Dodge City times., 1886-09-30
OUR NAVY.
Which Expression May be Regarded a. .
joke N hen the Facts Arc Learned-Ths
Service to be Improved.

Which Expression May be Regarded as .
joke N hen the Facts Arc Lcarned-Ths
Service to DE Improved.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-Chief Con.
structOr Wilson estimates the active life of
the woodenware shipments of our present
navy as follows: Tho Tennessee (the only
One clasSed as first rate), six months; the
Trenton, Omaha and Vandalia, second rates,
and the Mohican, third rate, ten years: the
Lancaster and Brooklyn, second rates. and
tho Adams, Alliance, Essex, Enterprise,
Nipsic, Tallapoosa, Yantic, third rates, six
years; the Hartford, Richmond and Pensa-
cola, second rates, and the Junata, OSsipee,
Quinnebaug, GaleDa, Marion, Iruguois and
kearsage, third rates. five years These
together with the iron ships, Mononacy,
Alert and Ranger, third rates, and the
Michigan Palos and Pinta. fourth rates,
constitute the available fighting force Of the
present navy. The most powerful OF their
weapons are converted guns, having a
range of perhaps two miles, excellent arms
Tor operations against wooden ships and
ancient Notifications or for shellng towns.
but inefficient against modern armOr. The
very best of these ships are held by our
naval authorities to be far behind the times
as reliance for oifenSe or defense in actual
warfare.
The list OF ironcads comprises more than
dozen monitors, but none of them are in
condition for service at this time With
this showing the United States is placed by
her own authorities at the foot of the list
of naval powers in the essential matter Of
ships and guns. there being three South
American, two Asiatic aud fifteen or sixteen
Lltrr, NIxk L.
portion OF our prospective Few navy whose
construction has already been sanctioned by
Congress numbers eighteen ships OF all
classes, 70 cost an aggregate of something
over S20, ,000 000 the last Of which, barring
accident or the failure of appropriations, is
expected to be aflOat four years hence. They
are required TO be built entirely OF metal,
and no device known at the date of their
planning TO secure efficiency as fighting
machines, has Ceen or is to bc omitted IN
Their construction. Their armament
throughout vii! be of modern high powered
guns, The largest weapons at present contem.
plated being l2-inch breech loading rifles,
carrying missile which weighs more than
800 pounds aud requiring more than 400
pounds of powder for each discharge. The
theoretical range of such weapons is about
twelve miles, but difficulties in the matter
OF elevation and otherwise serve to reduce
this somewhat In practice.
Seven OF these ships are to be armOred
tho heaviest probably carrying sixteen
inches of steel as protection. Three will
be protected, that is, vessels whose thick
lower decks of steel dip their edges below
the water line, and serve as a protection to
the machinery, magazines and other vital
parts OF the vessels. The others will be
four steel cruisers, TWO gunboats, ono first
class torpedo boat and one dynamite gun
cruiser. OF the steel cruisers lhe Dolphin.
1,5O0 tons displacement is already COM
plcted and receiving her armament. Tie
Atlanta, 5000 tons, is on her trial
trip, and her armament is being
tested, while the Boston, 5000 tons,
and the Chicago, $500, are we'll advanced
In construction. Five of tho armored
vessels are of the double turret monitor
class, each designed to carry four high
powered guns, throwing 500 pound shells,
with possible range OF ten miles. These
ships were planned ten years ago. Doubt
less il planned to-day, some change would
oe made, but they are nevertheless spoken
of by Commodore Wilson in his last an
nual report AS the best type of coast and
harbor vessels in existence. Though not
designed for cruising, they can, in an
be sent abroad. their sea-
wOrthiness having been well tested in the
past Congress has now supplied the
means for furnishing these ships, and the
work is progressing rapidly. The Mianto-
nomah, 3Sl tons, will be ready for service
this year; the Puritan, 6,OOO tons, has the
engines in place and is nearly ready for her
armor, while the Terror, Amphitrtc and
3,Sl5 tons each, are now re-
eeiving their machinery. The other
two arnored ships have not yet
entered upon their full stage OF
existence, their construction hay
ing only been authorized by Congress at the
end of the session. They are to lie of 6,OOO
tons displacement, to have double bottoms.
engines designed to drive them sixteen
knots an hour, and complete torpedo outfits
and ornaments of the most effective kind
md are to cost not more than $4,000, 1000 !
each. In mere matter of displacement these |
ships will excel by nearly one-four,h the |
best and largess of our present naval yrs-
scis, while in speed and effectiveness they |
are intended to compare TavOraby with the |
better class of European cruisers. The |
dynamite gun cruiser will be a novelty com.
paratively, probably, with nothing now in
existence. The Secretary Of the Navy is au-
Ihorised to make contract with its invent
ors for its construction, and the department
Viii have little or nothing to do with tho
work beyond passing Judgment on
he plans in advance and the re-
suit at its completion. The conditions ian
posed by the act OF Congress contemplate
he construction of vessel of $50 feet long,
oroDortionately very narrow and very light
iraft, with exceedingly powerful engines,
guaranteed to be capable of producing speed
IT twenty knots. In brief, the plans of this
raft are understood to look to the placing
II machinery and other ordinary appliance
u ship towards the bow or stern, leaving
lie region amidships for magazines AID
.uns, the latter being fixed in position and
having high elevation. The dynamite
missiles will be thrown like bombs from an
ordinary mortar. With all these vessels
float, the United States as a naval power
will outrank Brazil, Chill, the Argentine
China, Japan, Greece, Norway,
'Ortugal and Sweden, and will be abreast
( Turkey, Spain, Holland and Denmark.
'he will still be Outranked by England,
rance, Germany, Austria, Italy and Rus
ia.
Eaten by Rats.
SHELBYvuLE, Sept. 27.-Friday night
be infant child of William Reynolds, q
armer living five miles north OF this place,
as placed in its crib in room occupied by
q ncronfs lal i'm, on od;o;D;,,fr rno,, 4