The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-12-03
MAKING ARMoR.
rhe Naval Board Reports on the Cost OF
Plant-AbOut Three and Three Quarter
million Dollars Will Be Required.

rhe Naval Board Reports on the Cost OF a
Plant-About Three and Three-Quarter
Million Dollars VIII Be Required.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The naval
board appointed by authority of con-
rress to ascertain the cost of an armor
plant made its report through Com
modore Howell to Secretary Long
Wednesday. The report makes a vol
luminous document, treating every de-
tail of the process of armor making
essential to correct apprehension of
the cost of the plant and of the pro-
duct. 1t is also accompanied by elab-
crate plans, which have been verified
bytExpert Fritz. The cost of plant
suitable for the making of naval armor
at the rate of about 5000 tons per an
mum. which is fully equal to the capac-
itv of both of the existing private
plants, is set down as about three and
three-quarter million dollars. No
recommendation is made as to the To-
cation of the plant, but the board has
accumulated much information as to
the merits of various eligible loca-
tions which may be had by congress
if called for by it.
Secretary Long will now proceed
Immediately to take the next step nee
essary to carry out the wish of con-
gress, namely, invite proposals by adj
vertisement for building such plant
as designed for the use of the govern
ment. 1t was at first the intention of
the secretary to withhold the report
from congress until he should be able
to include this information in it, but he
has now determined to send
the report as soon as congress
assemblies, and meanwhile put out the
advertisements and notify congress of
their results later. 1t is expected that
congress will be advised also of the Of
fers made by four existing armor-mak-
ing concerns to sell out to the govern
ment, and also of other large interests,
to turn over plants which, while not at
all like the specifications of the board,
will permit of alteration into effective
plants. All of this data, it is expected,
will be very valuable to congress in
treating the whole armor question, but
the report of the board, which may be
strengthened by an endorsement from
Secretary Long, will make it quite evil
dent that the government can not I'M
dertake to make it's own armor at the
cost named as the limit of price to be
paid to private firms in the last naval
appropriation bill. ....--
The war department is making ar
rangements for the court-martial of
Capt. o. NJ. Carter, of the engineer
corps 1t has been settled that the
president of the court shall be Brig.
Gen. Elwell S. Otis, commanding the
department of the Colorado, at Dem
yer, and that the judge advocate of the
court shall be the Judge advocate of
the same department, namely Lieut..
Col. John w. Clous. The court will
meet at Savannah, to be near the works
which have figured in the charges.
Justice Stephen f. Field, of the
United States supreme court, Wednes-
day surrendered the commission which
he received from Abraham Lincoln,
laid aside his black gown of Office and
and retired to private life. For 81
years and months the venerable Cali
fornian has been a member of the
highest judicial of the land, while for
nearly six years before being elevated
to this position he sat upon the SUI
preme bench of the courts of his native
state.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-The December
statement of the public debt shows
that at the close of business November
80, 1897, the public debt, less cash in
the treasury amounted to 81, OO9, 226 466,
a decrease since October 80, of 81 1888, =
125. This decrease is accounted for by
an increase in the cash due to the de-
post of an inStallment of the proceeds
of the sale of the governments interest
in the Union Pacific railroad. But for
this transaction the cash in the treas
ury would have been $771, 45O less than
last month The debt is recapitulated
as follows: Interest bearing debt Ss47,
/ 365, 500.
Debt on which interest has ceased
since maturity 81, 331 ,2SO.
Debt bearing no interest 1881, 1913, 125.
Total 81 ,229, 800, OPS. This amount,
J however, does not include $579, 900, 933
in certificates and treasury notes out
/ standing which are offset by an equal
amount of cash in the treasury. The
cash in the treasury is classified as fol-
| lows:
Gold, 1914, OS9, 26O; silver, $5O7. $780,.
S82; paper, sos. 756, 1S1; bonds, disburs.
ing officers balances, etc, S3S, 9O7, PSI.
Total, SS46, 409, orc, against which there
are demand liabilities amounting to
$625, 745. SIC, leaving the net cash bal.
ance $500, 663, $50.