The Washington times., 1906-02-19
RACE IN BUILDING
BIG BAT TLESH|PS
Connecticut Almost as Far
Along as Louisiana.
MAY POSSIBLY CATCH UP
Fear in Navy Yard That Congress May
Not Make Special ApprOpEia-
lions for Repairs.
MAY POSSIBLY CATCH UP

NEW YORK. Feb 19-The rapid
strides made on the Connecticut in jan
uary have brought il so near the Louis
lana in percentage of completion that
the hopes of the naval constructors that
they would beat the Louisiana seem
destined to be fulfilled. The latter ship
is only .0S ahead OF the BrooklyG-buift
batueship.
on January ! the degree of compile
tion of the Connecticut was $3.50 per
cent. and that on the Louisiana S4l7
per cent. On February ! the Connect
cut was 95.16 per cent completed, and
the Louisiana 1924 per cent.
Crew Being Assembled.
So near is the Connecticut to COM
pietion that the crew ror it Is now be-
ing assembled on board the receiving
snip Hancock. I'm the navy yard.
The officials and work men of the yard
are much pleased by the letter sent to
Congress by Secretary Ronaparte ask
ing for an increase in the limit of cost
in the case of the Connecticut amount
ing to L per cent of the original limit
The Increase asked for on the Golfers
10 be built at the New York navy yard
and the Mare Island navy yard EQUALS
- per cent and that on the training
ship Cumberland, nearly completed at
the Boston yard, and on the training
ship Intrepid, in the same condition at
the Mare Island Navy Yard, is 10 per
cent. These increases are necessary if
the vessels indicated are to be COM
pleted.
The navy yard is somewhat disturbed
1.-THE 4pOrt from Washington that
mere Is possibility that Congress will
1aii to make the special provision neces-
SarS in carrying out the plans of i'm
pTOvement contemplated on such ships
as thu "a ssachusetts and Oregon The
massachusetts Is now in the yard II
mere Is any disposition 10 delay these
appropriations or to refuse to make
lhem. there viii be serious embarrass-
1nent TO the yard officials in their ef-
forts To maintain proper standard of
military efficiency,
Would Increase Expenses.
Speaking eff this possible omission by
Congress. this opinion was uttered By
Of the best qualified TO speak on naval
matters: There viii be a considerable
increase in the cost of repairing the
feet in commission, if Congress so acts.
for the reason that the yard forces
would have 10 be TeOrganiZed. as it were
each time the fleet should come to the
yard for repairs. As It Is now, when
the feet is away, the men previously
employed on the fleet, or so many of
them as are needed, are transferred to
lhlS general OVerhaulinR Of vessels out
or commission. This arrangement in
sures, at the larger yards at least. a
larry continuous supply of work which
can De pTofitably undertaken by the
Government, while at the same time
maintaining reasonably effective or
sanlzation OF workmen at the yard TO
meet any emergency"
Oil as Fuel.
One Of the next steps which the
Brooklyn navy yard will see in the de-
velOpment of new ideas on the naval
service says an officer Of the yard,
wiz be IN the use of oil fuel This
Kind of fuel is having a great run IN
the British navy, comparatively speak
ing. Many tests have been made with
oil fuel in the American navy and vol
Gmes OF reports have been written about
its merits and dement's. The cruiser
Hampshire. built by Sir ". C. ARM
strong, WhitwOrth and Company was
specially fitted with oil-burning furnace
rs, in addition TO the ordinary coal fur
naces. The experiments which have been
conducted in this and other vessels have
been very satisfactory. In the light of
these experiments in England there is
little doubt that IL viii not be long be-
fore the experts of the yard here win
OF naval engineering
Caps on Battieship Building.
The views of Chief Constructor
Caps, Of the Navy Bureau of Con-
struction and Repair. on the advan-
tages Of having a yard like that of
Brooklyn ready at any time for the
building OF q big warship have great
" cheered the navy yard. Here is the |
exact wording of Mr.. Caps opinions.
Il am Of the opinion that II would |
be to the advantage of the Government
TO have one yard on the Atlantic coast |
and one yard on the Pacific coast fully |
equipped for building a vessel OF the |
battieship class, as a means of pro-
lection against possibly eXOrbttant bids
by private shipping firms. and TO make
II Gle ar that the Government can IN
dertf-ke It's own work, If necessary
There was tendency in the beginning
10 make q race between the two sister
ships--the Louisiana and Connecticut
but that is something I have not en-
couraged except when ii did not con-
hict with the Governments interests
AS a matter of fact, both of these yes
sells, but for the delays in the delivery
Of certain material supplied by the
Government, would have been COM
pleted within the contract time of COM
pletion stipulated for the Louisiana"