The evening times., 1899-12-16
An ARh0R-PLA9B PLANT
The Government May Authorize the
Es 'ablishment of a Factory.
Discussion Among Senator's in Conn
mittee Rooms to the Advisable
ity of Entering Upon the Produce
tiOn of krupp Steel for the
Ships of the American Navy.

Many Senators find in the letter of the
Secretary of the Navy transmitting data or
armor plate. a fruitful topic for discussion
There is general agreement with Secre-
| tary Long that the new ships of the United
States Navy shall be supplied with the best
armor obtainable and the opinion also pre-
walls that Krupp armor is superior to thai
produced by the Harvey process. 1t is GER
| tain that the suggestion that the Govern
ment shall establish an armor plate fac
tory, will find favor with Congress.
The report of the Armor Factory Board
! which was transmitted to Congress on De-
cember 6, 1897 makes a comprehensive
statement of the subject with specification
! and estimates for such an establishment.
Since the receipt Of Secretary Longs mes
| sage there has been a heavy demand for
the report indicated.
The Factory Board estimated that the
cost of a plant having capacity to manu-
| facture 5000 tons a year of nickel steel,
| face hardened, and reforged armor, would
| be, exclusive of land for a site and OF
| freight on building material, or expense
| for piling foundations, but including an
Open-hearth department for the produc-
tion of nickel-steel ingots, So, 741 ,9l2.11. 1t
in the cost of structural material, since the
| date of the Factory Boards report, the es-
innate given should be increased not less
than 80 per cent, bringing the estimate cost
up to s4,s72, ,2s5.74.
1t is declared that the cost of plant 10
produce Krupp armor would not materially
differ from one to make Harvey armor. as
all the principal features are common to
both, but the output OF Krupp armor would
ha han hot pf he
would probably be 5000 instead of 5000
tons.
One feature of the report which causes
the greatest concern to the friends OF
Government plate plant is the following:
"A Government armor factory not con-
nected with an establishment engaged in
other branches of the steel industry would
depend for its success and economic ad-
ministration upon a constant demand for
an output nearly approaching its full Ca
pacity.
IF the Government should establish an
armor factory the efficient and economic
maintenance or working of that factory
would necessarily depend upon constant
yearly appropriation for ships TO be pro-
vided with armor, because the armor pro-
duced at any time must be specially de-
signed for and fitted to those ships. Any
failure to appropriate for such ships in any
work and the laying OFF, indefinitely. of
the skilled experts and laborers that had
been trained TO this industry. a resump-
tion of work at a later period would re-
quire the training, at a considerable eN-
pense, of a new set of men. In the mean
time the progress Of the art would peshaps
have been such that difficult and radical
changes would he required, which under
continuous working might have been grad
ually and easily made"
The only Government armor factory
which the American Government has in
formation Of is the Russian plant al Kol--
Pine. near ST. Petersburg, known as the
Tjora Iron Works, but from the fact that
Russia buys armor in the United States it
is inferred that this factory does not meet
the requirements of the Russian service.
In France. at Guerigny, deck armor is
made the ingots being purchased from
private firms. Japan has established an
experimental plant, which is not yet in
operation.