New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-02

comnleted in twcnty-nlne months; $26;OOoo; or
two such ships. 81 625. 900 each. ,o,no
Same company; builders moolneo p'ai! I tu,
tons displacement; guaranteed speed l. Kh ..,
one battle-ship. TO be completed IN w. :"
months. So 725 600; OF TWO at 81 1oOVO eaEn; a
tons advancement. guaranteed speed Is knots
enc bat;le-shp to be completed N IN on t,ri ~
months So SS3 600 or two at S2,o'ooV edon
The Union Iron Works san frahclseo ga .e AZ.
Aed check for $4,000 accompanying bld' ce.
partmental plans IL, 800 tons displacement. orie
m nasa,fls' s'es;s7 T. :, ,oo
tons displacenent, guaranteed speed l. knoIs
one hat;e-ship. to be completed IN 'h'f's -''''e'
SAWS comnany builders' plan 300 tons dis
placement. guaranteed speed Is knots, one oat-
tle-ship TO be completed In thirty-three rioh'"s
S2S99O0O ~ xo,a
for $SO0O accompanying bid. departments
Man one battle-ship 70 be completed IN Unity!
three months S2.SlO.Op.
WHAT CAUSED CHANGE IN THE PLANS.
The events which led up the victory OF to-
day may now be told more freely than before
the bidders made public their proposals. Wheh
Secretary Long issued the circular to shlpouhu-
ers on June last. much TO the surprise Oh
every one interested In naval afairs the De-
partment's plans simply called for duplicates Oh
battle ships Nos. Z, nd .. designed ABOUT t"o
years ago. and which themselves were really re-
productions Of the Kearsarge and the KENTUCKY
OF a still earlier date. with speed OF only SIX
teen knots although the standard speed ior
battle-ships has been for some time past eieh-
teen knots and there are number aireaog puht
making 4 higher speed than that the Italian
Navy Department being about to lay down
three with a speed of twenty -one knots IL VIII
be remembered that when The Tribune called
ar<O DrOCroSSiNe-
r.sa the matter was discussed with great vigor.
and the fact was developed that the Ensineer-in-
Chief OF the Navy. Melville. had submitted
minority report urging that the Board OF Con-
struction be directed to reconsider the matter
and 10 provide plans which would give TO the
limited States ships thoroughly Up to date in
every respect Including speed and radius Of ac-
ton.
After q lapse Of about month. during which
the nress OF the country demanded that the
ships should be made abreast Of the times the
Secretary Of the Navy did refer the matter
back TO the Board OF Construction for recon-
rnendation as TO whether II would be advisable
10 withdraw the original plans and specihca-
lions and provide new ones calling Tor greater
speed After considering the matter ana e2-
aiming a number Of plans submitted by the
Engineer ir-Chief which provided TOT hisher
speed and greater radius OF action. IL was ue-
cided not to provide plans and speciiiCa-
tions until after the bids received to-day hau
been submitted. in view Of an invitation from
the Secretary to the builders OF the country 10
avail themselves Of the alternative BIDS which
they could make by submitting propositions for
ships with higher speeds
QUESTION OF wATER-TUBE BOILERS
The plans submitted by the Engireer-in-Ch
while they provided for increase in speed
and in the radius Of action. nevertheless IN
volved q reduction of the coal supply. as there
was decided opposition to increasing the size
OF the ships which would have been necessary
10 give the desired increase Of speed and radius
of action without any reduction Q. the amount
OF coal carried. His plans secured the heces-
sary increase Of space by reducing that allowed
FOR coal number Of these plans provided TOT
the use Of water-tube boilers, but as that would
have caused change in the trim. unless con-
siderable changes were made In the distriou-
ton Of the hull weights. these plans were neg
atived at once. 1t IS worth noting in this con-
nection that the first plans for machinery OF the
new ships also involved the use OF wster-tube
boilers but as these had the same objection OF
causing q change of trim. they were also ruled
out on that ground. and the plans which went
out 20 the BUILDERS were for cylindrIca. boilers.
II was Of course. practically certain that II any
Of the builders offered designs OF their own
for greater speed and radius Of action. without
any decrease in the amount ct coal carried.
water-tube boilers would be used. and the a.
tentative designs submitted by the Cramps,
which for vessels that will be almost dupl!-
Gates OF the Russian ship they are TO build pro-
vide for the use Of Niclausse boilers.
FIRST USED IN BATTLE-sHIPS
While this will be the first use Of water-tube
boilers IN hattle-ships Of the United States
. Navy, 1t is not their first use in an arnored
vessel OF the United States Navy. as the Mon
terey has had water-;ube boilers OF the Ward
type ever since she was built in 1890. They
have given an excellent account Of themselves.
In This connection 1t is interesting 20 note that
when the bids for the Monterey we're received
the Cramps were nominally the lowest bidders.
but II vas only with certain changes in the
Government specifications. and with the distinct
refusal to guarantee the performance Of the
water-tube boilers. The Union Iron Works. Of
Gan Francisco which built the Monterey. re-
ceived the contract. because they were willing
guarantee the working OF the water-tube
boilers, so that this firm really deserves he
credit as far as builders are concerned. for
being the first to install water-tube boilers IN an
armored vessel Of this cOuntrys Navy. The
actual crcdi. for having the boilers put in the
ship was due to Commodore Melville. who adj
vocatcd this plan. and had experiments made
10 determine the best boiler. all things con-
sidercd, before II was decided which one should
90 into the Monterey.
LENGTHENING THE VESSELS
The design OF the ships proposed by the
Cramps Is about a thousand tons larger than
the original Government plans. and amounts TO
what would have been the had the hu.ls
OF battle-ships Nos :. s and Q been heightened
JIG feet Had this been done. there would have
been no difficulty whatever in putting in ma
chinery with water-tube boilers Tor speed OF
eighteen knots or higher and at the same time
carrying a greater amount of coal than the De-
partment's plans did. as they were actually put
out the Union Iron Works secures eighteen
knots by frightening the huils 20 feet. and put
ting in additional boilers % the water-tuoe
type.
In the Newport News Shin Building and Dry