New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-24
COMPROMISE ON MONITORS.
NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BOARD GOES
BACK TO sINGLE-TU RRET SHIPS

BACK TO SINGLE-TJ RREl oH'''
TREY WILL. BIZ or GREATER DISPLACEMENT AND
MUCH WIDER srEAMiNG RADIUS. HOWEVER
THAN THE ORIGINAL PLANS PROVIDED
my TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBrNEl
Washington Nov 23-The Naval Board on
Construction adopted resolution To-Day /" i"
crease the displacement Of the snsl'-'u''e'
monitors about 800 tons by lengthening '"''"
bodily tweny-seven feet. thereby lh'ieas"e
their cos-bunker carrying capacity TWO nun
dred tons and providing improved stabihty TOT
the vessels az well as making the men < quar-
ters more conmodious. This compromise pe-
tween the discredited original design and tns
thoroughly modernized plans for 3JVo-ion d'u-
be-turret monitors which resulted from Inc
Tribune's agitation Of the subject. was believed
by the bureau chiefs to be the beat solution OK
the complication which might be involved in the
risky recourse Of an appeal TO Congress for an
extra appropriation to cover the cost Of first
rate yessels.
Tho action Of the Board is said to have oeen
brought about by ;wo considerations. the minor
one being that in the Scott Nixon plan for dou-
blo-turret monitors the spaces had been
unduy contra ted. which would make them TAR
from comfortable habtations. Tho contractors
since submitting yesterdays proposition TO build
the vessels for 115oNDr had agreed to cut Of
another $4,000 in the price. and this offer Was
presented to the Board ths morning. thereby
sweeping away the lost sestige ~ the con-
struction Bureaus contention that double-iur-
ret monitors could not be built for Sl,2'ovo
each
GAIN n coat ENDu RANCE.
The other and more important consideration
related to the great gain in coal endurance mat
the doubling Of bunker capacity would give
vessel carrying formidable a main battery as
twin l2-inch rifles in heavily armored iur-
ret with the small target and shalo" drausht
which are characteristic advantages 81 this type
Of warship. The abandonment Of the second
turret which had compelled the reduction IN
calibre to ten inches was said by the ordnapce
experts 70 be less of sacrifice than AZ first
appeared These exports pointed out that the
weight OF the naval Pinch projectiIe was 40
pounds while the lc-inoh shell weighed 800
pounds volley from the single l2-inch tur-
ret therefore weighed loo pounds while that
from the two lO-inch turrets would Welgh ~"
hounds difference Of only II per cent. Tho
1O-inch shells AT | 800 Yards range would perio-
rate only fifteen inches Of arnor while the IL
inch shells would perforate tWents one lnciies az
the same protection The comparative lnslshlh-
canoe Of the inferiorty Of the l2-inch tUrret be-
low the two 1O-nch turrets. they said Is SHOWN
in the fact that me muzzlc energy of r"uhu
.N..
that Of the tNo 12-nch guns is 1l.9Io fo"t-t"hs
Tho ordnance experts also held that monitor
would ordinarily be compelled 20 fight bow on
in which case the second or after turret coud
not be used.
WHAT THE VESSELS WILL COST
The final estimate submitted 10y the ship
builders for lenSthening the monitors was at
The rate OF 81 $50 foot or total IF *l""ll"
for the twenty-seven fe't required for "acn
vessel This added to the original contract
price Of SS15OOO for the Wyoming. 10 he huilt
hv The Scots brings up the Aggregate Tor 'hat
vessel To SOS 80 leaving S2Il $50 out of m"
annrouriation 10 he expended bv tho Department
for arnlor electric lighting furniture. spars ana
ot her accessories. which. according u me mos
generous calculation. would not cost more than
S2GpOpp In tire case ~ the Florida. 10 10
built 10y Lewis Nixon. the balance VIII pN
S32l $50 the ngures Of the Bath IRON WORKS
and tho Newport News Company being ABOUT
midway between these extremes
The COMPROMISED monitors viii have fhe
widest staariiing radius for their type which mas
an To this time been attempted IN the Navy:
The Monterey. which has a coal rapacfN or
IL, tons mas a limited action or -lp KNOTS,
Tho Arkansas the Connecticut the Florida ana
tho Wyoming with the iir tons of fuel IN their
hunkers can easily steam ! 40 miles. dis-
rance equal to that from NeW-Nork straight
away 70 Genoa italy. or from San Francisco 10
Honolulu and return Their maximum speeo'
noweys~ will not b. above twelve knots