The Wilmingtonian., 1886-07-03


cola, and Richmond, of from 2, 800 to 5000
tons, able to maintain their maximum speed
of 10 to 1Ob knots for nine days in calm
weather and smooth sea.
Glass III. Three vessels, the Ossipee, Juni
alta and Shenandoah, launched about 1861.
They average 2OOO tons, and are good for
about o. knots for from seven to nine days.
Glass w. Two vessels of 1900 tons, the
Kearsarge (1SG2) and Iroquois (1s59) having
maximum speed of II knots in favorable
weather.
Glass V. The Trenton, the finest vessel in
the United States service, built in 1876 and
has a speed of thirteen knots under favora-
BILE conditions for six days.
Glass VI The Omaha (iS60), 249O tons,
with a speed of 12 knots.
Class VII, Six ships,-Vandala, Marion,
Quinehang, Swatara, Galena, and Mohcan,
from 1900 to 2100 tons, built in the decade of
1879 s3, with speed of 10 knots for seven
days.
Glass VIII. Eight small sloops, from 1000
to l $50 tons-Adams, Alliance, Enterprise
Essex, Nipsic, Yantic Qsc4) Alert, and
Ranger-the last two of iron : all, Yantic
excepted launched between 1874 and 1878.
Glass IN. The iron Monocacy, 14OO tons,
launched 1865 with speed of 1874 knots
Though there were seven hundred vessels
equipped and put in service by our govern
ment between ls61-'65 but two the Mohcan
and Shenandoah remain OF the millions
and millions expended in that time almost
nothing is lef4
Representative o'Neill of Missouri made
the following remarks illustrative of the ca
pacity of the average American man-of-
war -
"Within the current year one Of the lar
gest Of these older vessels, when approach
ing foreign port, experienced a series of
fresh squalls which raised moderate sea
between the ship and mountainous wealth
er shore miles distant. The vessels speed
under three.q garter power, with thirty-ive
revolutions per minute, dropped from 81
knots an hour to knot The signal man
on shore, who had the vessel in plain sight,
repeatedly sgnaled to the town that thei e
was an American war ship in distress out
s;da Wbo,, tho Wind mnderated ond tho
ship reached her anchorage the American
consul was preparing to send out local
freight boat TO tow in Uncle Sans lame
duck. We may question the prOpriety OF
furnishing the signal man for giving fal' c
alarm, since he had never seen steamer be.
fore, in such weather, going ahead (?) undt
steam aud making no progress. But We
may also ponder over another question
How much good is accomplished by sending
the American flag into foreign ports to IL
the object of ridicule instead of symbol oi
power?"
| One-third of the United States war-sh:p'
date back over thirty years in model ant
construction.
During the war of the Rebellion the gov
ernment rished into the construction of {
navy at au expenditure almost appalling ii
its total, and none of those 700 vessels but
remain Should we diff into war is IL,
same policy to be repeated at such frightfu
loss of treasure and means Yet that is th'
| onI,, ,Itornoti,,o ;f Cnnur,Sg dOnc not ui %
up intermeddling and relegate the details 0
the naval question to professional and re
sponsible hands.
All that can BIZ said Of the armament q
the above cruisers is that it is cheetiy smooth
bores perfectly obsolete in these days and {
the few rifle guns existing they are to
small to be brought against the riilc-Guns {
other uavies. Among our cruisers onl
fourteen are efficient
AS II CARDS the ironclads the Naval Regi
ter reports. This line of the national d
fense consists of six singie-turreted mon
tors of ., 100 tons displacement, of a max
mum speed of six knots. each armed wit
two l5.inch smoOth-bores. Thcu come eigl
, monitors, inferior to the first in speed al
armament, with either or both of the gul
of 11-inch caliber. The tprretS of these We
t sells are from to 10 inches in thickness
+ without backing Of any Kind, aud compose
of 1-inch calber and upward would pen
= trate at /, 900 yards with ease. Five mo
f monitors of douOle-tuIrete type have bee
u for years awaiting completion under |
: building scheme.
: Three new cruisers are under constructs
l. the Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta, with
dispatch boat, the Dolphin with whose CO
}. dition the public is well informed