The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-12-09
IT'S REPORT, ACCOMPANIED BY
ELABORATE PLANS, MADE TO
SECRETARY LONG.
PROPOSALS FOR ITS CONSTRUCTION
VIII BE Called for by the Secretary.
Cost of the Proposed Plant Is Es-
timated Mt $3.50, OOO-No Site
Recommended.

appointed by authority OF congress 10
ascertain the cost of an armor plant,
made its report through Commodore
! Howell to Secretary Long today. The
report makes voluminous document.
treating every detail of the process OF
armor making essential to correct ali,
prehension of the cost of the plant anu
of the product.
1t is also accompanied by elaborate
rlans for the plant which have been
verified by Expert Fritz. The cost OF
a plant suitable for the making OF naval
! NOR at the rate of about 6OUj tons
per annum, which is fully equal to the
capacity of both of the existing private
plants, is set down as about three ana
three quarter million dollars. No recon-
mendaton is made as to the location of
the plant, hut the board has accumn-
, lated much information as to the merits
Of various eligible locations which may
| be had by congress if called for by 1t.
! Secretary Long will now proceed i'm
mediately to take the next step neces-
! sary to carry cat the wish of congress,
namely, invite proposals 10y advertise
lnCnt for building such plant as de-
signed for the use of the government
! 1t was at first the intention of the see
rotary to withhold the report from
congress until he should be able to in
q
mined to send in the report as soon rs
! congress assemblies and meanwhile put
mt advertisement and notify congress
| afterwards. 1t is expected that con-
! gress will be advised of the offers made
| by both existing arnor-making concerns
/ to sell out to the government, and also
Of other large interests to turn over
plants, which while like the spccitca-
| ton of the board, will permit of alter
alton into effective plants. All of this
| data. it is expected. will be very valuab bic
! to congress in treating the whole armor
question. but the report of The board
/ which may he strengthened by IN en-.
! dorsement from Secretary Long will
make it quite evident that the govern
ment can not undertake to make its own
amor at the cost named as limit of
price to be paid to private firms in the
last naval appropriation bill.
! The armor plate factory boari con-
sists of Commodore Howell Capt. Me
! Cormick. Engineer Endicott, Chief En-
, glneer Perry and Lieut.. Fletcher. Sum-
ming up the practicability, necessities,
advantages and disadvantages of the
proposed factory, it says: In accord
ance with your views that congress
would wish from the board statement
in the rought of the practicability of
putting mp an armor plate, We tespHct-
! fully submit the following coRsi'iera-
tons:
Tristan armor factory comprises es-
/ sentially a collection of special fHrneI RS.
heavy machine tools and applia1ces tljat
are not needed in any other flass of
! work, and class of labor Apecally
! skilled in the business.
Second-A government armor factory
| not connected with an establishment
| engaged in other branches of the steel
! industry would depend for its success
and economic administration upon con-
slant demand for an output nearly ap-
/ Iroa ching it's full capacity.
| Third-lf the government should es-
! tablish an armor factory the sufficient
and economic maintenance or working
| OF that factory would necessarily depend
! upon Il constant yearly appropriation for
/ ships to be provided with armor, be-
/ caused the armor produced at any time
must be specially designed for and fitted
/ to those ships. Any failure to appro-
pirate for those 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 this industry. A Re
sumption of work at a later period
would require the training, at Consider
able expense, of new set of men. In
! the meantime the progress of the art
would. perhaps, have been such that
| ullIlCuII ana TuulCui NOlIu bt
| required which, under continuous work
inT might have been gradually and
easily made.
The follows estimates for the cost,
exclusive of the land, of plant capa-
BILE of making and furnishing ready for
the installment on board ship of 5000
| tons per year of nickel steel, facehar-
dened, reforged armor. AS the size
of the largest single armor plate to be
| hn cu and ,nn,bar nf
melting furnaces required and the size
of the forging and bending presses,
which are about the most expensive
part of the plant, and as the melting
| furnaces and presses, thus determined,
are capable of producing a much greater
quantity of armor than herein required,
it follows that the cost of plant would
not be in direct proportion to the great
err or less output, but will be in proper
ton to the greater or less number of
| cementing furnaces and machine tools
supplied.
knowledge of the local conditions of the
site that may be selected. No freight
is included on them. The foundation
for the buildings are of sufficient depth
to secure stability and permanCncH on
good hard pan or gravel only. Nothing
has been included for grading or for eX-
cavating except SO far as necessary for
the proper construction of the plant.
Should the site selected be of such Il
character us to require piling or deeper
foundations than herein contemplated,
the cost may be increased. live per
cent has been allowed, however, for
erecting and engineering expenses. and
it is thought that per cent additional
allowance will cover all contingencies
under the worst conditions that may be
encountered. The t .al estimate of cost
is $3,247 ,912.
The report contains much in the way
of appendices. There are thirty-eight
drawings besides the specifications, de-
tails of estimates, list of places to
rt commend for sites, form of proposals.
besides much other matter. The board
say it will be impossible to furnish
copies of all these matters to applicants
and intending bidders will find it impera-
tive to come to Washington if they
would make intelligent bids.
|