Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-11-16
BETTER MONITORS
TO BE CONSTRUCTED.
They VIII Bs Larger. Have Two Guns
Instead - TN. and Maas More
formidAbls Thsa oshsrs.

New York. Nov ia special "a
The Tribune from Washington says;
Secretary Long has sent a letter &c
each Of The four firms that secured con.
tracts lasi month to build the single tur.
ret monitors asking them 20 estimate
the increased cost OF improved vessel,
on the modified lines just adopted by
the bonri Of construction NJ It's session.
In the meantime, under directions from
the Department. work viii not b. begun
on The Arkansas. ihe Connecrcui. 20,
floriaa aua tne Wyoming unit. the nee
estimates are received and considered by
the authorities
Befora ihs contracts for these vosseli
were ngae4, aa carly a. Oct . The Tri'
buno called attention 10 the fact that
the aggregate of TIE bios for the foui
monitors Was only g8.4e2 100. leaving o.
surplus o. moro tniu g. 800 900 0ui
of the f5oO0.OOO appropriated pi
build hri'c.ass vessels. Figures prepared
by naval experts were presented AT that
time showing that it was ontirely feas.
bic By tne application OF this surplus le.
fore the contracts were mace % add an.
other turet and double the coal suppiy
OF thefe monitors, making them larger
and better than the Monterey and tns
MonadnocE, which has just been sent
across The Pacific 20 hold Manila. and 70
secure vessels Of three times the coal ca.
pacity q the Amphiirite, the MianAro
nomah and the Terror and far superior
20 them In formidableness and value a,
warships. The legal authorities OF the
navy department., however decided ii
later appeared, ON insufficient considera-
iiou ihst the contracts must be awarded
for the vessels a. originally designed. nj.
though a month earlier through the II.
forts of The Tribune two knots had been
added TO the speed OF the new battle.
ship BY method identical with that
proposed Tor the monitors
som after the contracts were eKecut
cd ihe naval authorities became con
vinced that 10 would b. unwiss 70 build
the vessels according 70 the Original
plans and one Of the contractors cams
% Washington and showed that he could
easily increase his vessel 10 the dimen
sions suggested In This Tribune without
exoeaing the original Appropriation by
congress Ho proposed simply 70 length.
On the vessels and add another turret,
reducing the caliber OF the guns from
is.inehes 10 lO-inches He showed that
new Ho;chkiss rifles with larger charges
OF smokeless powder would be- much
moFe powerful than the i2-inch guns Of
1890 design which Il had been pr0uo ed
- puf into the original vessel, and his
projtci met with such favor that sup.
posed legal objections 20 building better
ships with money IN hand quietly trans.
piFed Secretary Long tnereupon di.
Tectcd the builders 70 delay beginning
the ships and referred the whole ques.
tion oncs more 20 the board OF ooastruc.
ton, q, the same time Announcing his
determination 20 buid the best ship,
that could b. secured at all events
The modified plan adopted by the
hoari OF construction calls for vessels Of
1000 tons instead Of goo tons, with
coal capacity Of 400 tons instead Of 20,
tons. giving a range OF action exceeding
4000 knots nc 10 knots speed. which
equals that ~ the seagoing ba;tleshiy
Iowa Two turrsIs with twin l0.inch
guns, replace the single l2.inch turrct
Tho original speed OF ~ knots l. retain.
cd, compelling engines and boilers Of
a20O horsepower instead of 2400. Tbs
hull has been materially heightened and
broadened, and the breadth has been In.
creased from ~ feet Q inches TO a feet
o inches. The new design the protec-
tive deck Is 81 inches thick instead OF
~ inches, ana the interior bracing OF
the vessel Is made slightly heavier and
stronger
The estimated cost Of tho armor foi
the original design was $4,000. IL 10
calculated that this will BE- increased &c
tls5. 900 ior the larger vessel and this
fact, together with other added weights,
which were deemed essential TO the i'm
proved monitors may compel the depart
ment 10 ask congress 20 remove tho un
prccedoniod restriction which was made
IN the appropriations for these vessels
Up 10 this time the appropriation bills
for oil warships have provided a limit
for the hull, engines and boilers oxclu.
sivc OF armor and armament, but tho aci
Of May, 1908, providing for four har, oI
defense vessels, stipulaiing thar they
should "cost exclusive Of armament not
exceeding O. 10000 each" although iu
che Same acc provision was madofor hat
tloships ECO cost exclusive OF armor ami
s-,a ..-nf rn- ar---.i-a- 81 NlO or. ~.