The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-12
SHIP-BUILDING.

An American on the First Cost Of Ships
Here and In Europe.
Since the death OF Mr.. John Roach, says
the Engineering News, the Cramps have
easily stood at the head Of American ship
builders, and an article in the current North
American Review by the head Of that firm,
and comparing ''the 6rst cost of ships
in America and Europe, has special interest
for that reason. The keynote of the whole
article M y be found in the closing sen
teHce. which we quote in full:
III the currentp0licy Of naval rec0nstruC-
ton be pursued for another decade. coupled
with vigorous and consistent execution OF
the measures recently enacted in behalf Of
the merchant marine, the question which
forms tile subject Of this paper will be asked
no more; unless, indeed, its point should be
reversed, and Englishmen be asking one AL
other Can we bulld ships as economically
as they can in the United States?"
Mr.. Cramp declares UneQulyocally that If
the question be, Can you build a ship 10
do the work Of the best existing Atlantic
lines for the same cost?" to that question |
would reply: IS, or within as small a
margin as would be likely 10 prevail in a
similar case between any two English ship
yards" But Mr.. Cramp also dWells upon
the tact that there are ships and ships
Much 10 our surprise he declares that,
while there are many ship yards In Great
DEildlUt 50 ldt rs NY ODotIN dllDU enables
me to Judge there are not more than three
or, at the outside, four yards which would
be considered by any OF the great steamship
companies for building frSt-clasS modern
liner. For the construction OF British
tramp or second class steamer Mr.. CTamp
expresses a supreme contempt, declaring
it to be inferior to the standard Of any
of our shlp-yards, and so inferior as to
be not worth competing with. As
the class thus cOntemptuOusly dismissed has
Tor years past handled about half the freight
tonnage Of the world with very fair safety
and success it is an open question whether
Mr.. CTamp does full justice TO It's merits.
In regard to our recent naval progress he is
Oh surer ground, and all Americans will aD-
prove of his conclusions. lie says, to pick
out few sentences only:
8 lust ten years ago tie first Advisory
Board reported a general scheme of naval
reconstruction, though actual construction
was not begun until about two years later.
We not only had to build ships Of an even
higher grade than their contemporaries
abroad, but we had TO create a new group OF
industries in every branch Of the art OF steel
making TO supply US with the necessary ma
terial.
Under these circumstances American
ship-yards have built or are building about
forty naval vessels of the very highest and
most effective class IN the world, and this
development has been crowded into space
OF ABOUT seven years. WIN only the exist
ing authorized construction in view this
country will have (built) tie third navy 10
the world within less than ten years from a
starting point which may De described as
zerol
THE disparity in cost Of naval ships be-
tween our own and British yards, ton for
ton, gun for gun and performance for per-
Torrance, has dwindled in seven years IN
I'll in the case Of the three latest battle-ships
the margin may be expressed by a very
small figure To illustrate the rapidity of
progress, the law signed June 80, 1890. au-
thorized the construction OF these three
ships of about $500 tons displacement TO
cost mot over S4,000O0O.' The vessels now
building under this act are actually of TO-
400 tons displacement, with a margin OF
over $500, 600 each for fixed armor and other
necessary deductions. 1t must be
a pretty poor American who is not proud of
such achievements in 50 short time"