New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-29
THE ARMoR PLATE INQUIRY.
Mr. CARNEGIE SAYS HE WENT INTO THE BusI
....aa ~. 5. --ra>. u .rnrnrIc MnrINEs

NESS ONLY FROM PATRIOTIC MOTIVES
Washington April 2s-The Senate Committee on
Naval Affairs this morning made public the tcs"-
money recently taken by II IN secret session on INC
subjec. OF plate the prices pad therefor ana
the ownership OF paten ed processes or n-nu'1ct-
ure The testimony comprises 42l printed pages
The hearing OF testimony began January u win
Secretary Herbert before the committee. and ended
on April T. Commander William II. Foiger being
the last witness.
In the testimony OF Secretary Herbert 1t appears
that when Secretary Tracy made the contract 'or
armor plate with the Carnegies N 1880 ne agreed
10 pay TO that company the price paid TO the
bethlehem people. hut that he allowed cents
pound extra indemnify the Carnegles against
any damages that might be recovered from then
for OF the French patent under when the p.@'e
was made Mr. Carnegie said he had never favored
going into the manufacture OF armor plate. 1t was
neither safe, permanent nor profitable. ana ne
would not have done II had not Secretary Tracy
ana as div &c heb the tned States Government
out Of its difficulty when It's ships We're IN me
stocks and 1t could not get armor
In answer TO further question as to why n, ne
into the business. MI Carneg SAD; i s
Secretary Of the Navy had told Us that the United
States Government was In d.ihcuity' ana Il tme
armor plant would do K: II ne were to ask me 70
go 10 kamschatka for the United states, would
do IT, / never went into this business Tor money.
NJ Carnegie said that II the Government kept
the arnor mills going steadily there would be money
in the business but there was not under existing
conditions /, would be folly for the Government
to enter upon the work 1t could not DO unlefs II
likewise manufactured its own steel II ne CON
tinued the Government would Keep ns IN S wofH.
GOO year. it would be hghy prontan.e
business but Is now many dsparimen ,d Of Srr
money on the caga SIX m9n co IOn. nraos
this means 800 per ton interest cost Assume mat
the Government, orders armor for ten years ana d"d
IN. s rea ar deSrecaton upon pant has TO charged
more than second 500 per ton Because some
un.nforrned people only see the high price per
ton. and do not calculate properly. they INK armor
plants extremely profitable. they are not So
COL. LUDLOW ON THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
HE THINKS IT COULD BE BUILT IN FROM SEVEN
TO TEN YEARS AT A COST or si3oooo"o.
Washington April 2s.-Colonel william Ludlow.
chairman OF the Board OF Engineer o.acera which
,as, summer investigated the Nlcara,pN Canal prot
or, detailed TO the House Commerce Committee this
morning the nature Of The observations made ny
,bem while in Central America. the circumstances
surrounding their work and the conclusions reached
as 10 the cost and practicability Of canal The
BOARD spent three months the Isthmus forty days
q, his time in Nicaragua. The members went
every foot of the route. making as thorough an In
yestigation OF the physics as was possiDe In Jour-
nev of that character. I'VE are the only engineers
xbo have ever been over the entire route" said
Colonel Ludlow significantly. i make no exc'p-
lion II Is true 10 this day. In answer 10 ques-
lion IL safe and commodious canal, sufficient for
commercial purposes could be built for fiOOW.coO.
he replied that IT probable He added. how
ever that hydraulic data must first be procured
before he could speak accurately. He thought there
were better ways OF building the canal than those
formulated ny the company, some OF which ne re-
garded as impracticable. He thought the lola dam
the feature Of the project. because there
was no foundation for the canal.
referring 10 the testimony OF Mr.. Miller. he
differed from him In the statement that there were
many dams similar to that proposed az ochoa me
ible but he could not give definite plan or It's cost
This was an extremely important pieca OF work and
much depended upon H. He could not say how long
II would take to build the canal. lie would approx.
mate the time between ard years. Re-
plying 10 question TO the advisability Of the Gov
eminent entering upon the construction OF the canal
he said that II was n gigantic undertaking. and he
would suggest that thorough invest. tion OF the
project be made before the Government
mitted 10 II.