MONEY TO BE HAD FOB EXPERIMENTS
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM 70 THE pIsrArcH.i

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM 10 THE DIsPArcHi
WASHINGTON, August 1S.-For long
months every attache Of the navy has been
curious to learn the fate Of the steel gun
cast at Thurlow, Pa, as having lively
bearing on the safety of vessels and crews,
should it be accepted. and other similar
guns cast and mounted aboard the new
vessels of the navy. As heretofore stated in
The DISPATCH, the authorities of the
Navy Department have been in continu-
Gus quandary in regard to the disposition
which ought to be made of the Thurlow
gun. 1t so nearly stood the statutory test
without serious damage that there was a
disposition on every side to accept it, pay
the Standard Company the $500, which
was the amount of their bid, and then pro-
ceed with the proving, with increased
charges of powder to the point of bursting,
making careful record of the condition of
the gun after each shot. But the law was
so clear on the point that to be accepted and
paid for gun must be serviceable; that is,
in condition for actual service, that the
Board of Ordnance was forced against Its
will to report against acceptance.
A TOUGH PROBLEM.
Even with this report before them, two
Secretaries Of the Navy, Whitney and
Tracy, have attempted to devise some
method of evading the law, that the inter-
esting experiment Of the cast steel gun
might be pursued to the point of final DEM
onstration whether it could or could not be
made the gun Of the navy. the gun of forts
and sea-coast defenses, and the gun Of the
artillery, in case of war, thus cheapening
the cost Of these various classes of arma.
ment by untold millions. Whitney gave it
up, and left the decision as legacy to Tracy,
and Tracy has been laboring over the prob
lem at intervals ever since his appointment,
without reaching q conclusion that the gun
can be accepted without further action by
Congress.
The probabilities now are that in his first
report, at the opening of the next Congress,
Secretary Tracy will state the facts in regard
to the experiments with the Pittsburg and
the Thurlow guns, and recommend an ap-
preparation of the amount of the Standard
Company's bid for the purchase Of that gun,
and further and
MORE LIBERAL APPROPRIATION
than the former one, that subsequent expert
ments may be more thorough and on q more
elaborate scale. The Secretary is not yet
ready to give this to the public as his decis-
ion, but il can be stated from excellent au-
thority that it is about concluded this is the
only way out, if the experiment is not to be
abandoned absolutely and the stamp Of utter
failure put upon a kind of gun which, with
proper encouragement, might be made q
grand success.
The fact is, the test of the Thurlow gun 50
far exceeded the expectatinn of the most ex-
pert authorities of the navy in its near ap-
proach to success, that they have become in
terested and encourage further trials, in
stead of exhibiting skepticIsm and in some
cases unreasoning prejudice, as they did
ago, previous to the proving Of the
two guns. Moreover, eminent laymen, who
have made study of the subject, and who
have complete faith in the ultimate triumph
of the solid cast gun, have not given up
their efforts at convincing the Navy Depart
ment that further and more expensive ex-
periments should lie pursued without loss of
time.
HARD AT WORK FOR IT.
Congressman Thomas, of Illinois, who it
was thought at one time would be Secretary
Of the Navy, and who was really the insti-
gator OF the experiments already made, and
the sponsor of the appropriations with
which they were encouraged, has been un-
III uis dfgumcut Dtiofe tne Oe-
partment for further test. The Standard
has assured the department that
it can make better gun, but it will not feel
to 20 to the expense of casting
another unless it gets pay for the one now at
Annapolis, as it thinks the nearness to sue
cess warrants reward, and that private par
hes should not stand all the loss when the
gain will be far greater for the Government
han anyone else in the event of success.
1t has been suggested to the department
hat the proper way to pursue experiment is
Tor the Government to pay all the expenses,
md so put no burden on private enterprise
and enthusiasm which might be deferred
rom all attempt by the risk of losses too
heavy to be borne. This course will be
urged upon Congress, and with both
branches Of that body in harmony with the
President, and no party majority striving to
make record for economy at the expense
If another majority in another body, as has
been the case for years, more liberal policy
nay be expected.