The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-03-18
Disclosures Regarding the Condition
Of the Boilers of the Big Battle.
ship Monterey.
Said That Two Of Them Were Prac.
tically Ruined at the Trial
OF the Vessel.
She Lies Useless Untill New Ones Are
Supplied Navy Officials i'm
QaaEdary.

NEW YORK. March 1S--The Times
says: Il has been known for some time
In well posted naval circles that the
navy department officials have been
using every resource TO secrete from the
public serious defects which developed
in the recent trial tripof the new United
States coast defense battleship Mon
terey. Rigid orders We're issued to
all officers present on the oc-
casion of trial forbidding them to dis
close or make public what they saw,
have prevented the real facts of the case
being got at until this comparatively
late date
The Monterey was tried in San Fran
cisco harbor over ten weeks ago. The
go eminent requirements specified the
development for four hours continuous
steaming OF stipulated horse
power. The stipulated horse power the
Monterey fniled to develop. 1t was
further stipulated that for every horse
power In excess of the required number
developed, the builders should receive a
bonus Of 800. Likewise it was stipu-
lated that for every horse power short
the contractors should forfeit S1o0. The
result of the Official trial of the Mon
terey disclosed the fact that the Union
Iron works of San Francisco, the build
ers of the vessel, would be compelled to
forfeit to the government $4,000.
Decided TO Pocket the Loss.
\.
The contractors gave out to the pub
lie. owing to the heavy expense attend
ing the trial. they had decided rather
than run any risk of q second failure,
to forfeit the $30,00O AT the same time
the navy department. with the appar-
ent desire to stop speculation on the
part Of the public, alleged its anxiety,
in view of the Hawaiian COMPLICATIONS
early to commission the Monterey. All
further trial trips were. i'm consequences
called off and the Monterey now lies
at the Mare Island navy yard in con.
dition, which can be authoritatively
stated, practically unfit for service.
Where the Trouble Lay.
The Monterrey Il fitted with gang
of Ward tubulous boilers, and i'm adj
dition with two Scotch boilers. In pro
viding the Monterey with two Scotch
boilers, it was proposed ordinarily te
run the ship under Scotch boilers alone
The two loilers were considered suf
ficiant to generate steam for eight knots
per hour speed With the gang ol
Ward boilers, III addition to the Scotch
boilers. maximum speed of 10 knots pei
hour could be obtained whenever DE.
sired. In the placing of the Scotch and
Ward boilers aboard, the two pipes
were connected in one battery, all
boilers having commcn main steam.
pipe
The Ward type of boilers, it should
be known. are designed to stand, fol
short periods, intense pressure. They
are further designed to generate a full
head of steam from a 30-minute firing
under cold water. The Scotch boilers
on the other hand, are built to develop
large volumes of steam. but are seldom
| called to maintain steam pressure oil
! over 200 pounds per square inch.
On the occasion of the trial of the
Monterey the evident inability of the
vessel to develop the required horse
| power caused the contractors to push
the firing of the Ward boilers. So well
| was the firing conducted that before
| the firemen were aware of it the steam
| pressure had jumped to $50 pounds K
the square inch.
| A Narrowly Ayerted Disaster.
The effect of the intense steam pres
| sure on the Scotch boilers was at once
apparent; crown sheets began torelease
the staples parted and in another in
slant the boilers would probably have
gone with 4 crash. tearing the ship ts
pieces. but for the immediate
shutting off of all of the steam
connections with the Ward boiler
AT the same time the fires in the fur
naces of the Scotch boilers were hauled
the safety valve raised, and thus a cal
amity averted Then an examination
disclosed the fact that the magnificent
Scotch boilers a
Were Literally Ruined.
To fire up the Scotch boilers again a.
other pressures under hundred
pounds meant the certain destruction.o1
the Scotch gang. To replace the two
Scotch boilers meant anexpense Of more
than $4,000. The contractors decided
to pocket the loss and let the disabled
boilers stand. In this condition thu
Montery exists today. No fault could
be found ON trial with the Ward boilers
| of the Monterey.
The Monterey, unless provided witt
. couple of new Scotch boilers, is prac
tically unfit for sea. and just what vii
be done in her case no one at the navy
department appears to know.
NEW YoRK, March is. Charles Cor
don Sake, only surviving son os the lat.
poet, John G. Sake, died At the Hote
brunswick Of pneumonia.