Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-09-28

rnn AmE1ICZn nAvT.

Tim AmEnEcAN MATE.
As n Was. As II u. AND AZ II VIII m.
WksHnoros. Sept. es.-Chisf Con
straotoE Niissn estimates the aelivs life
Of the wooden war ships of Cur present
navy as fellows Tha Tennessee (the
only one elasesd Is frat rale) aix
months; she Trenton, 0maha ana Van
dAlia. second rates. and TIE Mohioan,
shiEd raees zen years; TIE Lancaisssr and
Brooklyn, second rates. and ths Adams,
Alliance. Essax, knteFpriae, Nipnia, TAI
lapooaa aAd Fantio. third rates. zix
! years; ths Hartford. Richmond and Pen
aaoola, second rates. ead the Juaniia,
Osslpees QalnneoauQ, SWatara, MAEian,
kroQaois and kearaafQe, ehifd rates. Ave
years. These. together With fbe ifon
ships Moacoaes, Alert and Rana J, third
rateas and the Michigan and Pinta.
fourth rates, constitute the aVailabla
hRhting force Of the present navy. 1hs
most powerful of their Weepona are con
veftod guns having q range Of perhaps
tWo miles. exosilsnt arms for opsrations
against wooden ships and ancient forti-
0eatione. o. fok ahelliaa towns, bat In
~AAAAAANA4a 0M8NkAH4 AAltIAAN4& MAANANfAa M#
verg best Of the8a ahipa ID hid bg ear
naval authorities 70 ba too far behind
the liuea for q reliance for defense or
s&snae Ia actual warfare. The list o.
ironolads comprises more than g dozen
monitors, hpt none Of them ara IL q
oonditinn for service a. this time.
With this showing The United States
is placed By her own authorities AZ the
feot of the list q naval powers in the
essential matter Of ships and munitions,
there being three South American, two
Asiatio and fifteen or sixteen EnFopean
powers which nov outrank tke Uhited
States.
That portion Of cur prospective nsu
navy whose construction has already
been sanctioned BY Congress nnmbess
eighteen ships of all elasaes, 10 cost an
aggregate Of something more than f20,-
000.00O, ard most of Whiot, barring 40.
cidsnts or the failure Of appropriations.
are expected 20 be afioat fonr yoara
hence. They are required 10 Be built
entirely Of metal, ana no device known
and approved a. the date Of their plan.
ming, 20 secure efficiency as lighting ma.
chimes, has been o. is 10 Be omitted Is
thar oonstruotion Their armament
throughout will be Of modern high power
guns, the largest guns at present CON
tamplated BEING y inch hreech loading
rifles carrying z missile which weighs
more than 800 p0unds, and requiring
more than fG0 pounds Of powder for
eac discharge. The Theoretical lanhe
Of such wsap0ns is about twelve miles,
but difdcalifes Ia the matter Of oleva
aion aud otherwise serve 70 reduce this
somewhat in praotios. seven Of these
ekips are 10 be aFmored, The heaviest
probably carrying IS inches Of steel as
protection. Three viii be protected
cruisers; that is, vessels whose thick
lover decks Of steel Dip their edges be
low the water line and serve ns g pro.
teeiioB 20 she machinery, maQazines and
other vital parts Of the vessels. Tue
others will be four siesl cruisers, tive
Runboats, one frst class torcod0 beat
and one Dynamite gun cruiser.
OF the steel cruisers the Dolpbin, 1900
tens displacement, is already oompletad
and receiving her armament; tbs A Ian
ta. 1900 tons, Il 90 Der trial "trip Asd her
armament u being tested; whiie tbs
Boston, 9oc9 tons. and tie Chicago, a500
tons, ere well advanced IL ooaalfuation.
Two Of he aru8ored vessels are Of the
donble teFfet monitoF Glass, each Do
signed 10 carry four heavy high poWtrsd
Ruas, throwing 90pound ahella With
possible range Of ten miles. Ihess ships
we're slammed ten years ago. Donblloan.
u planned today some change uoaid
be made; bnt they are Bevefthelass 500
kea Of bg Commodore Wilsoa IL bis last
annual Feport Is the best type 0f ooasf
and haFbaE defense vessels "a exissonoe,
fhoaeh not designed for ofuialnQ, theg
can In emergencies Be seat ahsoad, their
seaworthiueag having been well Tested
IN tho past. Congress has ncw supplied
means fer Furnishing these shin9, and
ihe work Is progressing rapidly. 1hs
Mfantonomah, 86l5 tons, gill Sc ready
for service this ysaf; he Pnfitan, GOO
tons, hes her engines IN d 20 and Is
nearly ready for her mFmof; while tbs
Terror, AmphilFits and Mnnadnoak. n8lB
tons sash, sre nos rsosiving their ms
ohinery.
The Other two asmOrsd ships have noa
yet entered upon their arst afaQo Of *
istsnee, thsiF eonstFuoliou having only
been authorized by Congress a. tha end /
af iia laet eesaiau. They are 10 b of
600 tcus dispiacemenf % have double
bottoms. engines deaiRnsd 10 drive then /
af q apeea of l6 knots per houF, and /
ooppiefe torpedo oniats aud aFznan esta I
Of she most e1sofiTe kind. They are % /
cost not more than $500 900 each. IL /
the mere matter o. diaplaoauent saass /
shipg uiil sxoeed ~ nsarIy one. fourth /
tks bssl and largest Of the present. naval /
vessels. uhiis iA speed and odactissBeas /
tnsy are depended ca % uomunfa favor 4
ably With the better Glass 81 Eaf0pean /
cruising var ships.
The dynamite aun cruiser Will & : /
novelty comparable prnbabiy 10 uethinq /
now II oLislence. 1he Secretary 81 the 1
Navy u required 10 make q eontfasi /
vita ~ inventors fog is o1nsfruafion.
aud the Dspartment viii have little o.
noshina 70 Do With ne 20 4 beyond 1
passing indgmeu1 upon ths pi4n4 "a "a
Eancs and the Fesnlt at iss CON nE.fstion.
Ths conditions imposed By tie ari d /
Congress eoniempiale ihs oonslfusiian
81 = vessel 30 fees tonR. pgoslorihsnaielY
very narrow, of very light dFafs ans 4
eta ezcsedin0ig p.oEerfuI enqinea, guar
auts&d % - capable of pFodo1iuQ =
spsd of - knots Ia brief. lts SLAMS
0f this araff are nndersiood % io1k q
ne placing q the maeAinery and ether
ordinary appliaaees % fhs snip foasfd
ths boz and stern, ieaF,sa the region
amiiships foE ths magaxine ant pnsn.
matie guns; TIE t1ttsf betog A11a ID %
Eitian and havnR e hiRh elsgalinn- The
dynamite and misaiie viii b. thrown
like bomhs from - ordinaFg mortar.
via al - he vessels aasat Ne
Unitss States ~ q laval power via out-
rank Bgarii. Chile, tbe AF9eufiaa Hs
pabiis. China, Jsean. GFeses. NorssY.
Psrtuaai and Hwedan, SD VII d
ahsaasa o. Tufkeg. Hpains Hslland and
DeHmaFk. she utii EEiiI be ogtEanka1
b EnRi1nd. REanes. Germany, AnllEia.