New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-14
THE MONTEREY READY.
THE FIRST ELARMORED VESSEL BUILT
IN AMERICA.
suE is THE LAST OF THE NEW NAVY WITH A
HORSEPOWER GUARANTEED VESSEL
CAPABLE OF DEFENDING
ANY COAST.

CAPABLE OF DEFENDING
ANY COAST.
| san Francisco July (Specian-It was officially
ANNOUNCED few days ago that the barbetts tur-
reted coast-deience ship Monterey was almost ready
10 be put into commission, and this statement is
| further confirmed by the order to Captain Louis
kempf 10 the command, and the selection OF some
! OF the other officers who isc to do duty O., that
vessel 1t may be expected therefore. that the off.
cial trial that Is 10 determine her acceptance by the
Government will soon take place. This Is the last
Of the new vessels for which the conditions OF
acceptance based upon horse power rather than
speed and as nch unit Of horsc- power In excess
of. or that she may be deficient in. makes an IN
crease OF 800 10. deduction OF the same amount
from, the contract price agreed upon. tisTe Is very
much interest In the coming trials. Unofficial re-
ports relative to the preliminary trials OF the vessels
boilers and machinery recently made are to the effect
that the results cninemly satisfactory, the
engines running to speed OF 100 revolutions a
minute.
There has been much criticism as TO the practice
Of making horsepower condition of acceptance. that
1t was concluded by Secretary Tracy to substitute
| spec1 lCr horsepower as condition in future con
| tracts. When Mr.. Whitney wns nj the head Of the
Navy Department he said in one Of his first lp-
ports "An examination OF the state of the art in
| 1850 lod TO the cOncluSi1l that the machinery Of
naval vessels ought TO be so designed to produce
ten horsepower for each ton of machinery and 1t
was determined to make that the standard, and to
enter into no contracts that not based sub
| stantialy thereon" Tho Yorktown, built under the
| Cleveland Administration, at contract price OF
1855 900, received q premium OF nearly $4,000, or
nearly 10 per cent. above the contract price. The
builders OF the Baltimore, tue Concord, the Ben
| nington, and Of the other vessels built with
conditions OF horse power, have received excessive
premiums.
The system pronounced vicious one by more
than one naval expert, and speed requirements were
substituted for those OF horse power. II was argued
that the offer Of premiums for horse power was
most dangerous system, inasmuch 1t apt to
lead to frauds rather 10 encourage faulty conSruc
| ton. The effect OF Offering a premium for the do
veopment Of quality OF vessel beyond
what the plans and specifications call for must ncccs-
sarly be u concentrate effort upon the production
of that quality the neglect Of Others which, though
less important, are less profitable TO the builder
For the purpose OF illustration, the plans and spccl
hcations for vessel are drawn, the most CAREFUL
computations having been made by the best OF naval
experts as what strain the vessel and her boilers
and engines would Stand to do a certain estimated
work. 1t would clear that II the calculated re
quircments shoud be exceeded beyond those exactly
adapted to the ship it would bring serious strain
upon the machinery itself not severely strain the
| ship Tlsn, 400 tuppCSe that these dangerous
strains should be anticipated by those empowered to
give out the contracts and be prompted BY some
/
what the construction OF hie vessel will stand In
order that favor might be shown that the builders
might reach above the minimum and secure a pre-
MUM.
This latter criticism could in 10 way apply to the
builders of the Monterey but the hypothesis may
well be borne in mind In the practice should be
restored at some future time. It is fact that has
been demonstrated more than once, however that the
contractors trials OF vessels made under the most
favorable circumstances and conditions, such as VIII
probably be met again. Every part OF inc
boilers and machinery is in the best possible coh
ton the ccanest conl is selected and Is OF the best
quality for generating steam. and the men employed
IN worl, tho fires are the best to be obtained and
are paid for the trials treble the rate OF pay II not
more than those employed in the navy or the mer
chant marine.
The Monterey Ia the first steclarmorcd vessel ever
completed in this country. The monitor Mlontonomoh
IS an IRON rmorcd vessel hcr plating having been
purchased in England nearly eight years ago. and
The Maine and other amoied vessels provided for VIII
not be ready for macy months yet. she Is low
frceboard defence vessel with barbc'tc turet
She has length the load wnter-line OF 216 iect
a breadth Of 50 feet. draught Of IA "a feet and a
displacement ofi4l3s tons Her twinscrew vertical
,dnle nson engines and her coil boilers guar
antced 10 give her speed Of 10 knots, and maximum
OF 400 horse power she in many respects resembles
the barbette turreted monitor Puritan, whose history
dates back to the Civil War, and which is now being
rebuilt at the NewYorlS Navy Yard. The latter YES
sci is nearly 900 tons greater In displacement, how
ever.
The Monterey is the outcome Of the combined IDEAS
OF the Chief Naval Constructor L. D. Wilson. the
Engineer In Chief George W. Melville. and the ex-
Chief Of Ordnance, Montgomery sicari, and 'omho
dore W. NJ. Folger. The act OF Congress authorizing
her construction was passed March 3, 1857, but 1t
was not until April 3, 1880, that the bids for her
construction were opened The contract awarded
TO the Union Iron Works san Francisco, on June H.
1885, and IL required that she should be competed
in two years. The delays that have occurred from
time to time In the delivery OF her armor plating have
prevented the vessel being built on time she was
Harrison touching the electric button that set th ma
At first the plans provided for the Lotion gun
monstrosity, but The complete failure Of ms WEAPON
by the United states Navy. she will now have
battery Of two l2Inch guns in the forward bar6ette
two l0nch guns In the after barbette SIX opounceGr
rapid firing guns. four lponnder raplddrng guns ana
two The top OF the The GsGr IF the wen s
merged by her water ballast In lighting trim her bow
na s'ps smoke snS pe she HAS Ss %n @
above the deck IKE pllSh ,,n,s on stcam6Ha
oficer may see ali about his vessel and direct her
movements. Her armor belt thirteen inches, thick
babetes are composed Of CSC tons Of nickel STEEL and
she has twenty three tons more for the base OF me
tower.
The turrets Of the Monterey declared to be the
paitment Each is nade Of five plates, and each
they formed perfect circles; The forward one Is
four feet four inches high The after turrct Is made
of IL 12 inch plates, four and half feet high All
Of the bethlehem Works. and bent to the required
curve the great hydraulic press near 10 the big
hammer The qahy OF each set of plates tested
by the most approved process under the supervision
Of the officer detailed for that special duty. Six
plates made for each tIrret, one OF which was
taken ont as a test for the group Then the plates
we're cut and finished the big saws aud planers ia
the arrnor plate finishing shop. The ends OF the
nlates are Cinsd together by heavy steel keys, each
ionr feet long and four inches square
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