New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-09
SOME NEEDS OF THE NAVY.
crcprrARy HERBERTs TESTIMONY BE-
FORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE.
pr, ,r1vE COST OF sHIPBUILDING HERE AND
ApRo.p-vALuE OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
THIS CouNrRY.s NAVY IS WEAK
HOW HE WOULD STRENGTHENS
Ir-MANY INTERESTING
STATISTICS AND
COMMENTS

COMMENTS.

,,.,o.o worcb s-The testimony Of Secre-
tary Herbert. who recently appeaie" '.o,.
House Committee on Naval Affairs. at 'he iNNi'a''o"
=, Cbairman Boutcnc and gave his views on inc
subject of proposed naval legislation pai'o"''iI,
T., ooord IN additions to the fleet by the present
Cross has been made public by the committee
What the Secretary said Is OF ''uon me-
smoke Of the relative cost OF sh'ppu'',"h " Ill.,,
q nd abroad tie Importance OF ha'i"s -
49, o,o NJ torpedo- boats and their uses IN tiine VI
NOR If drvdocks the condition OF Vesse's "nue'so
, .,r,c,ion and their nearness FOR active SER
,oo tho probability Of establishing snip RESERVE
tho condition of the Treasury Win i''P' ~
authorization by Congress OF ne" ''''P'' '
points OF practical interest," =, ,,.,,o that
~, uorhert began his remarks by saying tha'
"' -, ~, NOW needs are battle-ships and tor
VI, ,,oa,s. that the service Is well supplied Win
,,sors esnecialy OF the smaller GLASS; out 'ia' -
,s deficient in battle-ships and IS IN srea, "e'
moro torpedo- boats The Navy no" mas DIN ~
sbins of the first class completed or uhueIso'S ~
a,r,c,iorth. Massachusetts,. Indiana. oregon anu
81 "'''0 49,, 80 nrovlded for by the last Congress.
=, I,,.,,ou,, ard Kearsarge. The Secretary saiu
.h, l., his last report he had recommended inc AZ"
d,,ton NJ two batte-shps Since MS report was
| published he has looked further ihto 'i'e r.p"
vents and is now of the opinion that -FOUR pat''e-
ships should be built. ,, all ,,e
10 gave the committee a table containing IL" INV
Information available as to the cost OF SHIPS a.
go md abroad from which 1t appears that the
Kearsargc and the Kentucky were coh'i"' -
A. q cost of sl95 e. a ton for hull ana mach"e's'
The English Magnificent and her ciafs' ""'''
o,s are q little larger than the Kearsarge ana the
1y.,,oLy but not IN the opinion of Mr.. Herbert.
,nor,or m these ships cost sl64 2s a ton inc
French Gau!os and her class cost silS ~ ton me
great discrepancy with respect 10 the cost Oh 'n'
French vessels the Secretary explained on 'h'
| ground that the French build their vessels very
! slowly and construct most Of them In Government
Pc ro
ton the Italian Re Umberto 1912 60 ton and the
| corm,n Frsatz Preussen 1901 p ton. Thus the
Kearsarge and the Kentucky cost less than inc
ships OF any other country except those OF Great
Britain The showing is even more advantageous
TO the United States in the cases Of composite gun
vessels Gunboats Nos. TO- II. - and 10. for which
| contracts were recently awarded. are TO be burr
at a cost Of 500 10 ton. and gunboats NOS II aho
| - at cos; of s22l ton. The British Redbreast
and her class the latest English composite vessels,
cost $3.50 20 ton the Russian composite vessels '-S9
a ton. and the Italian composite vessels &ii ton
TORPEDo-BoATs EXPENSIVE HERE.
| In the case Of torpedo-boats. however excepting
! France and Germany the United States pays more
| ner ton than the big naval Powers OF Europe. The
United States pays these vessels at the rate OF
| ss07 % a ton, England at the rate OF sloi 20 ton
France a. he rate of s9li Il ton, Russia at the
rate OF 500 50 ton and Italy at the rate OF WI %
a ton The composite boats which Germany Is
|
| Herbert explained that the fall in the price OF
hattle-ships between the time OF the contract for
the Indiana and for the Kentucky ana the hear-
sarge is nearly 30 per cent lie said that the price
per ton for the gunboats Machias ana tasi'he'
| contracted for in $780, was SOP 81. and that the
average price Of the three gunboais contracted ior
in 1894 and of the six others just let out by the
Navy Department under contract IS S22 "A a ton.
saving OF So - a ton or 2e per cent Of the price
| of the ships lie added that the Government Is
getting the advantage OF greatly increased COM
| petition and consequent lower prices
Secretary Herbert Informed the committee that
the United States is far behind other countries In
rcsnoct 10 torpedo-boats He said the practice OF
| foreign countries In building torpodo-boats shows
| an absolutely unanimous opinion among European
naval experts OF the value Of this arm OF defence
lie also said that they are especially valuable TO
| the United States because OF its large seacoast
He spoke in terms Of high praise OF the Herreshor
| Brothers who built tho torpedo boat Cushing. lie
explained that In practical experiments with the
| Cushing at Newport In night service. IL was found
that the torpedo boat could approach vessel near
| enough successfully TO use torpedo In about ID
to 40 per cent OF attempts made. lie pointed out
that other things being equal, speed Is Of tho
greatest value, torpedo-boats are Intended TO
make a short sharp attack. deliver their torpedoes
and get away. Generally he said about one hun
dred pounds OF dynamite are in a torpedo, but IN
the Whitehead a charge OF 100 pounds Of gun cotton
is used. Gun cotton he thought to be as Efficient
and not so dangerous to handle as dynamite. lie
informed the committee that Great Britain had
some torpedo boats that could make from thirty TO
thirty-one knots an hour.
LEAVE DETAILS TO THE DEPARTMENT.
In reply to a question OF Chairman Bouelle as to
what number Of torpedo-boats he would recon-
mend that Congress should provide for. Mr. Her
bert suggested that Congress leave that matter to
be considered by the Navy Department. lie pre-
| ferrcd that a lump sum OF money be approprla ted
and that the Department be authorized to say how
much OF 1t IL to be expended each vessel lie
! REQUIRED to the Herrcshof Company. and said
that he was very much gratlfed with having been
able to make contract with the company which
Is likely result in the Building up in this coun-
try OF "A torpedo nufacturing establishment and
torpedo boat yard that will be equal TO any in the
world. He stated that the British Admiralty did
not undertake to design torpedo-boats themselves
to the extent this country does but they usually
call upon Yarrow & Thornycroft and say TO them:
I'VE want 10 build a torpedo boat that will accom-
pllsh certain results" Yarrow & Thornycroft con-
tract for these results and in that way they have
come to be the great experts in the building OF
torpedo boats the greatest probably, the Secre-
, tary thought in the world.
The Secretary stated TO the committee that few
years ago Congress appropriated $4,000 for vesse
of $50 tons displacement. American shpbuders
would not undertake TO build a vessel OF this size
for that little money. and the appropriation has
! not been used. He said that the Navy Department
, was now making inquiries among domestic ship
builders 10 find IL, In view OF the reduction M
the cost Of construction, a contract would be en-
tered into by one OF them to build this ship. The
Secretary informed the committee that compro
mise had been reached between the Navy Depart
ment and the Dubuque Iron Works. which con
structed the Ericsson looking TO the acceptanc,
OF that vessel The Navy Department charged tn,
company $4,000 in the way OF penalties for delays
In the delivery Of the boat, and II the vessel Il
completed in accordance with present contract re
quirements and II 1t stands it's dock trial the set
Element between the company and the Department
Is to be made on these lines.
The Secretary made statement showing tina