The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-05
THr NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. cOUrsE.
The spesd Tr,nI OF the Mnrsishene Co-ss
OF ThIs Merk In Long Islsnd sonNd.

IHh HTHATHONA- 81 IBhOOk COBhSGe
The spesd Trisl OF ths Marbishene ce-ss
OF This Week IN Long 1sisud sound.
WASHINGTON. Dec 4.-secretary Herbert N
his current report. has taken the trouble TO x
plain how the premium system Of the Govern
ment has operated TO stimulate the construc-
tors OF war ships TO do their best work. In
such q case rs that OF the Columbia, which
earns the enormous sum Of $3.50 200 ahove her
contract price, IL may seem n great outlay to
make. and in general the contract prices OF
our vessels. In consequence Of the premiums.
do not represent what they actually cost. But
there are two full Offsets to the premium Ia
such cases. The first IL gain in speed over
what was required. which represents q cor
responding gain in efficiency that fully repays
the extra cost. The other IL that low bids are
made for the construction OF vessels. bnsed
on the expectation OF earning premiums. Nm
illustration OF such low bids il mentioned b.
the Secretary in the case OF the last three
light-draught gunboats Hence. in spite OF
the many hundreds Of thousands OF dollars
paid for speed premiums-the Columbia and
New York alone calling for f550.000-ths
system will be continued. However. to avoid
the disputes which sometimes arise over the
expenses for conducting the trials OF new ves-
eels II Is provided in the recent contracts for
the three gunbonts that all trial trip expenses
shall be raid by the contractors.
The Murblehead. which. after some delays.
is now TO be tried on the Long Island course
will undoubtedly beat her contract require
ments: and. In fact, in order that she may
have space enough for the four hours run. one
half each way. the course has been made
longer than It was for her sister ship. the
Detroit so that It will stretch from near Plum
Island to stratford ShoaL The Detroit. as iis
we'll known. has been accepted and 10 In service
at Rio de Janeiro. When the three 2.000-ton-
ners were authorized, more than Ave years aRo.
they were designed for q guaranteed speed Of
10 knots an hour The cost was limited By
the act OF Congress to 100000 each, for ma
chlnery and hull Two bids were made on
them. but both exceeded the limit The Navy
Department In that dilemma. reduced the
speed requirement to IL knots. granted an ad-
dltio5ql period Of six months in the time al.
ums so as :. ne more favorable to the contrac-
t tore On readyertislnG. the bids for precisely
Whereas before the bath works i had i demand
e. So0oV sss Union b br9n rSrks o. San
s5spGS eaeS the BS,h O iron works n 70 build I'D
one Tor S675 600, two Tor s.. $50. 900. and three
for 81. 025.OO0; the ,Colum blan Iron Works OF
for Si.225 600. Harrison Loring Of Boston and
tie Suintard Iron WSE Et o6 q New York hit on
troit and the Montgomery, for s5l35o6 eaoh
tllo lyOIluEs, VIM tuhut Hu HTrhuRement
Tor the Marbiehead at s674, 900. ' e'', NV
ton s point M 'nsa By the
as to the chances 81 premiums being taken
M each %sS Of
so that with the sSeed reauirem.enhtn redpeed
the sz Se bs
II the s7% g.s that is length on lead va
ment oil about 1000 tons. The engines re-
manned IA before OF the twin; sorew. vertical.
indicated horse power under forced dra1ght.
i Is Obvious. therefore. why the difference in
The trial Of the Detroit showed that the
original demand Tor y knots. was not exces.
knots above her contract requirements. As
fractions above or below even uarters are not
po the six SnSeT Hn o
900 200 There II goof reason to hope that
DO about rs well. aud In that case she may ex-
her contract price is sGi.506 In excess Of thai
The financial difficulties of Harrison Lorine'.
City Point Wor ks; causing the assignment Of
blehead. but she is no doubt we'll built: The
engines were furnished by the Quntard Iron
material by Carnegie. Phipps & Co. the Linden
steel Company. and the Midyals Steel Com
the quarters Of the crew has been Increased
about one, sixth. and she will have spacious,
comfortable quarters both for officers and
men. although she carries O complement OF
242. The complement OF the Yorktown. Con-
cord, and Bennington, Of LOO tons displace-
that the crew quarters on these vessels are
Inadequate. The regular coal supply Of ihs
MarOlehead Is 200 tons. but 435 tons can DO
carried. stored SO as to give protection TO the
machinery; and she has a steel protective
deck throughout A Golfer dam. filled with
cellulose. runs above this deck alongside OF
the fore and aft bulkheads, the top being four
feet above the load water line.
Tho Detroit, tit will be remembered. was
found TO be somewhat topheavy in rough
weather. and It was calculated that her meta
not be much above nine inches The Mar
blehead and Montgomery would share this
defect. which, however. can easily be remc-
died. so that all three vessels will undoubtedly
prove to be- very useful cruisers.