New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-23


TIE APPROPRIATION CLEARLY SHOWN
CONTRACTORS EAGER TO GO AHEAD
WITH THE WORK
lRr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRInUSE.l
Washington. Nov. "a conference between the
four shpbuildng firms which hold contracts for
the slngle-turret monitors and the bureau chiefs
~ the Construction Board the Navy Depart
n,ent to-day completely verified the opinion ad
,arccd in The Tribune that far better vessels OF
This .vpe could be built within the Congressional
appropriation than those designed last summer.
and Justified the belief that the Government was
fairly entitled to the best vessels. regards gun
powe- coal endurance and speed. that could be
had for the money. 1t also proved to the salts
faction o. nearly every present that the adj
yertisonents Issued in July for the construction
Of 97r-ion monitors had been issued on ground
less representations that larger vessels could not
possibly be obtained.
II will he recalled that the original plans on
which bids opened october called for
s7o-ton monitors. with a single turret containing
two Finch rifles and carrying 200 tons OF coal
with a speed Of twelve knots About n week ago
the contractors summoned to Washington TO
consider modified plans involving an increased dis
placement of 1000 tons. carrying Two turrets with
four l0-inch rifles. 40 ot coal, extra thick
protective deck and number of additional
weights which gave the vessel two feet greater
draught This modified design admittedly
calculated TO exceed in cost Of construction the
Congressional appropriation and TO force the Sec
rotary Of the Navy TO suspend operations until
Congress listened TO appeal for additional
funds.
BUILDERS OPPOSE DELAY.
A, to-days meeting the four builders. with great
unanimiiy. evinced anxiety to go ahead at
with the work, and strenuously opposed refer
ence to the devious and tedious consideration Of
Congress. at the same time acting with notable
harmony in bringing forward number Of alter
native propositions. which met the frank approval
Of the naval authorities with q single exception
and which Will be carefully considered at another
meeting Of the Construction Board tomorrow
The builders present Henry T. Scott. who
holds the contract for the Wyoming at $4,000:
Lewis Nixon, who agreed TO build the Florida for
ss25.rr Superintendent Hanscom. of the Bath Iron
Works. which has undertaken the Connecticut for
$4,000. and President circuit. with Superintendent
Post and Mr.. Payson. the attorney Of the New
port News shipbuilding Company. whose bid for
the Arkansas $4,000.
Mr. Scott Of the Union Works San Francisco.
pre- serted four alternatives from his company,
which indicated that much study had been devoted
10 the matter. The first was on the Departments
most recently modified plans. which he said would
involve an additional OF $4,000. making its
totai cost 81 325 which is $4,000 in excess OF the
Congressional appropriation of 81 $50 900 for each
ship The other three bidders agreed with Mr..
Scott that the changes prescribed by the Navy De
Dartment In the new design could not be made Tor
less than $4,000 and after full discussion OF
me estimate the members OF the Board on Con-
structon acquesced in this concerted view OF the
builders.
Mr.. Scott also submitted proposition TO build a
ADDITION monitor restoring the original protective
deck OF one and One-haf inches thickness and with
the original machinery. thereby reducing the ef-
fective speed 10 ten knots. for $4,000 which made
his total bid in this exactly equal 10 the APP
propriation but left nothing for armor. Again the
other builders expressed their willingness to du-
pl,cate this offer but 1t found favor with the
Board members.
Tho third proposition from Mr.. Scott involved a
1-ton vessel twenty five feet longer and five feet
broader than the original naval design. with one
foot greater draught, although foot less than
that Of the Departments modified snip, with a
one and one-half inch protective deck and twelve
knots speed which II was said would cost $4,000
in addition to the original contract price. This
change Of hull dimensions found favor with most
Of the Boards members. although 1t did not OBJ
yiate the necessity OF asking Congress for few
thousand dollars more for armor.
MR. SCOTS FINAL PROPOSITION.
The final proposition presented by Mr. Scott.
which was accompanied by a finished blueprint
giving full working details. was for a 31o-ton
hull with the machinery arrangements or the orig
inal departmental design. but the ships INES mace
slightly finer 10 secure maintained speed oil
eleven and one-half knots. All these designs pro-
other aft REQUIRED by the Department The last
design according TO the estimate Woulu Cost
$4,000 more than the original contract price, oi
total Of Yl5OOo leaving 10000 TO the Govern
meni for armor-an amount which Is adih4''eu'S
SUFFICIENT. -, ,ho Con-
All the builders and all the members OF t ,hv ves
structOn Board except one, agreed tndl 'iiS
sci would fiji every requirement OF the GOVERN
ment and was entirely feasible with the money
In hand o,.al almost
Nj Nixon presented tracing OF vesse. , aanI NJ
Identical in dimensions and arranGemen' Mtt ~
SCOTS which no guaranteed 10 DuH' aa'd
other builders promptly announced tnell
70 furnish precisely the vessel Tor sIy1'Vul
The question arose at this point as 10 "hetncd
each az the contractors would receive uie same
amount for identical vessels or whether the .
ernrntni would require them to preserve me rauo
Of their original bids in estimating lot chahEIs
NJ SCOTT had been The highest BIDDER IN ume
original competition and the other shpy9iI o" NJ
ers argued that they should ne olt'tHeD We a., aI
same price for the improved ships as ne was a.
though Mr. Nixon and Mr.. circuit eApressseu tntIr
willingness to abide by the decision OF secretary
Long H. any event. their only Anxiety was 70
build the ships the Government wanted. one ol tnt
members Of the Board expressed the 0pin0n .nar
the Scott Nixon ships We're impractcabie tla' my
could neither carry the required weights on o'oW-
tons dsplace ments nor could they MAKE the speed