The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-16

paper. One man by the use Of this ma
cnlEe can he a. effective as fps,n TWO
To three men before It's adoption. The
work is also better done Year by year
stronger mschncry has been added to
the various plants and. although the
methods of building ships are practi-
cally the same as thic3c of ten years
ago. the plants are far more effective
than they were. Every ship tina, a
given yard produces makes the task
or building the next one easier. and
mat. with the cheapen!ug OF the cost
OF material, explains why the Cramps
couid offer to duplicate the Indiana for
M.o0C.0Go less than they received for
building her five years ago. Building
these ships was then an experiment.
New tools had to be purchased and
many risks had TO be taken. Contrac-
tors could not then afford To figure as
Closely us they Gun now. when time has
shown what can be accomplished with
American labor and materials
WE CAN BUILD WARSHIpS RAP
idly.
The Venezuela difficulty has drawn
attention to the capacity of our ship
yards to produce warships rapidly. One
or the best known shiph,iiidcrs of the
United StnteS said the other day that
lie thought this c2untry could turn out
seven iirst-cla$s battleShips i'm one year
IL the Government should call on then,
to do so. and should give Them its full
cooperation. II usually takes two or
tnrce years to build 4 battlcship. The
nnG!ish have just kstonished the world
by iaunchlns their splendid new bat
ileship Majestic In exactly one year
from the time her keel was made. This
was a great feat. Nevertheless IL is
entirely probable that we could finish
such ship in any one OF four of our
S,hipSards, under pressure. in one year.
az
constantly, but II could he done.
The greatest cause of our DELAY i'm
buiiulng warshins Is the system of Gov
ernment Inspection. All the materials
have to be subjected to physical and
chemical test. every plan and dr,winr
no matter how minute, has 10 be in
Spcolcd ana improved, and every inch
or the work, from keel 10 truck, has TO
be gone over by the Government in
Spcctors as it IS put in place When oil
this Is done 4 board Of inspectors comes
along TO inspect the work of the first
inspectors. Every change is the subject
- red tape proceedings. \ variation
In the size of a rivct cannot be effected
ordinarily within the space of three
weeks The contractors all feel that
me naVal Officers are Il drag 10 the
completion Of war vessels. because. il,
scores Of Instances. their time Is given
up To triiling criticisms ana petty cbms
plaint.
Entirely different is the custom in
i.nSiand There the Inspectors fairly
orlNc The contractors 10 complete the
work ana assist them all they cln.
ihero is Il commercial inspection Of oll
the material used and the inspectors
see that the spirit OF the specifications
Is carried out faithfully. AS in build
ms merchantmen in this or any other
country. methods as 10 details are Ier,
largely with the contractor i'm buildin,r
hhsilsn warships. If E.ngiand's labor
We're as effective rs our labor she cDuld
probably produce warshtps one-third
more rapidly than she does at present,
1t has been said that while we miyh,
build the battlcships. we could nt,t ,.nt
ne necessary alTnor done in n v,1r's
tiihe. y most interesting contest With
tlinc IN producing armor has lust bccn
seen IN this country. The Bethlehem
ron Works finished the arnor f:r two
Russian warShips i'm exactly nvr
months 1t has before taken noarlv
iivc years to do that ana other wori;
Tor our ships. The arnpsr plant was No
ing developed and the workulcn no.
puirinE Skill just MS they were in Tho
siip!aEds. When under pressure ana
an other work was laid aside, the Iseth.
iehem plant showed what il could an,
III the way Of producing arnl-r ranidly
III ana the Carnegie plant in Home
STEAD could undoubtedly praducc tho
u; mri MOI. ior seven battieships in one year
- ieNi'S" " tIltif lNlleSt capacity.
':U |! ne United States should ~,
10 war with Il great naval power. We
should no, only need all the battlcsbins
we could produce, but we should also
need torpedo boats by the score =,
might be Difficult; for us TO yet tho h,te
tieshina ready in time unless orr deci-
SION To go Ia war were prolonged un,iI
we could be better prepared. This need
NOT be the case with torpedo bnats
~ would be rcsshlc, shipbuilders saw
10 construct fifty of these crafts In siy
nlohthS in our smaller shipyards oIonc,
the coaSi and on tl.e Mississinni riS,n,
inc larger yards continuing their encr,,ioe
10 inc hattleShips. The small yar,ls
nave few facilities for buildinr Inrra
boats, but torpedo boats womb not
overtaN their capabilities
By duplicating plans and by n change
III lnc spirit OF inspection these hoois
could be made fairly TO leap into exist
ehcc. Engine builders could suuply IN.
machinery while the hulls were build
lnS, ana the great number OF steel
pants tnroushout the country would
tnd little difficulty in sunplyin- thn
beats. vi 'He
At the outbreak of hostili,ics tbo
scores Of shipbn!lding rlnnts On ,he
great lake would 20 into This ,.rn,a nf
work. Ii we were at war win CO,
6ritain the treaty with that power now
lSrbidding the construction of war vrs.
seiS on these waters, would. of co,,rsn
pe aprogated. If these large shipbmild,
lhG plants We're protected thrv CANA
probably produce fifty torpedo hoots
Wlthin SIX months and the boats c-,,iL
ne Hade OF light drlught so nc IN go al,