The San Francisco call., 1906-11-25
COAST GOsSI P At
THE GAP TAI
Novel Plan of Union Iron
Works for Trial of South
Dakota Is Unacceptable
WILL PAY WILDMAN
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
WASHINGTON. Nov. 24.--The Union
Iron Works. builders of the armored
cruiser California, have made the novel
proposition to the Navy Department
that the South Dakota, which Is shortly
to be officially tried on the Pacific
Coast, shall on that occasion be tried
on basis of data obtained from a
Standardization trial Of the California.
Such thing has never been done In
case of sister ships, and the department
has decided that II would not be a
proper proceeding as regards the South
Dakota, which must have its own
standardization trials.
1t would be impossible, say naval au-
thorities. to build two vessels exactly
alike, or near enough alike TO have rev.
olutions of the screw of one vessel
Identical with revolutions of the screw
of another ship. The Navy Department
realizes that with separate and COM
plete trial of each ship there could
never be any question raised as to
qualification, and although the builders
are sending a representative to Wash
ington to make special plea IN behalf
OF their proposition. the Navy Depart
ment will undoubtedly disapprove the
request
Considerable interest attaches to the
completion of plans being made for the
machinery of the new naval colliers.
one of which is to be built In the navy
yard at Brooklyn and the other in the
navy yard at Mare Island. Material
for the construction of these vessels
has been purchased under contract and
1T remains to finish the plans for
motive power as well as to determine
the type of apparatus to be installed
on deck for the handling of fuel, nota-
bly, for coaling ships at sea-
The GOLFERS will be departure from
the conventional type In that they Will
have superior speed to any colliers
now in service and will probably carry
a small battery for protection when
they are not under the guns of the feet.
The Secretary of War has success
fully appealed from the decision Of the
Auditor for the War Department dis
allowing the claim for $293s.75 of Cap
tain Leonard D. Wildman, signal corps,
for personal property destroyed by fire
on April Is at San Francisco The
Auditor disallowed the claim because
''the loss of private property was not
attributable to an exigency of military
service, but resulted from a general
disaster affecting all persons and prop
erty in the locality alike, without re-
gard to whether they were In military
service or not, hence he is not entitled
to reimbursement under act OF March
3, 1885,"
The Comptroller. in reviewing this
decision of the Auditor. holds that the
claimant is entitled to recover the
value of personal property lost in line
of duty and which loss appears to
have been without fault or negligence
on his part.
Recommendation has been made by
the chief constructor OF the navy In
favor of installing apparatus on board
the Fortune at the Mare Island navy
yard so as to equip that ship for use
as a tender in connection with trials
and practice runs of submarines on the
Pacific Coast The Fortune will be
equipped with hoisting derrick, winch
and other apparatus suitable for hand
ling submarines. communicating with
them when submerged and for accom-
plishing rescue in the event of the dis
abling of the submarines.