Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-27

1905. 1OO1, 5s6,6S3 l,414. 1885,
The increase Is chiefly in manufacturers
materials. While the details Of the March
imports are not yet completed by the
Treasury Bureau Of Statistics, the figures
for February and for the eight months
ending with February show a marked in
crease In the proportion which manuf1c-
turers' materials form OF the total inn
ports. OF the total imports OF February,
1903, 51.3 per cent were manufacturers
materials, while In February, 1902, crly
Ala per cent were manufacturers ma
~terials. In the eight months ended Febru-
airy, 1903, manufacturers materials
amounted to 1920, 000, 900, against S270, O00,-
900 in the corresponding months of the pre-
ceding year, an increase of $50, 900, 900, or
nearly 20 per cent. In the fiscal year 1885
manufacturers materials formed 80 per
cent Of the total imports, in 1895 81 per
cent, In 1888 40 'pericent, In 1902 40 per
cent, in the eight months ended February
1903, 81 per cent.
Maine Troubles interest Experts.
Naval experts will pay close attention
to the repairing of the battleship Maine at
the Cramps shipyards at Philadelphia.
where 1t was built. The vessel only placed
in commission within the last few months,
typifed, 1t was believed, the highest de-
V%elopment in the art of building war vessels
up to that time. hat the mounting Of its
guns should have proved defective is dis
appointing, whether due to a mistake in
the plans or not. 1t is confidently ex-
pected. however, that while the repairs are
being made much valuable information will
be gained as to the proper mounting OF
guns on war vessels. 1t is we'll known
that as the length OF the recoil Of a gun IL
shortened, the strain becomes more severe
and the parts sustaining the strain mus
be correspondingly strengthened. That
they were not so braced in Maine is quite
as likely to be due to inadequate provision
In the plans as to faulty construction
Intimacy Of the closest character neces.
sarily exists between the gun and III
mount and an increase In the caIiber Of
range Of the former calls for a change n
the latter to meet the new requirement
A failure to properly adjust the car.
riage to the gun is nothing new in nava
annals n the accident to the guns OF
Maine has recalled to ordnance experts tn,
fate Of the cruiser Brooklyn. Scarcely hat
Commodore Schley hoisted his flag on tn,
vessel In Hampton Roads, preparatory [,
his departure for the West Indies at tn,
beginning of the Spanish war, than, in tn,
firing Of the broadside salute, the mount
Of the nVe-inch guns were Upset and dis
placed SO as to render extensive repair
necessary. Time did not sufice to remov
Brooklyn to the Cramps yards, where II wa
built. so that II VA taken to Newpor
News and work prosecuted night and da
until 1t was pronounced At for duty. Blu
still the mounts were insecure, for in tt
battle of Santiago all the nve-inch gun
were again similarly diNabled.
old Tabe wsni Revived.
Conflicting views are held Of the reporte
damage on the boilers Of Maine. Acct
dents to boiler tubes are Of common oc
currenee and all ships using the waite
tube boilers carry with them extra tube
so that as weaknesses develope they ma
be replaced by new ones.
In the case Of Maine. however, eS
ceptional interest attaches as the repairin
Of its tubular boilers so soon after IL wa
placed in commission as It furnishes Rea
Admiral Melville. chief constructor, an ad
ditional argument against the use OF III
Niclausse boilers with which Maine
equipped. A contest Of vast Importance I
the boilermakers has been in progress 4
the Navy department for some time. Sim
lar contests nave been waged In the nav
establishments of Great Britain, Franc
and Germany. the prizes being Of gres
value. All the water tubes are protecte
by patents and the oficial Endorsement
the government means millions Of dollar
to the Arm manufacturing those which cal
Aside from the fact that IL would mean
virtual monopoly Of furnishing all boilei
for government vessels, the standard s,
by the navy is so high that the business
furnishing boilers for the merchaI
marine would naturally follow.
The English admiralty recognized Il
grave responsibility attaching to an ofhci
) Endorsement and after examining and ties
/ ing thirty-six types reported that mol
showed such unquestioned merit as
! justify it's recommendation as a standaI
for naval use. A particular test was MAJ
of the Bellville. but the committee comm
Z It's choice for large vessels to the n
clause, Babcoek and Wilcox and Durr al
. Yarrow. The committee compared d
, merits Of the cylindrical and water tu
: boilers and reports that while the 8
; perior economy Of the cylindrical boil
vas unqusstiORsd. from . military point