The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-28
OUR NAVY AS 1T is
AND Is TO BE IN ABOUT FOUR
YEARS.
We Are Now the Weakest Naval Pow
er In the World; We VIII Then
Take Second Rank.

Constr uclo Wilson estimates the active
life Of the wooden ware ships oil our
present navy as foilows: The Tennes-
zee (he only one oiassed as fret rate,
Fix months; the Trenton, Omaha and
Vaudalis, second rates, and the Mohi-
can, third rate, Zen years, the Lam
caster and Bro 1klyn, second ratae, and
the Adams, Alliance, Essex, Enter
prize, Nipsc, Ta'lspocsa and Ysnilcc,
third ,ates, six yesrs; the Hartford,
Richmond and Pensacola, S cOnd rstee,
and the Juniata, o sippe, Q1inne-
baug, Swatara, Galens, Marion, lro-
quois and Kearsarge, third rates, five
years. There, together with the iron
shi s Monocacy, Alert end Ranger,
third rates. and the Michigan, Palos
and Pints, fourth rates, constitute the
available fighting force OF the present
navy. The most powerful OF their
weapons are the converted gune,
having range of perhaps two miles,
excellent arms for opera ions against
wooden ships and ancient tortltica'
tions, or for Smelling towns, but it,
efficient against the modern armor.
The very best OF these ships is
held by cur naval author
tiles TO be far behind the times, as
a reliance for Offenee or defense in
actual warfare. The LIST OF ironclads
comprifes more than dozen mon tors,
but rome OF them are in condition Tor
service at this time. With this show
ing the United States is placed by her
own authorities at tire foot Of the list
OF naval powers n thu essential mat
ter OF ships and guns, there being
thr6 g South American, two AsiatiC and
fifteen or six cen European powers
which outrank us. That portion of
our prospective "new navy" whose
corstrut ton has already been sane
toned by Congress, numbers eighteen
ships OF all class, to st an aggregate
of something more than $40 100000,
aud the list of which, barring acct
dent or the failure of appropriations,
is expected to be ahoat four years
hence. They are required TO be built
entirely Of metal, al d no device known
and approved at the date OF their
planning to secure efficiency as fight
ing machines has been or is 10 be
omitted in their construction. Their
armament throughout will be of the
modern high powered guns, the
largest weapons at present con-
tsmpattd being the twelve-inch
brtech-loading rifle, carrying a
missile which weighs more than 800
p luuds and requiring more than 400
pounds of powder for ca h discharge.
The theoretical range of such weapons
is alb out twelve miles, but difficulties
in the matter of elevation and other
wise serve to reduce this somewhat in
practice Seven of these ships are to
be armorsd, the heaviest probably
carrying sixteen inches Of steel as n
protection. Three will be protected
cruieen that il, vessels whose thick
lower decks Of steel dip their edges
below the water line and serve as
protection to the machinery, maya
zines aud other vital parts of the yes
sela. The others will be four steel
cruisers, two gunboats, one first Glass
torpedo boat and one dynamite gun
cruiser. OF the STEEL cruisers the Dol
phin, 1900 tons displacement, is al
ready comp eted; the Atlanta, 5000
tons, is on her trial trip and her arma-
ment is being tested, while the Boston,
5000 tons, and the Chicago, 1900 tons,
are far advar ced in construction, Five
of the armored vessels are Of the dou-
be erect monitor class, which designed
to carry four heavy high powered guns,
throwing 500 pound shells with pos
sible range of ten miles, These ships
were planned ten years ago. Doubt
less II planned today some change
would be made, but they are, never.
theless spoken of by Commodore
Wilson in his last annual report as
the best type of coast aud barber de.
tense vessels in existence. Though not
designed for c:uising they can in
emergencies be sent abroad, their sea
worthiness having been well tested in
the past. Congress has now supplied
the means for furnishing these ships,
aud the work is progressing rapidly.
The Miantonomah, 1915 tons, viii re
ready for seLv,cs this year; the Puri-
tan, 5000 tons, has her engines in
place and is nearly ready for her
amor, while the Terror, Amphihite
and Manadnock, 1915 tons each, are
now receiving their machinery. The
other two srmored ships have not yet
entered upon their first stsge Of ex-
istenCe, their construction having
only been authorized by Congress at
the end OF its last session. They are
TO be of 5000 tons displacement
to have double bottoms, engines d.
signed TO drive them at a speed Of
sixteen knots an hour and complete
torpedo outfit and armament Of the
most affective kind, and are to cost moi
more than 50 100000 each. Ia
the mere matter OF displace
ment these ships will exceed by near
| ly one-Iourth the best aud largest of The
present naval vessels, while in speed
and effectiveness they are intended
to compare Iavorably with the better
ela's OF European cruisers. The dy.
Mantle gun cruiser will be a novelty
compared TO probably nothing now in
existence. The Secretary of the Navy
is authorized TO make contract witt
its inventors for its construction anC
the department will have little o.
nothing to do with the work beyo nj
passing judgment upon the plans il
advance, and the result at it's compile.
ton. The conditions imposed by tn,
act OF Congress contemplate the con
strucian OF vessel 100 feet long, pro
portionately very narrow and OF very
light draft, with exceedingly powerful
engines, guaranteed to be cspabl,
of pro iucing speed of twenty
knots. In brief, the plans OF thi
craft are understood to look to the
placing of the machinery and Other
ordinary appliance Of the ship towart
the bow or stsrn, leaving the region
amidships for the magazines an(
pneumatic guns, the latter being fixeC
in nosition and HAVING q bigh allow,