Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1897-12-02
ARMOR PLANT COSTLY.
Report of Naval Board Made
to Secretary Long.
PRICE OF PLATE TO BE HIGH.
The Document Shows That the Govern
ment Can't Make Armor Within the
Limit Allowed by Congress to Private
Firms-Data of the Experts.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2. - The naval
board appointed by authority of con-
gress to ascertain the cost of an armor
plant, has made its report through
Commodore Howell to Secretary Long.
The cost of plant suitable for the
making of naval armor at the rate of
about 5000 tons per annum, which is
fully equal to the capacity of both of
the existing private plants, is set down
as about So, 1000.
Secretary Long will now proceed i'm.
mediately to take the next step neces-
sary to carry out the wish of congress.
namely, invite proposals by advertise
ment for building such plant as that
designed for the United States govern
ment
1t is expected 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 or
other large interests to turn over plants
Which. while not vt all like the speclfi-
cations of the board will permit of
alter alton into effective plants. All of
this Iata. it is expected, will be very
valuable to congress in treating the
whole armor question. but the report of
by an endorsement from Secretary
Long. will make it quite evident that
the go ernment cannot undertake to
make its own armor at the cost named
as the limit of price to paid to pri-
vate firms in the last naval appropria-
ton bill.
Summing up the practlcability, nee
essities, advantages and disadvantages
of the proposed factory, the report
says:
eirsU-An armor factory comprises es-
sentially a collection of special furnaces,
heavy machine tools and appliances that
are not needed in any other class of work,
and class Of labor specially skilled In
the business.
Second-A government armor factory
not connected with an establishment en-
gagged in other branches of the steel in
dustry would depend for its success and
economic administration upon constant
demand for an output nearly approach
ing its full capacity.
Thlrd-lf the government should estab-
fish an armor factory the efficient and
econO e. maintenance or working of
that ! .1ury would necessarily depend
upo. u co. .stant yearly appropriation for
ships to be provided with armor, because
the arinor produced at any time must be
specially Designed and fitted to those
those Sh aS in any one year would require
the &C .tiun of work and the laying off.
intcdnittll, of he skilled experts and
labor tI;t sad been trained o this in
du~i.r. A r,'sum ption of work at a later
per ,od would require the training, at a
considerable expense, of a new set OF
men. In the meantime, the progress of
the art would n,'rhaps have been such
that difficult = ID radical changes would
be required which under continuous
working might have been gradually and
easily made.
GLOWING are estimates for the cost,
exclusive or the land, of plant cap
able of making and furnishing ready
for t installment on board ship of
1000 tons per year of nickel steel,
facehardened, reforged armor.
Five per cent has been allowed for
erecting and engineering expenses, and
it is thought that 5 per cent additional
allowance would cover all contingent
cies under the worst conditions that
may be encountered as to site.
The estimates are as follows: