The Portland daily press., 1882-02-17
THE NAVY.
Important Conference on the Question of
It's Reorganization.

Important Conference on Jn0 eluSSUiou Vi
It's Reorganization.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-An important con-
ference was held at the Navy department last
evening, in regard to the proposed reorganiza-
ton of the navy. There were present Secretary
Hunt; the congressional committee on naval
affairs; the naval advisory board; Admiral
Porter; Rear Admiral Ammen and heads OF
all bureaus of the navy department. A gem
eral interchange of views was had and the
tenor of the remarks was favorable TO the
views expressed in the last annual report OF
the Secretary of the Navy. 1t was agreed that
the necessities of the service require prompt
and liberal action on the part OF Congress
Representative Harris submitted draft OF
proposed bill which seemed to meet with gen.
eral favor, providing for increasing and I'M
proving the navy. 1t was the general express
sion that the larger of the proposed new YES
sells should be constructed first and others built
as the needs of the service require. The Dill
referred to contemplates the construction OF
large sized fast cruisers at a total cost OF about
S9.500,000, and includes one vessel OF not less
than 5,780 tons, two OF not less than 4,o0O tons,
two of not less than $3.50 tons, one ram, one
torpedo gunboat. one cruising torpedo boat and
one harbor torpedo boat. The bill also author
ICES the Secretary to the Navy to employ one
expert in naval architecture, steam engineer
ing and ordnance for his assistance and advice
in this matter.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
An important meeting was held last night at
the office of the Secretary of the Navy to con-
fer upon the best method for rebuilding the
American navy. The meeting was called by
Secretary Hunt and the members OF the AdviS-
ory board The Committee on Naval Affairs OF
Congress and a number of distinguished guests
were invited. Among those were Admirals
Porter, Ammen and Rogers, Commodores Sc
cord and Howson, Chief Engineer Shock and
others. The meeting was opened by we'll
timed and judicious speech by Secretary Hunt,
who explained the object OF the meeting to be
to enable all concerned in the plans for new
navy to meet for conference in the interest OF
harmony. Secretary Hunt thought the press
and the people would favor the policy OF our
country having a navy, for what we had at
present did not deserve that name; but they
wished harmony in the councils OF those who
were responsible for the navy, and it was very
desirable that all its friends should consult and
agree on some plan. He then asked Mr.. Har-
ris Chairman of the House Naval Committee,
which had this subject under special investiga-
ton, to explain the situation. Mr.. Harris said
thew had been visited by members of the Ad-
vsory Board and were in possession OF their
recommendations. AS some differences exist
ed among the naval officers they had felt it de-
sirable to push their inquiries further and to
call before them practical shipbuilders to see
where the merits in disputed cases lay, and if
any deviation from the report OF the board was
advisable. They found themselves in substan-
tial harmony with the recommendations of the
board, and for one he would now give what he
thought the committee would recommend. He
proposed there be built two of the largest class
of ships recommended by the board, two of the
the second class one of Admiral POrters rams
and one each of the three classes of torpedo
boats, making seven vessels in all, the aggre-
gate cost of which would be 100000 600. This
proposition had not been formally agreed upon
by the committee, but he had conferred with
his associates and felt justified in saying that
these views represented their sentiments. He
believed they would do that auch. He then
said he wanted criticism ON this statement.
Secretary Hunt called upon Admiral Porter
to reply. The latter said he was satisfied with
the committees position, particularly with
their plan for starting with the largest vessels
These large, swift cruisers were the most nee
essary and useful ships. Their moral
effect was valuable, and he cited
as an illustration the results that follow
ed the construction by our Government
of fleet of those commerce
destroyers,' as he called them, during the civil
war The warning was Immediately needed
by England, and he thought had important
bearing on her subsequent action. Some OF the
ships prepared at that time had speed of II
knots, and would have played havoc among
English merchantmen. he cited second
illustration in the recent demonstration made
by Russia in the Turco-Russian war. She pur-
chased some of our fastest vessels and manned
them with her sailors. That was a threat on
the commerce of England that was needed and
went far toward preventing host1lltles between
England and Russia. Hence he hoped he
would soon have fleet Of fast vessels. The
smaller ones are useful but not as formidable.
Admirals Ammen and Rogers and Commo-
dore Howson addressed the Committee upon
ordnance. Lieutenant Very, Secretary of the
Advisory Board, said the finest guns in the
world could be made in this country, and he
dwelt especially upon the quality of steel to be
obtained here. He opposed buying foreign
guns. Admiral Rodgers criticised British
ordnance severely. Great Britain had recently
discovered that the Armstrong gun was far in
ferior in pattern, and was now buying ordnance
on the Continent Only two British men-of-
war are armed with the best modern ordnance.
A to the subject of armor, it was agreed that
ironclads arc desirable and useful as conveys,
for harbor defence and for other moral effect,
but it was thought that no more are needed.
Their cost was enormous, and their ability, ex-
cept for the purposes named, doubtful. Itwas
deemed better to first build feet of swift
i=esaisers and consider sski act of arnr
In reply to question of CrfaiT1nan Harris.
Admiral Ammen replied he approved Clark's
DETECTING armor, and had adopted the turtle
back'' deck, protected by three inch DETECTING
armor, for his ram. He considered this thick
ness sufficient to defect, while 22-inch plate
was not thick enough to protect the perpen-
dicular walls of a ship against the most power
full proiectiles.