New-York tribune., 1900-05-09
WARSHIPS DELAYED.
CONTRACTORS FAIL TO KEEP THEIR
AGREEMENTS WITH THE GOV
ERNMENT


Washington. May S.-The most significant feature
Of the monthly progress report of vessels building
| for the Navy. issued by Chief Constructor Hch-
born to-day. giving the degree OF completion of all
unfinished ships under contract May l, is the
failure of the shipyards OF the country to carry out
their agreements with the Government Nearly
every builder is delinquent to degree that would
create alarm were the Navy in immediate need of
the ships and notwithsta aiding the heavy penal
ties that supposedly imposed In such instances.
many builders are apparently neglectng their own
interests well those of the Government.
The most conspicuous delinquent is the Newport
News Company. which has the contract for Ave ar
mored vessels whose aggregate cost to the Gov
ernment when commissioned will exceed SOS 900 Oo0
One Of these. the battleship Kearsarge has been
completed within week According to contract she
should have been completed over year ago on
January 2. 1899. Her sister ship the Kentucky
should have been finished at the same time She
VIII not be ready for several weeks more. The
Illinois. at the same yard is reported rs per cent
finished Her contract date OF completion was
September 26 of last year
one OF the sister ships Of the Illinois the Ala
bama, at the Cramps yards is 95 per cent COM
pleted and another the Wisconsin AT scott,s s d,
per cent. These three ships should have been de-
livered in September last year The Alabama Is
now promised for June 80. the Wisconsin for
August and there IS assurance about the Ini-
nols' Naval officers say there is no valid reason
why these three vessels should not he In sarvice
To-Day and that there is certainly no excuse for
the Illinois to be so much behind the Alabama and
the Wisconsin
Just after the with Spain began on MAY
1898. two years ago last week. Congress made an
appropriation for three splendid ba attesbps To be
huilt in n hurry, the customary period of thirty
six months allowed for such ships being cut down
to thirty months. The contracts were promptly
taken by the three great American firms the
Cramps securing the Maine. the Newport News
CO mpany getting the Missouri and the SCOTS TAX
ing the ohio These contracts have been run
ming eighteen months, and the vessels should there
fore be finished in another twelve months The
impossibtty of 1t is shown by the following de-
srees of completion in to-days progress re-
port: The Maine. 25 per cent: the Missouri per
cent. and the Ohio. Is per cent.
The Secretary OF the Navy had already taken
these builders to task for their disregard of obiga
tions, and while the armor controversy Is respon-
siDle for much of the delay on these three ships
there is no apparent reason why the Missouri
should be so far behind the Maine and the Ohio
In the case OF the four armored monitors similar
conditions prevail. with the Newport News COM
pany again conspicuously behind. These vessels
with their builders and degree of completion are
as follows: The Arkansas. Newport News 2s
per cent; the Connecticut. Bath Iron Works 49 per
cent; the Florida, Lewis Nixon, 93 per cent; the
Wyoming Scots, 45 per cent Their contracts
were executed in December 1895. and their COM
pletion guaranteed early in March, 1901 At
the present rate the Navy will be fortunate to
possess them before the end of 1902.
Nc progress has yet been reported on hve of the
six sheathed cruisers authorized year ago
and awarded to contractors last December. Lewis
Nixon is, however, credited with per cent on the
sixth the Chattanooga. The others, with their
contractors, the Denver, Neafe & Levy; the
Des Moines, Fore River Engine Company; the
Galveston. Trigg & Co; the Tacoma. Scots, and
the Cleveland. Bath Iron Works The Albany is
still tied up at Armstrong; yard at Elswick,
several months overdue under the most exasperat-
ing circumstances, her American crew having been
aboard of her for more than a month.
-a-.5 DELAY ON TORPEDO CRAFT
With the sixteen torpedo boat destroyers and
fifteen torpedo boats still under contract, the de-
lays became notorious in several Instances
to bring sharp reprimands from the Secretary Of
the Navy. These destroyers. the first in the Navy,
We're authorized May 4. 1898. and contracted for
in the following fall, to be completed within eight
cen months. In the act of 1898 Congress
authorized twelve torpedo boats, their contracts
were signed in October OF that year, and they
to be completed in twelve months All should there
fore be in service to-day. These thirty-one small
vessels, with their reported degrees of completion
on January and May l. are follows: