New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-23
Acquiring U-Boat Cba,...
How Mr. Daniels Has undertake,
Solve the Problem :
'FrOp' Inc Rudderl

ana the remainder in the navv 80 M
navy yard in Brooklyn has st.r,.s LA
will have the first Of this feet ,s 49, ssn
l. Nine more are to be eomnls,sIy IA,
and after that ten are 10 be ,syst1
month until sixty are finished BY ~. ~
The New Orleans Navy Yard Il - yssos's,
one a month after July 1; Tho cSEir
Navy Yard, eight; the NorfoK N."'a,:1a
twenty-one; the Mare Island Nsvv isi
California, fifteen, and the Puget s.,.s a
Yard, twenty-five. M
The total cost Of the 2to bos,.
outside the government yards will "a
iil,O63 and the average price ~ W
so built is s5l,IO0. ''S' n,
These boats are 20 be built ~ -
will be 40 feet long, IS feet brs,d.. y
inches draft. In planning them ~. ~
Department had hoped to have ,h.. ~
with two engines OF full 300-horssno.... .'e
A slow-turning engine was w.r,.s "a
speed Of is knots was hoped for.
These wants caused much troux. +,
found that there was not an en0i,,
market to meet these reouiremsr,, = =
order to get the speed figured ., ~
finally decided TO fit the boats vr;,, =
Standard engines Of 2O0-horsepovs, 49,
to use an S-horsepower engine OF tbs
make for auxiliary purposes. The R,;,;.s
footers have two Of these engines ,,I
smaller one for auxiliary purposes p.r,
gines and other machinery in the 49,.
room will clutter up that room and |.
bad feature Of these boats.
Cost May BE $1,000 Each
The boat builders are simply to bvIs =
bulls and install the engines when ire :.
ready. The cost OF the engines. III, -.
fittings, the wireless outfit and o,h., 49,.
sarios on these boats are all extra. A..
the total cost of each will be very ca. i
100000
The way in which the Hon. Josevku, n,.
iels, who apparently is the Navy Dsp.rn,r
handles the designing and building Of Tia,
submarine chasers" is a topic OF ecsv,r,
tion all through the boat building nous,
Having settled the size and model Of 4,
boat and having had opportunities to ~,
the plans of the British, Russian and hi,
boats, those built in this country and IA,
built abroad, and presumably having M,
some advice from the naval constructor
boat longer than any yet built for this bum,
was selected, but the speed is much less i.
the speed of boats in European waters d,
British boats make 10 knots and some q n
Russian boats make more than 80 knots. 4,
then, again, speed is factor about whi,s u
two designers will agree. Naval officers. 1,
differ on the speed question; some vui
like high speed boats, while others prefer !
go slowly and be sure Of their boat.
Mr.. Daniels requested the best known BE
builders to visit him at Washington and al
over ways and means. The plans Of tie be-.
decided on were shown to the buildsn al
they were invited to submit bids, iad 1t IA,
same time they were told that the BIDS nHs,
be very moderate, and they were urged .
bend every effort to turn out the boats wT
quickly and in large quantities. II was pOlst
ed out to Mr.. Daniels that the boat wcua }.
a costly one to build, and being 50 nus;
larger than any other boat used fer he %
troll service would take much longer 10 bglA
Tried to Aid Daniels
The boat builders suggested way J
which much delay could be avoided and n
cost kept down to a minimum. II was &c
gested that a committee Of the boat hullin
be formed and that some naval construs-
to represent the department should b 4
that committee. The committee would &c
arrange for the purchase Of all the maser1
and fittings TO be used in the building y
boats and buy sufficient to build as man 4
the department required. Then the uiI
would be standardized. The frames wols
bent at one plant, planking cut at ano'ie
metal fittings cast at another, and 50 on =
that when ready these parts shcald 7
shipped TO the builders yards, where ~
would be set up and the boats completes ~
rapidly. In this way all small builders e'''
be kept busy, as there would be work enoap
for all. The cost Of material would "P
low because Of the large quantities purchases
and the builders we're to be paid ne 'e'a'
cost plus 10 per cent profit.
This suggestion did not please W. p'n'
iels. and he issued plans and specihsa' 'u'
and asked for bids When these olds WY
opened on the day set very few haa ~.
submitted. All the larger builders hs' =. y.
a little shy, and so it was announced ln'' =,
time would be extended TO Mareh o. =.
efforts we're made to get more BIDS. py M ~.
mysterious means the prices in the nIs' ~.
were allowed to leak out, and when NV :,
lot were received il was found tna' n'-
were between $4,000 and $4,000, INC p'. i.
,a,,od bv some of the best builders II
original bids. ul~,
Several builders had offered 70 ou'io :.
percentage basis Of 10 or 10 per esp'
profit plus actual cost. Some bids Ws es. ~ !.
above $4,000. the highest being ssh
some were very low. under S2OOOo. ~ =,
nartment rejected all the pereentags ~.
threw out some high ones as too hign - -.
iected the very low ones as being '00 -
for good work
Builders Handicapped
In the mean time the constructors ID NJ
York Navy Yard we're getting our. Ia
had gone into the lumber market 70 "a -, =,
the frames, planking, etc, and "a'n III
vate concerns tried TO purchase luny. M,
found the market swept Glenn. Oon,'''
they are handicapped from the STAR A.
The government has been very 49,, ..
ranging with the copper, steel Aho -. ~
dustries to purchase materials AZ p-,,,e
below the market The copper ', - ,,,s,
have agreed to furnish copper AZ n,
Just half the price in the open mA., =, ~.
steel companies have agreed 70 ~ All, q,
eminent have steel at $50 ton ''N
present market price is about s's .. n,s
When these announcements ..sut -
some contractors who have go'sin. "a ~