The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-13
PROGRESS NOT
SATISFACTORY
Work on War Vessels Has Been
Greatly Delayed.
VARIOUS CAUSES ASSIGNED
REPORT OF REAR ADMIRAL
BOWLEs.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12.-"Progress
w upon new vessels under con-
struction during the past year
has not been satisfactory" says Rear
Admiral Bowles, chief Of the naval bu-
reau OF construction. in his annual re-
port 70 the secretary OF the navy. All
the larger vessels. he says, have been
delayed by non-delivery Of structural
steel, while the vessels building at San
Francisco were set hack by the ten
months strike, and the hold out Of
the workmen at Seattle prevented any
actual progress on the structure
OF the hull of the battleship Nebraska,
building there. The delay IN the de-
Hveries Of armor for the battleships
Maine, Missouri and Ohio and the mon
itors Arkansas, Fiorida, Nevada and
Wyoming has retarded the completion
of these vessels. eoncurrently with
other causes. The inability OF ship
builders 10 obtain a sufficient force OF
skilled workers also has been in many
cases an important factor in the slow
progress.
Far Behind.
The battleshlp Ohio is shown 10 have
been twenty-nine months behind her
contract on the LIST OF July. The bat
tleship Missouri is over twenty months
behind. the majority OF the battleships
and cruisers are over ten months be-
hind, and some Of the torpedo craft
are more than forty months behind
the date OF completion stipulated in
their contracts. However. Admiral
AL
On the torpedo boats are being termln-
ated by the newly modified conditions
for their delivery. The contractors
delay in beginning the construction Of
the vessels of the Virginia. Pennsylva-
mia and St. Louis class, the chief con-
stTuctor points out. gave his bureau
an opportunity 20 make a careful re-
vision of TIE general plans OF those
war vessels. which, he says. will result
IN a considerable Improvement in theiE
military value and in their habitability
The plans for the turrets for the Yir-
ginia class were developed in more
detail An entire Encouragement OF
the scheme for the storage OF emnu-
milton was made ane particular atten-
ton was given 10 ar efficient scheme
for coaling.
The New Navy.
The ships added 20 the navy during
the past year are the hattieships Hi
nOis and the torpedo craft Decatur
Perry. Preble, Biddle. Thornton anc
Wilkes.
Substantial and encouraging progress
is reported IN the Standardization o.
ship fittings. a scheme 10 secure uni.
formity in the innumerable types o.
ships parts, which has long been fos
tered by the construction bureau.
Admiral Bowles says there continue:
10 be an urgent necessity for an ia
crease IN the number OF officers OF tn
construction corps. The principal nav!
yards. II Is stated. have an insuff1cien
number OF officers for the Performance
OF regular duties. He renews his rec
concentration for an increase OF hi
corps from forty to sixty members.
The reports say the advantages o
special instruction in naval arehi
lecture and marine engineering in tn
United states became more evident las
year.
The bureau OF construction is nov
enabled by cooperating with the fac
ulty OF the Massachusetts, Institute o
Technology, 70 regulate tIe teehnica
education appropriately and To Offe
the students and their instructors con
slant opportunities for observation 9
the building and repair of all elasse
Of vessels. both at private shipyard
and at the navy yards Of the govern
ment.
Work at Navy Yards.
Admiral Bowles points out that III
policy OF congress fer some years pas
has been against the construction {
new vessels IN the navy yards. and a
a result the development and improve
ment of the yards in matters such a
quay walls. slips. location of building
etc. have not been generally directe
toward efficient arrangements for shiI
building. The admiral is of the opiI
ion that il should be the policy of II
navy department so 10 arrange n
navy yard plants that they will be e.
dcient for ship5uilding. which is
reality, he says, one OF the most in
portant functions they may be n
quired 10 perform,
An interesting portion of the repO
is that IN regard to the work of Il
experimental model basin, in whic
miniature warships are tried, and
is stated that the basin has proven
great value 10 the construction bi
reau.
A number of experiments have bed
made ia the basin during the past yei
10 determine the most desirable form
OF the new battleships and armors
cruisers. IL is wholly to the basin fl
cllltics that the bureau has been el
abled to arrive at the very satisfa,
tory results that the new afmOr'
cruisers Of the Tennessee class, di
placing 1850 tons. may be expect,
10 make a speed of p knots with a
tually somewhat less power than d
preceding lot of armOfed cruisers
the Pennsylvania class of the san
speed, which displace l3.6S0 tons. Sir
ilarly, the Two new 1900 ton BATH
shias OF the Connecticut class W
drive appTeciably easier at Is kno
than the preceding aattleships of l.
slS tons, Thus an increase of Z p
cent In size IN the ease of the ba
tleships, and Of over 6 per cent
size OF the armOFed cruisers. has be-
accompanied with an actual rednetil
o. horsepower necessary 10 drive the
M a given speed in each case.
The ship builders Of the country Ia
continued 20 ayail themselves of I
facilities OF the model basin in come
ton with their commercial work. DuFi
the fiscal year experiments were ma
for private ship builders az their expen
with five models. and experiments a
models at four private concerns.
44&A 49, - y - + ;