Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-24
TWO REPORTS MADE
Board of Construction on the Holland
Submarine Boat
DOES NOT ADVISE ITS PURCHASE
Admiral Hichborn Dissents From
the Majority.
HIS SONS CIV EN-

| Secretary Long today received from the
| board on naval construction two reports on
| the Holland submarine boat The Holland
| company had offered to sell the Holland to
J the government for s165,OGO; to embody
| certain improvements in her and sell her
| for $4,000, or finally to build two new and
| larger boats for $4,000 each
| The majority report of the board is as
| follows:
]. The board has carefully considered the
propositions of the Holland Torpedo Boat
| Company, offering to sell the Holland to
| the department she stands for 5000,
| or, with certain modifca tions, for $IIooo9;
| or to build two and larger boats, in
accordance with plans submitted by the
company, for $17o,00@ each.
| 2. The board does not recommend the
| purchase of the Holland. and in view of the
| fact that the Holland Torpedo Boat Com
pany is now delinquent in the case of
the submarine boat Plunger under its con-
tract with the department of March u,
1879, by the terms of which She was to be
completed in twelve months, it is of opinion
that no further contract should he awarded
to said company until some settlement,
satisfactory TO the department, has been
made concerning the Flurger. on account
of which the government has already paid
the sum Of s99.1165O; and there appears to
be no likelihood of her completion in the
near future.
tlement concerning the completion and de-
iVery of the Pmnger the board considers
that II the act of Congress dated June 10
1926 and the amendment thereto. dated
March 3, 1899, with reference to submarine
boats. admits of the same, tha department
would be justified in entering into contract
with the Holland TORI edo Boat Company
Under proper guarantees and sDecifica tons
r of ha lar t,yY,a
offered by the company in its proposal, for
the purpose of further aiding in the de-
velopment of submarine boats.
This report is signed by Charles O'Nail,
chief Of the oHrcau of ordnance, president
of the board; George w. Melville engineer
in-chief, United States navy. chief of the
bureau of steam engineering, member; r.
B. Bradford, chief of the bureau of equip
ment member; Richardson Glover, chief
intelligence officer, member
No Criticism of Hollands Merits.
In an appendix these gentlemen made
the following statement:
Il. In forwarding this report the ma
jority desire to add that in drawing up its
report and recommendation with respect to
the accompanying proposition of the Hol
land Torpedo Boat Company, which was
the only question referred to the board,
they purposely refrained from any criticism
or discussion of the merits of the Holland,
of the possibilities of submarine boats in
general.
- AS the company offers in its PROPOSE
ton herewith larger. faster and better
boats than the Holland for the same price
as 1t offers to sell the modified Holland, it
seems a poor business transaction. from
any point of view, to consider her purchase.
-. Again, as the two new boats which
the company offers to build for $4,000
each are to be alike, the majority see no
good reason for contracting for more than
one. they can only be regarded as steps
in development of the art of submarine
navigation. for which purpose one boat is
good as two of like kind
Admiral HichbOrn Dissents.
The minority report, which Is signed by
Admiral Philip Hichborn, chief of the bu-
reau of construction and repairs, is as fol-
lows:
/. dissent from the report of the ma jor-
ity in so far that it does not, in my opin-
ion, give sufficient credit and encourage
ment to the enterprise of the Holland Tor
pedo Boat Conn any.
>. In my opinion, the reason given by
he company for the construction of the
Holland are substantially correct; that is
having become satisfied that the design
OF the Plunger could be very materially
improved upon, the company proceeded, at
It's own expense, to experiment with
other boat, attaining results which, accord
Ing to official reports and my own observa-
tlon, are very satisfactory and entirely
creditable.
3. The question Of possible improvements
IN the Plunger has been in the hands Of a
naval board for some months, the report of
which has itself been held in abeyance, 1t
is believed, pending the result of official
tests of the Holland. The express inten-
ton of the company to proceed, soon as
authorized, with the necessary alterations
tC the Plunger, without expense to the
government, seems in every way satisfac-
tory, and will, / believe, be promptly car
ried out.
4. Considering the comparatively small
cost Of submarine boats, l believe that the
government should encourage their develop
ment, in view of their possibilities in time
of war, and, Furthermore, that it should
have the boats in it's possession, for pur
poses of experiment and drill.
3. In view Of all the facts, therefore. 1
believe that the department would be fully
warranted in contracting for two boats of
the Holland type; the Holland itself being
acceptable, in my opinion. although less
desirable than the proposed boats of slight
ly greater dimensions. The immediate pos
session of the Holland however, in the
event of a sudden emergency, is to be
considered advantage The fact of our
having possession of the Holland, in her
present state Of efficiency, in the spring
of 1898. would have been very marked in
its effect.