Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-07

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TOWARDS RKHABILi
rArING THE NAVY AND WHAT REMAINS 4,
BE DONE


WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TOWARDS RrHAprLr.
TArING THE NAVY AND WHAT REMAINS TO
BE DoNK.
Tne Washington branch Of the naval insti.
tute met last Friday evening In the of1ice room
OF the Secretary OF the Navy. There Was O large
number OF interested naval officers present
admiral simpson addressed the institute upon
the condition OF the navy. especially In regard
10 the matters which first need attention in Its
rehabilitation. Referring 70 the present de-
cadence OF the navy, when its condition is the
Target Tor the shafts OF ridicule of the press OF
the country, he spoke with pride OF its person.
mel rs being above reproach, and said that
ihere were encouraging signs Of a brighter era.
In regard to ships there has been q slow but
steady progress, which began with the appoint
ment, In June, 1851, by Hon. VIM. NJ. Hunt
Secretary OF the Navy, of an advisory board To
consider co., ar and report on the need Of appropr,
decided that the navy should comprise
seventy unarmored cruisers. At that
addition TO the IS new vessels recommended
by the board, there were TO be five steel RAM,
hSe torpedo gun boats. ten cruising torpedo
ooats anu ten haroor torpedo boats. In August,
1851, congress made an appropriation for two
OF the vessels recommended, one TO he a steel
double-decked unarmored cruiser having a dis
placement OF about 5,s.3 and the other with a
displacement OF about $3.50 tons second
advisory board was appointed To assist the Sec
ton. In March, 1883. Congress, acting upon
the Recommendation made by this board, pro-
Se4 TOT, ,or ' h Sonstruction oil one cruiser OF
a,oOO tons displacement Qke Chicago two OF
5000 tons displacement lthe Atlanta and Bos-
TOM and one dispatch boat of 1 800 tons dis
placement tDolphlnl. In March, lSS5 the CON
struction OF four additional vessels was author
lied by Congress-, two of not less than three
thousand nor more than five thousand tons dis
placement; one heavily armed gun boat about
1000 tons displacement and a liz nj gun boat
of about 500 tons displacement The plans for
bureaus. IL will thus be seen, In spite OF the
obstacle of party rivalry, the navy can count ON
an addition OF seven steel cruisers OF modern
construction and one dispatch boat as
A NUCLEUS FOR THE NEW NAVY.
The coming year will see four OF these vessels
completed, and possibly, the year following,
four additional vessels may be launched The
admiral thought that this was evidence that
public opinion was recognizing the necessity of
restoring the navy, and in the face of this sent-
ment party rivalry would be suppressed and a
yearly appropriation would be made for the
increase OF the navy. As the report of
movement, the speaker concluded that
their recommendations would be the
basis for future action. and that in course
OF time seventy unarmored cruisers of
steel would be added TO the navy, for at the
present rate OF construction the present supply
OF wooden ships viii have entirely disappeared
before that number will be completed He
however, saw no good reason why the construc.
ton OF armored and unarmored vessels should
not be prosecuted at The same time but ON the
contrary, thought that il would be more Geo.
nonical.
III" then read letter which he had written to
secretary Chandler III April, 1854, recommend
ing the construction OF armed vessels of the
barbette type, like those built for England italy
and Russia, and those recon lamentations he
still adhered to as presented, He then gave
In detail the principal features of the vessel
which he would recommend tn be constructed
ana which Is the same that was presented To
the Secretary of the Navy Tor his approval nv
the advisory board, Of which the speaker was
a member.
ARMoRED TURRErED VESSELS FOR COAST DE-
TENSE.
In addition Ia the sea-going armored vessels
the speaker said that there were sixteen ports
Oh the Atlantic coast to guard and there is re-
CURED fleet OF heavily armed and armored
turretcd or Oarbetue vessels for this purpose He
spoke Oh me absolute necessity OF completing at
once the four double turrcted monitors which
lie in an unfinished state IA the yards of the
contractors. The estimated cost 10 complete
them he stated WAS S3,T9S3So.
IN DISCUSSING THE SUBJECT OF GUNS
and gun foundries, the speaker said that the
Fanassen method of construction, which is en-
ployed i'm this country, is acknowledged To be
superior 10 all Others. He regarded the appoint.
ment oi Committee to examine the capacity of
the foundries in country to provide steel for
ships and guns. as well AS the capacity of our
ship yards to construct modern ships OF war as
q step In the right direction, but was of
the opinion that the government should have
Its own plant for making steel guns. The
speaker said that another sign of encourage
inent was the establishments OF the Qualifications
board, and that there was doubt but that it
would recommend that one line OF the coast de-
tense shall consist of armored turreted or bar
bette vessels. In further discussion OF the needs
OF the navy the speaker said that a great effort
should be made To increase the power OF the
secondary batteries. and the ships should be
supplied with as many OF the s. miilimetre
Hotchhiss single shotguns as can be accommo-
dated ana the Ia millllnetre gun should be put
In the tops.
He stated that the navy was largely depend
ent on the chars sued by the British admir-
ATTY, anu Ge thought that ii was of great i'm
pOrtance that Congress should allow the ny dro-
graphic Office sufficient funds to provide the
charts fer navigation independent OF foreign