The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-03
TO BUILD BIG WARsHIPS.
Admiral Melville Says Baltimore and
Richmond Have Facilities.

Admiral Melville Says Baltimore and
Richmond Have Facilities.
Rear Admiral Melville ho,ds the opinion
that Baltimore and Richmond now have
facilities for the construction of the lalg-
est warships designed by the Government.
He expressed that opinion yesterday when
discussing the subject of competition
among shipbuiIders for the execution of
the Navy Department plans for the build
ing of battleships and cruisers involving
an expenditure of Eeary $50. Gee, 900.
These plants. said the admiral, have
now the plant, the water. the space, and
the technical force to build battIeships, ar
mored cruisers. and large protected eruis-
ers. the type of vessels included in the
fourteen for which bids are shortly to be
asked, and representing the most extern
sive plan of shipbuiIdfng ever undertaken
by the American Navy in a single year.
The Sparrows Point Company IS the
only Maryland concern now competent to
bid on these ships with any probability OF
receiving an award, and from my personal
knowledge of the WORK they are turning
out. l am confident they can successfully
compete with some of the larger concerns.
Baltimore has not for years actively en-
gagged in building ships for the Navy, the
last of any considerable size built there
being the Montgomery and Detroit, both
fine ships. although delayed in their COM
pletion beyond contract time.
There is ample water on the upper
Chesapeake Bay for battIeship eoEstIuc-
ton. and all We need is the proper me-
chanicaI genius TO carry on the work.
Three destroyers are now building there,
and they will all no doubt prove to be
fine specimens of naval architecture.
AT Richmond there is a plant that, in
my judgment, cannot only build torpedo
boats, but any size and class of warship
the Navy requires. Torpedo destroyers, a
new cruiser, and a submarine boat are now
building there for the Navy, and l see no
reason why the Triggs cannot bid with
some reasonable certainty Of securing a
vessel OF the large ships recently designed
There is eighteen feet of water at their
present yard, and none Of the new ships
would be launched drawing more than
fourteen. They could be fioated farther
dowusthe river a mile or two and there re-
ceive their armor and battery and soon find
twenty-five feet to the sea
While il might be necessary to launch
the battleShips and armored cruisers side
ways, and this no doubt would be done,
there is no reason or objection for this
method being pursued. Sideways launch
ings are the rule abroad, and can be effect
ed as readily as the stern launch.
There are other yards in the country
also equipped to enter the competition for
heavy warship construction, including
new yard at Camden, N J., and perhaps
Bath. For this reason I expect the bids
for the five battleships, six armored cruis-
ers. and three 10, 000-to cruisers, falsely
called the Olympia class, to be exceedingly
close and active.
Il regret that 1t was not deemed advi-
sable TO place three screws on the battle
ships and aEmored cruisers but the con-
struction board was against them Three
screws are more economical than two
screws; they, require no more weight, they
give equal, if not higher speed and they
admit Of larger coal carrying capacity and
corresponding Increase Of steanliug radius
rs is a mistaken idea to suppose triple
screws cost more, for they do not Take
ship intended for long voyage 70 Manila
or around the Horn and she could make
the trip more economically with three
screws than two II necessary she could
work the centre screw and uncouple the
two wing screws and make a fair average
rate CT speed or the wings could be work
ed and the centre uneoupled and left to re-
volve without any drag. And further, if
high speed in an emergency was required
and the vessel driven Just as fast on prob
ably no greater coal consumption than two
screws would use.
Russia, Germany. and France are adj
voeates OF triple screws. while Great Bril-
tain stands alone among the great powers
in sticking to two. We have in the CO.
lumbia and Minneapolis vessels with three
screws that are without peer afoat OF
their class and were for years the feetest
big ships on the ocean. The Column bia
it viii be recalled, came across from South
amPton TO New York in the time almost
Of the swiftest transatlantic ships.
Designs for the new programme are
now nearly completed including those for
the protected cruisers, and We expect to
award bids for all these vessels before the
close CT the year Bids for the battIeshfus
are to be opened on November Is. and for
the armored cruisers on December g. There
is a vast amount OF sHipbufIding CONNER
eial and otherwise, now going on, but the
facilities Of the American yards viii De
equal to the Governments work. and no
doubt IT viii be carried out expedi 1iousiy
and most creditably.'