The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-17
Seal ''C-r' to be Taken Over by the Government Tomorrow at
 Cost of S45O,O 900
Made in Bridgeport Tablet Given to Boat by Board of Trade Graf Has Met Stictest ot Requirements and is
 Enduring Monument to its Makers

l The Seal is built of the same general type as the Protector and other Lake
 boats built for foreign countries, pGN much larger. The Protector was only 65 feet while the Seal Is 161 feet over all
 7 Owing to legisition favoring an- other type of boat, it was necessary for the Lake Go. to build this vessel at it's own expense without payment on account until she had fulfilled all her guaranteed reqOirements and the guaranteed reQuirem ents were the most severe that had ever been called for in this or any other country This is the fourth vessel the Lake Co- has built at her own expense with VleW of getting United States business and over $80O,00O was expended by this company without single return from the government, even on account The first boat of these four was tn e Protector which was built in this city in 1902. This boat was highly recOna- mission appointed by the then secre+ tary of War, William Howard Taft General Arthur Murray was the presi- dent of the commission, and com parative report was made between the Lake type and another type of vessel at that time, and their report
 was highly favorable to the Lake type and the commission recommended the immediate purchase of five of those boats The Senate passed bill for the purchase of the Protector," but the bill was killed in the House She was therefore sold to Russia and the Lake Go. has built nine other vessels for Russia since, their boats having been found the most satisfactory Of
 several other types of vessels bought by Russia.
 The Lake Co., then built the Simon Lake No. 10, which was also sold to
 Russia because the appropriation un-
 der which 1t was expected she could
 be purchased by the United States
 p1eted- The company then built the
 Lake under another appropriation
 which would have permitted of her
 purchase, but the language of that ence, while the Lake was under con- struction. This change restricted the Secretary of Navy, to permit him to purchase only boat the equal in all
 respects of any boat then under. con-
 struction or contract for the United States navy. In the meantime, the der contract for which they received payments on account from the gov ernment much larger and more powerful boat than the Lake, and of course the smaller boat could not prove equal to the much larger boat. and the Lake was left on the com pany'S hands.
 Finally the Lake Co. entered into 1 an agreement to build another boat still larger and more powerful than | It's opponents and. that boat is the Seal. All this competition which has been given by the Lake Co. at it's own expense has raised the standard
 
 l the highest.
 The legislation is now open and the navy department has authority to specify what they require, something 1 they were not permitted to do under l the old method of specifying in the l Naval committees the type of vessel I to be built. No other instance has been recorded of a private firm at their own expense developing a weap- on of war for the protection of the country except the Monitor built by Ericson.
 The Lake Co. has expended nearly
 one million dollars in securing open competition, whereby the United | States government would be able to
 secure the type of vessel best suited 1 to its needs for protection against it's | enemies.
 In presenting the tablet today MT. Enos said.
 l Capt Lake:-In the name of the 1 Bridgeport Board of Trade present you this silver tablet to be placed in ] boat G l. The purpose of this ta ablet Is to commemorat the event of the | first submarine boat made in Bridge l port, and to express the appreciation | of the Board of Trade for the estab b. 1 HShment of so important an indus try in our city. We wish your com pany success and prosperity in the | construction of submarine boats N whose mighty power and efficiency shall go forth, invincible, to protect and preserve the interests of our coun- | try, the land which so truly repre-
 sents the principles of liberty and l progressive civilization.''
 Captain Lake responded in suitable l terms