The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-22
THE NEE NAYY


Improved 4attlOihipn and Protected
Cruisers pflGoss APPROVED Pattsrn
to DO Constructe d--lgr. Dayton Con-
tended a inst aunboats and
Small Cfaft, and Was Supported By
Admiral DoWgy-ono Of tie Pro-
tected cfgi1sri 70 10 Named West
virginia
Special pinIiatcb q ne IntelligonoeF.
WASHINGTON, D, c.. March H.
The committee on naval afiairs Of the
house has agFe rpon a report as to
the number Of vessels to be authorised
in the fortheomlns bill. The additions
20 the greater navy VIII consist OF two
batleships Of, The dr5t class and latest
improved Tyre each Of 1900 tons dis
placements three arInored cruisers Of
1900 tons displacement each, and three
protected cruIters Of 5000 tons dlsplace-
ment each.
The estimates made by the secretary
1.-the navy called for three armofed
cruisers Of the arst class. three protect
ed crulSsrs Of the Olympia type, $500
tons dlspiacement each. and twenty
gunboats 81 600 tons displacement each.
when this request Of the secretary came
before the committee. Mr., Dayton, OF
west Virginia, objected, and. as It ulti-
mately proved, his substitute PROPOSE
ton, which embraced the nit frst mem
toned in the foregoing. was adopted.
The mater was the subject Of conlid-
cradle discussion, however ana secre-
tary Long. Admiral Dewey and others
Of the naval chiefs were before the
committee for consultation. Mr.. Day
ton argued that from the experience OF
the government In the recent war with
Spain 1t was evident there was no need
for the construction Of gunboats. II
was shown that gunboats could be pur-
chased anywhere, but that the agents
of the department we're unable, after
the most careful search. to procure ar
mored vessels. and that the safer plan
at the present 1uncture, in thu light OF
that experience, is to build cruisers of
modern type and depend upon the pur-
chase of gunboats in time Of need.
With this view Admiral Dewey coin-
cided, and in the end Secretary Long
conceded the force of the argument,
and the committee adopted Mr.. Day
toms suggestion:
The secretary's idea was TO provide
the gunboats because Of their great
utility as dispatch boats and in plying
among the Islands in shallow water.
but, according to Mr.. Dayton's view
and In the opinion Of the committee,
the government already owns a SUM
Client number OF small craft for the pur-
pose named. and should more be nseded
at any time they Gun be readily OBJ
tained.
Reference to this topic recalls the
fact that one OF tho armorea cruisers
authorized BY the last Congress Is to be
named West Virginia, The construls-
ton of these, vessels has been delayed
by reason Of the clause in the bill which
forbade the secretary from entering
into a contract except the armor plate
be furnished at the rate of $500 per
ton. This clause, 1t will be remem-
bered, was added to the bill in the
senate in Che closing hours Of the last
Congress. and though the friends of the
bill expressed the confident belief that
no such contract was possible, they
yielded. This restriction has. however,
been removed by a., amendment to the
pending legislation offered by Mr.. Day
ton, and upon the adoption of the bill
Secretary Long will be empowered to
make the contract on the basis of ar
NOR plate at the market price.
There are two Kinds OF plate in use,
the Harveyizcd and the Krupp. It is
commended the Rruppls superior by rea-
son of Its greater resistance at less
weight, but neither quality can be pro-
duced at $500 per ton. Two firms in
this country. 1t Is satd-the Bethlehem
Iron Works and the Carnegie Steel
Works-are authorized to produce the
Krupp plate by paying royalty of
S45 per ton. and the market rate for
government use is 3s45 per ton. AS the
authorization bill called for the best
grade Of armor plato for the proposed
warships. # is misunderstanding the
Kfupp to be the best-that the cost
viii not be less than the figures given.