The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-04
THE CuARLEsroMs PENALTIES.
Congress Has Relieved Her Builders from
Some Contract Responsibilities.

Congress Has Relieved Her Builders from
Some Contract Responsibilities.
WASHINGTON. June 8.-The concurrence OF
| tho House In tho Senate bill for relieving the
| Union Iron Works OF San Francisco from PEN
alties amounting to about $4,000 for short
| coming In the guaranteed horse power OF the
cruiser Charleston, gives assurance that this
measure will become n law. 1t might at first
seem that tho Government Is consentinR to
play game on the principle Of heads you win,
tails lose. If the Union Iron Works should
earn premium on the cruiser San Fran
CISCO which it is now building for tho
Government, or on the coast defence vessel.
which 1t il also building. II will not EXCUSE tho
Government from paying the bonus 3d. too
mad the Charleston exceeded her guaranteed
morse power tho premium promised by tho
Government would unquestionably have been
eSactod by the builders, Just as premiums
have been earned and paid on tho Yorktown
and the Baltimore. Yet as the Charleston fell
800 horse power short OF her contract. Con-
Gress has relieved her from the penalty.
This accordingly looks like a sided ar
rangement, and all the more so since our con-
tractors in that earlier series OF vessels were
not required to furnish as much horse power
as had been produced or guaranteed in the
English vessels or designs on which they were
modelled. For example. the Yorktown. ac-
cording to n statement once made in Congress
by Mr. Boutelle. the present Chairman OF the
House Naval Committee. was modelled after
an English vessel whose horse power had
reached 1856. whereas that OF the American
vessel was only originally planned to be $500,
then was reduced to $500. and finally con-
tracted for at 5000. In like manner. the
plans of the English engines to be made
Dy Humphreys d Tenant for cruiser No. ~.
ne Design OF which was bought as model Tor
whereas the amount rel CURED by the Bsltmore's
contract was only 0GUu. So too, the horse
model, the Naniwa nan. The contract price OF
The Naniwa Kan was $29SooO; that OF the
SlOO In premium was allowed for each unit of
ho rise rover above the contract requirement.
example, TO earn sI75006 as bonus alone BY
isihmry o!ualllpg what the builders OF her Brit
fact her builders did earn the larger part Of
THIS sum, and 100000 more on the Yorktown.
j., ! hIer such circumstances 1t may seem only
benoiit Of the penalties in its various contracts.
eye II only for the purpose OF helping to pay
! another side to the question, and It is one par
MSmiarly applicable TO the charleston. Her
per cent less than the limit of cost fixed by
congress; 1t turned out that the information
FURNISHED MS hG TO them by the NAVY Department MS
type. tho Naniwa Kan. was defective, and that
tnlS lack OF Information proved expensive to
them 1t is said that the English vessel had no
fewer than seventeen trials before she came
up to her contract requremcnts, more or less
costly changes in her being meantime made.
The defective character Of tho plans was re-
GSS cog by the department In an extension OF
months. 1t has also been said that the build
eTs wished FOR another trial with some slight
changes OF gear. but that the Navy Depart
ment did not favor this plan.
1t viii be seon. therefore. that there are some
special reasons for the remission OF PENALTIES
In the case of the Charleston. Besides. as Sec-
morse power ana speed performances Of the
English vessels are based on trials much less
eNacting than those which are required OF orr
contractors: Speed or horse power, for exam
measured mile is quito different affair from
that which Is shown in four hours OF cOntinu-
GUS .Steqming. II has hecn stated that the
Naniwa kan's indicated horse power was real
which showed sixteen knots and about 3.iOO
horse power for four hours, reached about
II knots and $3.50 horse power ut her MAXI
mum on run Of a mile Again. although
extra performance above. a contract standard,
yet making this standard low. as Secre-
tary Whitney did at first, is apt to be compen-
stated by correspondingIy, low bids: For !ex-
have REQUIRED that the Yorktown should de-
yelop t4ou horse power instead OF 5000. But
V whep E. he made this increase ; fer the Concord
tion almost exactly made up what would have
been the extra cost in premium.
, Fesides; great roint in the Char estons |
for she exceeded the peed ex pected |
Of her Speed is what the Government wants: |
and since this instead Of horse, power, is made |
ienieney Ike that which has been shown In The
case OF the Charleston is the less likely to have
unfortunate results.