New-York tribune., 1902-07-08
TO BUILD A WARSHIP HERE
FIRST CLASS BATTLESHIP WILL BE CON.
STRUCTED AT THE NAVY YARD.
SECRETARY MOODY HOPES TO HAVE THE
VESSEL IN COMMISSION WITHIN
THREE YEARS.
THREE YEARS.
fRr TELEGRAPH TO THE TFIBUNE.l


Washington, July 7-Secretary Moody issued
orders to-day for the construction of a first class
battleship at the New-York Navy Yard, and the
prelin7inary work TO carry out the order was
Immediately begun by Admirals Bowles and
Melville. Every effort will he made TO secure
a record for speedy construction, and, If pos
sible. il will be demonstrated that such ship
can be completed and commissioned within three
years The battleship. which will he named
either the Connecticut the Washington, IS
one of the two for which Congress last week
appropriated $4,212,000 each for hull and ma
chinery. with the stipulation that at least one
Of them should be built at a national navy
yard. In case a combination among shipbuild
ers renders it advisable to build the other as
we'll at a government establishment, the Nor
folk yard will be chosen for the work Facilities
for quick work. other considerations being near
ly equal, Won the ship for New-York, although
in the sharp rivalry that arose between the
various yards for the work several elements
had some influence on Secretary Moody's de-
cision after he had thoroughly discussed the
matter with his bureau chiefs this morning.
BETTER FACILITIES HERE.
The Secretary was satisfied that the $4,000
specifically set aside by Congress to prepare
any yard for building a batteship could be
utilized to the best effect at New-York, where
it will he used for erecting a large overhead
travelling crane to serve every part of the ship
and the shops which will be employed for work
ing the material AT other yards II would have
been necessary to expend the money for an
altogether insufficient number Of machine tools.
This crane is expected to effect great saving
of labor and time, and place the New-York
yard on an equality with the most modern pri-
vate establishments in those respects. Some
ural1 irDa will no
transportation of 1900 or 5000 tons of steel
from the mills to NewYork, and a great ad-
vantage OF New-York over all other localities
is that of skilled labor. At Philadelphia and
Norfolk the building of a batteship would de-
moraliZe and to some extent exhaust the labor in
neighboring shlpyards on account or the rela-
lively higher wages paid to government EN-
ployes, and the progress on government contracts
on the Delaware and James rivers would be
seriously retarded. This disparity Of wages Il
calculated at 80 per cent. wholly in the time lo4
by the government, which under the statutes Is
handicapped 20 per cent by the eight hour law,
private esta blishments working the force for
ten hours the same pay, and by the loss of
eight working days as natiC nal holidays and
of fifteen days for annual leave on full pay.
The Boston yard had little consideration from
Secretary Moody when he became satisfied that
II would take at least two years longer to build
a ship there than Norfolk, IT, indeed, it would
not take that time to get that yard ready 10
carry the work with any show OF economy
rapdity.
PREPARATION OF PLANS BEGUN
This afternoon Admirals Melville and Bowles
began the preparation of the detailed plans for
machinery and hull, and Admiral Endicott, Of
the Bureau of Yards and Docks was directed to
prepare the slip from which the ship will be
launched and to get out specifications for the
big travelling crane. Admiral Bowes promises
to lay the keel within six months, which will
be or two years quicker than private con-
tractors have made ready for the actual work
OF construction. Admiral Melville will make
contracts for steel forgings for the shafts of the
vessel within sixty days, and will have them
turned before the hull is ready for them. The
engines. Admiral Melville says, can easily be
completed in two years, the steam engineering
machine shops at the New York yard being
superior to those of all the other navy yards
and equal to those Of the best private establish
ments Admiral Bowles will -spend nearly So
100000 the hull of the battleship. Admiral
Melville will have something more than $1,000
900 for machinery. and Admiral Bradford will
spend about S250O00 The and guns
which taken from another appropriation,
will cost about S2,0OO00O. 1t is estimated that
Of the total cost of the ship over 100000 will
go for labor.
The Navy Department will advertise in a few
days for proposals 10 build the hulls and ma
chinery of the five other vessels authorized by
Congress last week. of them being a dupli-
cate of the battleship at New-Y York. two to be
armored cruisers of 1900 tons displacement,
and two TO be 1,O00-ton gunboats If the pro
posals are excessive all the vessels may be
built at government yards, and in that case one
more first class vessel would be laid down at
NeW-f York, and one each at Norfolk and Boston.
S