Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-27
NAVAL ARMOR-PLAIe.
Tho Matter of Delay In Furnishing It
Contractors Years Behind.
tBy telegraph to the DispatcI

WASHINGTON, d. c.. January 26.-Messrs.
L'nderman & Davenport, represents,
tives of the Bethlehem Iron and Steel
Company, to-day appeared before the sub
committee of the House Naval Committee
charged with the preparation OF the naval
appropriation bill in regard to the delay
OF their firm in furnishing armor aud
other steel for naval purposes. 4 long de-
lay, they said. was occasioned by the
delay of Oh English firm IN supplying
fOrgings: delay of six months was occa-
stoned by the necessity of obtaining a
suitable site for their big hammer. The
foundations for the hammer were COM
pleted in tho summer OF 1890. The first
delivery of armor was seventeen tons,
made in August, 1891. Chairman Herbert
asked why after that time tae company
could not deliver armor faster, as the con-
tracts called for 800 tons month. The
witness replied that 1t was due to the
Lovelty OF the work.
They had ample facilities for forging
over three hundred tons a month and eX-
pected 10 have all the forglngs completed
by December, 1893, but tho delay had been
occssioned by the difficulty of fitting the
armor to the shapes desired. The trouble
was in the machines and not in the
forging-worb. The work was novel. and
experience had developed the fact that the
machinery they had was insufficient to
shape the plates. This was IN part due to
the intricacy Of the work and partly TO the
use of nickel steel, which was hHder to
cut. The tools proved unequal to cutting
nickel steel. These tools were imported.
and when found insufficient the company
began and was now building several heavy
tools which they believed would do the
work. Altogether tho company had de-
lIVered 1880 tons of heavy armOr and
lfplt Qrmnr-tnQf
armor under five inches. Nickel armor
! comprised about l,200 tons of the
amount. There had been insistence On
the part of the government on greater
hardening of the plates. but for about nine
months the plates had been entirely salts
factory. and the $500 tons now IN their
hands were believed 20 be all right. The
HaTyeyizing of tho plates had also caused
delay in the making of neatly fitting
barbette turrets. 1t should be understood
that they had not yet overcome all the
difficulties Of Harveyizing plates, and new
troubles might occur.
The company had 1859 tons of armOr in
course of manufacture, OF which 400 tons
had passed through the various stages of
manufacture. except a. TO finishing, ma
Ginning. and fitting. and were three fOurths
completed Three hundred and eighty
two tons We're ready for shipment, but
we're DELAYED awaiting balllstic tests,
mich could not now be made be-
{ cause of the ice at Indian Head. IL they
made the same progress IN the future as
tney had made during the past month, the
whole 400 tons would be completed and
/ ready for delivery in three or four months,
except the heavy barbettes. There had
never before been any armOr like the heavy
o, o,erhangIng Pinch barbettes for the
! Maine, and there never would be any more,
for II Is generally admitted that they were
a mistake. They required tremendous
amount of machining. Two years from last
summer they would not be go far behind the
| contract requirements Of 800 tons month,
| as they would catch up hereafter, and eX-
pected 10 have tho original contract COM
| pleted bv September /. 1894. Delay IN de-
| liverles was seriously 10 their detriment,
| as it retarded payments, and the LOO tons
now under way were worth SSOo.OOO 70
| them.
| TO Mr. Herbert Mr.. Lindeman sad that
| they had progressed so far that limit on
! contract 10 go tons month would not
/ deter the manufacturer from taking 1t,
/ other conditions being satisfactory.
! The statement showed that the COM
/ pany Is three years behind Its contract.