The evening times., 1896-08-07
INSPECTING THE STATIONS
Annual Tour Of Secretary Of
the Navy Herbert.
BIDS FOR NEW VESSELS
Clos. and vigorous Competition Ex-
p-cted-shtps Can BE Built at Less
Cost by Private Constructors Than
mt Government Yards-would Like
TO See More lattiesfiip Plants.

Tie annual inspection OF naval stations
on the Atlantic coast is being made by
Secretary Herbert this month
The itinerary takes In afi tie chief naval
depots, navy yards, and shipyards that can
De reached by thc dispa tch vessel Newport
News and Norfolk will be the first points in
spected, and at the former place the Secre-
tary wilfinvestigate the eprogicss OF work on
the three small gunboats and the two battle
ships whose keels have only been recently
laid.
Citizens OF Norfolk will visit him on his ar
rival at the navy yard and endeavor to Sc
cure promise that this station will be given
the construction of some OF the vessels
which the next Congress is expected 10
authorize. Secretary Herbert will be able to
offer little encoura cement, for Ii is tie pol
icy of tho Department to build vessels where
the work can be done most chcapIy and
heretofore private yards have presented
more advantageous terms than the naval
stations could
WHY PRIVATE WORK Is CHEAPER.
Some years ago nearly all vessels for
uhS navy WciC ht tiAc bohy SNAho, Dos
since the Introduction OF steel In the MAUI
facture OF ships ana the increase in cost
due To development of naval construction,
it has been found that where bids are asked
the private concerns are enabled to build
for less than the government can on It's
own grounds. One OF the main causes Of
this is the longer hours of labor required
and the advantages private yards have in
securing material ut reduced prices.
comparison of the vessels built by the gov
eminent ana those at the yards OF private
concerns show little difference in the
workmanship. The speed attained by gov
ernment built vessels is equally as high
as that OF ships of the same class built
under contract.
For the construction OF three battlesltps
and small fleet OF torpedo boats it is be-
leved that the competition will be close and
active. The three leading firms generally
regarded as being the ones which can un-
dertiikc the construction OF great battle
ships will enter the contest, and among the
smaller firms the bidding for the torpedo
boats will be equally lively aud close. The
new ships indicates an interest in the new
navy btNct CAl'titc"SSL-
BIDDERS FOR NEW SHIPS.
Small shipyards. which were never be-
fore known 10 he ambitious to build gov
ernGent vessels, are iu the field, and it
would not be surprising II some of them
ou,bid the old concerns for the construc-
ton of the smaller ships. 1t is question
able, however if the department will be
, withng to permit inexperienced firms to
| undertake. the delicate work OF building
high speed torpedo boats. since the disas-
trous experience with the Ericsson has
impressed on the officials the mistake OF
accepting bids OF any but firms whose
capacity to build high-class ships seems
assured.
Of the three torpedo boats now In ser
vice. the Gushing, the first OF the trio. IS
| admitted to be the finest She is the de
| sign and product of the Herreshoffs. Iu his
/ last annual report MI. Herbert spoke Of
| the advantage TO be obtained by The
| government. iu having some yard where
| the best type OF torpedo boats could be
turned out. and indicated a belief that this
class had not been developed here to
the same extent that larger vessels had.
The experts of the department are of the
| same opinion. and would like to see gov
! ernmental encouragement given to some
yard so that 1t might make a specially
| OF this class of work.
MIGHT LEAD TO BETTER TYPES.
With twelve boats OF this type to build
| this yenr, IL is expected that experience will
1 be obtained that may lead to better types
| in future. Mr.. Malster, of Baltimore, who
,,I.lt., ~ r. f,e -,
navy, will probably submit bids for some OF
the new boats. The Cramps, who hereto
fore have confined themselves to the con
struction of the larger types of war yes
sels, will also enter the competition, us well
as the Newport News Company.
The battleships will call for limited bids
but, nevertheless, there will be the most
intense competition. One of the vessels
seems assured to the San Francisco firm
and If the wishes Of the department pre-
val. the Cramps may secure the other two
not beca use there is any doubt of the ability
of the Newport News firm to undertake ad
dtional battleships, but ON the theory tina
the work should she widely distributed, S,
that different sections OF the country nigh
be benefited thereby, and an additional In
terest created In the work of building vi
the navy.
1t is regretted that there are not NOR,
firms whose plants are capable of battle
ship work.
BALTIMORE'S ADVANTAGES.
Mfr. Hichborn. the chief constructor Of the
navy. and Chief Engineer Melville would
be especially pleased to have the Baltimore
yard bid on battieships ifit wereso situated
that the larger vessels could be built there
The proximity of the yard to Washington
and the convenience of inspection work, be
sides the advantages presented by deeI
water for preliminary trials, all combine t.
make Baltimore especially well adapted fol
constructing the largest vessels for thu
navy. The two largest ships for the gov
/ ernment built in Maryland were the Mont
gomery and Detroit, vessels OF the highes
Class and speed, and they have alread,
proven their superiority over any of thef
type in this country. Within the next thre'
months the Columbian Iron Works shoul
have ready for launching the submarin
boats and three torpedo boats, and by tn
time these are off the ways contracts vii
he aw ardcd for vessels for which bids hay
recently been asked.
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