New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-04
WAR VESSELS TO BE TESTED
THE CAsrINE THE MONTGOMERY AND THE
MARBI.EHEAD READY.
rursp ,nnIr,oNs TO THE NEW NAVY GREATLY
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. PENALTIES
inv rrrrcp.pu To THE TRIBUNE.J

10y TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE''
washington Sept 3-During the present "o"
two POSSIBLY three. vessels OF the ne" So
will have their trial trips pre''' -.
der contract terms, to their maj
the Government The vessels are the Cas',i','
the Montgomery and the Marblehead' Inc "
will take place in Long Island Sound owe, "e ,,o
tomarv forty-mile course. The Castne VIII oe '.''
first vessel to be tried and the Montgomery .''
second The Dolphin Nesuvius ana Cush','s
sides four navy-yard tugs. Will assist i'll 49,"
the course clear and marking IL OH.
Herbert will likely witness from the Do'p,'i'
trial NJ at least one OF the vessels, prooaoy '''
NJ the Castine The Secretary has never oe0'
present at the speed tests of any OF the ne" s"p'
,,, his nresence on the will enable MN ~
mako observations necessary to a final setueme"'
of the yexed question among naval experts ""e
taking tho number of revolutions or Vesse'
screws or running over measured mile Is the pe'
ter method of determining speed
Naval officers look forward to the trials OF ."e
tbreo vessels with much interest The new SHIPS
are greatly needed at present. Inc Cas''"e
no narticuIarlv useful on the China or South Az
antic station Her mean draught Is only Twelve ieet
and she will be available for river service DIS We"
as for regular cruising Her Seheral o'n'en'o'a
are Length 100 feet. breadth 81 feet oispacen'e"'
, 0,O tons Size is required 10 develop i,oVo morse
mower and attain a speed of fourteen kho's per
hour Her cost inclusive OF armament, Is 10 De
sq,soo The Montgomery and Marblehead are SIS
ter ships of 1000 tons displacement lhey were
constructed by the Columbia iron "orns' y. D''
more and the Harrison, Lorng Company oi pos'o''
They are specially commodious Tor Oo,h Objects
and men, and will be particularly comfor'apie io'
service in the tropics In both cases protec,eu
entirely the vitals of the ships ana FORM ',e'
chief means of defence. The general dimensions
OF both vessels Length 81 feet 9readth % iee'
mean draught IA feet 6 inches. The engines "e re
quired to develop 800 horse power which s"ou'u
drive the ships at the rate OF seventeen kno's
Each vessels main battery includes eight o-ihch
rapid-fre guns. The secondary battery comprises
six 6-pounders one l-pounder and two Galiihss
The contract price of each ship Is b4,"V
The current number OF THE Army and Navy
Register" published in this city contains an III
teresting article which gives the character ana
amount of penalties received by the Government
In the last few years from ship contractors IL
appears that several contractors on the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts have had TO forfeit to the GoV-
eminent In all about $4,000 account OF failures
to comply with certain terms OF their cohtracts'
The penalties generally for delays In the de-
livery OF vessels the Government. IN seVerai
cases the contractors had to forfeit part OF the
contract price of a ship owing TO a failure 10 meet
the requirements relating to speed. The Regis
ter' states that the builders Of the Charleston. the
Union Iron Works, of San Francisco, received
SlS 3Sl less than the contract price Tor tha' Ne"-
sci and s.. 100 less than the stipulated cost OF inc
san Francisco The Columbia Iron Works iost
SIG $50 on the Petrol. In both cases the penaites
were eXacted for a failure 10 complete the SHIPS
within the time agreed upon. The Petreis con-
tractors also lost $50 speed requirements
owing to delays in the delivery OF the Nesu'ius
the Cramps forfeited $500. or about one-hlhth
of the contract price OF the vessel. For the same
reason the Cramps also lost $1,000 on the fhia-
delphia s. G2j on the Baltimore. 500 on tue iorh-
town and 5000 on the Newark y. f. Palmer Z"
CO. the contractors of the gunboats Concord ana
bennington built "A "A cost OF siDOW each re-
funded 10 the Government for time penalties
e. ~ The Bath Iron Works lost over Twelve
,nonths nenaltes on the Machias. and they are now
paving for delays in the delivery OF the Iastine
and Katahdln The iowa Iron Works. builders or
the torpedo boat Ericsson made progress utaeT
dincnlt conditions and penalties so far forfeited
bv the company have been refunded by the SecIe-
tary OF the Navy. ., -, o,.o-.,
In referring 10 the forfeitures by the several
contractors THE Register says In cases where
the department believes claim Tor ieHilSsivn
OF penalties Is Just, recommendation IN peiait
OF the contractors Is made to Congress. Ihere ~
strong feeling in and OF Congress Tor inc fa,l-
ing contractors. especially when time alone ~ the
question between them and the Government MUCH
Of the work begun by Amsrican contractors wa
I'm the nature OF an experiment They nave AS d
rule done good work. and their failures nave hot
come by reason OF neglect Congress ought, 10
consider this fact in dealing with them' ana II
doubtless will