Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-10-13
Strikes, shsrtags Of Material and Lack Of
Skilled Workmsn Given as 0ausG
FIND HOW TO ECONOMIC FUEL At SEA
I1psrimsnh shSw that Great Speed Nay
Be Attained with Much Less Coal.
IMPROVED PLANS GIVE Better FIGHTERS
Ola ArranEemcnts OterhauIed and
Many Alterations werk 20 Assist
in Comfort and UtiIity of
Ocean War Vessels.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12.--"Progress upon
new vessels under construction during the
past year has not been satisfactory" says
Rear Admiral Bowles, chief Of the naval
bureau Of construction, in his annual re-
port.
All the larger vessels have been delayed
by non-delivery of structural steel while
the vessels building at San Francisco we're
set back by the ten months strike ana
the holdout Of workmen at Seattle pre-
vented any actual progress on the hull OF
the battleship Nebraska.
The inability Of ship-builders to obtain
shicient force Of skilled workers has also
been. in many cases, an important factor
in the slow progress Of the vessels.
The battleship Ohio is shown to have
been twenty-nine months behind her con-
tract on the first OF July. The battleship
Missouri is over twenty moAhs behind.
the majority Of the battleships and cruis-
ers over ten months and some Of the tor
pedo craft are more than forty months be-
hind the date OF completion stipulated In
their contracts.
However. delays on the torpedo boats
are being terminated by the newly modified
conditions for their delivery.
Delay Enables Rearrangement.
The contractors delay in beginning the
construction OF the vessels OF the Vir-
ginia, PENNSYLVANIA and St. Louis class,
gave his bureau an opportunity to make
a careful revision of the general plans OF
those vessels, which, he Gays, will result
in a considerable Improvement IN theiF
military value and in their habitability.
An entire rearrangement OF the scheme for
the stowage Of ammunition was made and
particular attention was given to an elm
Client scheme for coaling
The ships added to the navy during the
year were the battleship Illinois. and the
torpedo craft Decatur, Perry. Preble, Bid
aic. Thornton ami Wilkes.
Admiral Bowlee says there continues to
be an urgent necessity for an increase in
the number of officers Of the construction
corps. The principal navy yards, It II
stated, have an insufficient number OF Of
foeFs for the performances OF regular
duties. This lack OF 'ofieers is particularly
hurtful just now in vleY OF the construc-
tion Of the big battleship Connecticut al
the New York navy yard
The bureau Is now enabled, by cooper
alton with the Massachusetts, Institute o
Technology, to regulate technical educa
tion appropriately and OFFER students anC
their instructors constant opportunities
for observing the building and repair o
all classes of vessels.
Admiral Bowles points out that the polio,
OF congress has been against the con
struction OF new vessels in the navy yards
and as a result the development and i'm
provement OF the yards have not been gen
orally directed toward efficient arrange
ments for shipbuilding. The admiral is o
the opinion that 1t should be the polio
OF the Navy department so to arrange tn
II kkok akasg saftlI ha afH
cient for shipbuilding. which is in reality
he says, one OF the most important func
tions they may be required to perform.
An interesting portion Of the report
that In regard to the work of the expert
mental model basin, in which miniatur
wa-ships are tried. and II is said the basi
has proved Of great value to the construc
tion bureau.
Learn How 20 save Fues.
A number OF experiments have been mad
IN the basin Nduring the last year to de
termine the most desirable forms Of tn
new battIeships and armored cruisers.
is wholly to the basin facilities that tn
bureau has been enabled TO show that me-
armorcd cruisers OF the Tennessee clasi
dsplacing l4.500 tons. may be expected
make a speed OF twenty-five knots an hou
with less power than the cruisers of th
Pennsylvania class. which displaced 1885
tons. similarly the two new l6.O0O-to
battleships OF the Connecticut class wi
drive appreciably easier at eighteen knoi
than the preceding hattleships Of l4,9.
tons. Thus an increase OF 7 per cent
size In the casa OF the battleships and
over per cent in size In the case OF II
armored cruisers has been aeeomplishs
with an actual reduction Of horse-pow'
nacessarv 10 drive them