The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-12-09
ARMOR.PLANT BOAh
Files Its Specials Report
With SecretaryLong.
WILL COST ABOUT FOUR MILLION.
Expensive Undertaking for the Covers,
Went-Report Accompanied by
Plans for u Plant.

Washington, Dec. 3.-The board ap.
pointed by authority of congress to as
certain the cost of an armor- plate plant
made it's report through Commodore
Howard to Secretary Long today. The
report makes voluminous document,
treating every detail of the process of
armor making, and the cost of the
plant, and the product. 1t is also &C.
companied by elaborate plans for a
plant. (which have been made by Expert
Fritz. The cost of plant suitable for
making naval armor at the rate of
about 5000 tons per annum, which is
fully equal to the capacity of both the
existing private plants. is set down as
| about 30, $50, 900. No recommendation
is made as to the location of the plant,
but the board has accumulated much
information as to the merits of many
eligible locations, which may be had by
congress.
Secretary Long will now proceed i'm
mediately to take the next step neces-
sary to carry out the wishes of congress,
namely, invite proposals by advertise
ment for building such plant as that
designated for the use of the govern
ment. 1t was the intention of the Sec
rotary to withhold the report from con-
gress until he should be able to in
clude this information in it, but he has
decided to send in the report as soon
as congress assemblies and, meanwhile,
ont fbo oIx kc 81
congress of the result later. 1t is ex-
pected that congress will be advised also
of the offers made by both the existing
armor- making concerns to sell out to the
government, and also of other large in
terests to turn over plants which, while
not all like the specifications of the
board. will permit of alterations into
effective plants. All of this data, it is
said, will be very valuable for con-
sideration of the armor question, but
the report of the board, which may be
strengthened by an Endorsement from
Secretary Long, will make it quite
evident that the government cannot un-
dertake to make its own armor at the
cost named as the limit of price to be
| paid to private firms in the last naval
| appropriation bill.
The armor factory board consists of
Commodore Howell, Captain McCor-
mick, Civil Engineer Endicott, Chief
Engineer Perry and Lieutenant Fetch
er. Summing up the practicability,
necessities, advantages and disadvan-
tages of the proposed factory, it says:
Tristan armor factory comprises
essentially collection of special fur
naces, heavy machine tools and appli-
ances that are not needed in any other
class of work, and class of labor spe-
cially skilled in the business.
"Second "A government armor fac
tory not connected with an establish
ment engaged in other branches of the
steel industry would depend for its sue
ceess and economic administration upon
constant demand for an output nearly
approaching its full capacity.
"Third-H the government should
establish an armor factory, the efficient
and economic maintenance of working
of that factory would of necessity depend
upon constant yearly appropriations for
ships to be provided with armor; also
because the armor produced at any time
must be specially designed for and fitted
to these ships. Any failure to appro-
pirate for these ships in any one year
would require the cessation of work and
the laying off indefinitely of the skilled
experts and laborers that had been
trained to the industry. A resumption
of work at later time would require
the training, at considerable expense,
of new set of men. In the mean
time, the progress Of the art would per-
haps have been such that difficult ard
radical changes would be required
which, under continuous working,
might have been gradually and easily
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