Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-04
CLASSES IN WAR SHIPS.
THE COMMEKCE DESTROYER
AND THE FIGHTER.

Nations - screw Loose Somewhere
U"der the Republican Regime.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.--The following
are extracts from the annual report OF
the Secretary OF the Navy:
The experience of the department in its
Hrst attempt at the creation OF modern yes
sells of war has been such as to excite the
greatest concern and disappointment. An
examination of the facts with reference to
them demonstrated tn an entrely new de-
parture was necessary in undertaking fur
ther elmi ar construction. Tue one Charac-
terlstlc which an unarmOred cruiser must
possess ls great 'eed. This is determined bV
the function which she is expected to perform
in modern warfare. She Is a commerce de
stroyer." She must be able to escane from
lroncads ana outrun, so as TO overhaul.
merchantmen. II slower than ironcads
she could not keep the sea,
aud II slower than merchantmen sh,
might as well stay in port. THIS division of
ships by the functions which they are ex-
pecied to perform is one of the things which
mas come about OF recent years. When II
became impossible to concentrate in one ship
ooth the greatest speed. strongest armament,
ana the highest fensive power, without
reaching tonnage displacement who ly out
OF the question, he div sion into classes, ac-
cordlng to the functions which thew were ex-
pected TO perform, came about. Unarmored
cruisers have become u distinct class, and the
characteristic a solutely Indispensable 10 this
CLASS Is very great speed.
WHEN THE DOLPHIN, BOSTON, ATLANTA,
AND CHICAGO
were projected and the contracts for their
construction entered into, it was well known
what what speed ought to be attained and
Wnat character or machinery per
ton of displacement was neces-
sary to obtain it. Commercial vessels
Gad at that time attained speeds ranging be-
tween sixteen and nineleen knots. and cruis-
being Al "a
already been built, attaining the same speed.
The Dolphin and the Atlanta having both
been completed and having had trial trips, 1t
is possible TO compare them in their results
with similar vessels built contemporaueously
elsewhere. The Dolphin, of 800 tons dis
Placement, can be compared with the Alac-
rlty and Surprise, English dispatch vessels of
i,4O0 tons each, and the Milan, French dis
patch vessel of 1850 tons, all built oontemp-
oraneously. The Dolphin was designed for
$500 indicated hor~e-l -lower, the Alaerity and
Surprse each 3.0p0, and the Milan 5000. The
highest mean horse power developed upon
trial was, in the case of the Dolphin, less than
2,2O0; OF the Aacrity. 3, 1913; of the Surprise,
3OID; of the Milan, 4,l32. The high speed
OF the Dolphin, resu ting from Sc era trials.
was 10. Ill knot, running llght; of the Alac-
rltv, IL 9s knots; of The Surprise. l.S knots;
~ the Milan 1874 knots.
THE ATLANTA, THE SISTER SHIP TO THE
BOSTON,
can be compared with the Esmeralds, the
the Giovanni Bausan, aud the Mersey. All
three were built IN England; the Esmeralda
for Chilli, the Giovanni Bausan for Italy and
the Mersey for the English government. The
Atlanta is OF 5000 tons displace ent; the e.
merada. 1920; the Giovanni Bausan, 3,06S;
and the Mersey, $3.50. The Atlanta was de-
signed to attain an indicated horsepower OF
$500, the Esmer Ida and the Giovanni Bausan
each $500 and the Mersev 5000. The trials
had Of the Atlanta indicate that her engines
will develop less than 3.50p bo -se-power.
while the Esmeralda developed 5000. tnr
Giovanni Bausan $50 and the Mersey 6,826
TIE maximum speed Of the Atlanta Will be
,ess IMAM Is knots. while that of the Es-
merada was 1928 knots, the Giovanni
Bausan H.5 knots, the Mersey l7.5 knots.
THESE FACTS ARE STATED WITHOUT
ANY INTENTION
of locating responsibility or blame upon any
person. 1t il impossible to ascert ain where il
'hou d be placed. But they indica e a simple
abandonment on the par OF the department
of any att empt TO reach the conditions which
mould have been att aimed and the failure on
The part of the contractor To reach the lImte
results expected by tho depar mem. In con.
siderlng the matter of constructing the ad-
dltional We sells authorized by Congress In
March, 1855, it WAS decided 10y the d part
ment to exhaust every effort TO avail itself OF
the moot advanced thought and knowledge
attained by our own and other countries
upon he subje {. The mach merry OF navai
vessels |; entire y different In charac' er from
hat oil merchant SHIPS; and AS no modern
quilt in this country by our government,
up to the time of those just referred to. it
-eemed probable, on comparing re-ults at
tanned by the departme III ITS first effort
with those reached by other countries, that
import ant advances had been made elsewhere
in the me hods of at aiming great speed and
power, which it had become necessary for
rs to utilize. For twenty years he principal
market for modern war vessels has been
England Russ "a. Germany. Italy, ChIl,
Brazil, Japan. have all procured in the Eng
hsh market war vessels Ieckoned among the
best in their respective fleets. Great efforts
have been made in most of these countries 10
develop IN p construction at home. b 4 not
with ut fret ava,llng Of the latest products
attainahle elsewhere as n basis upon which TO
nuild iher o~n subsequent improvements
and developments.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS, SINCE MARCH,
1855,
accumulated a large amount Of information
N ths way of plans, showing the latest ad-
V aces IN the art. which, IL 10 believer, have
been aVAled Of To a very important extent by
the technical officers OF the department IN the
work upon the new ships now about to be I'M
dertaken. l believe IT TO be the rue policy Of
the department to ga her such information
from every quarter and at the same time 10
depend entirely upon our own resources for
the construction OF our vessels. The depart
ment, during this time, has kept Itself in con-
sultation with the lcading shipbuilders OF the
Ountry, who feel themselves greatly con
cerned and interested IN the success OF
the department in these matters. The de-
partment having In the course Of its efOris
purchased plans, including the detailed
drawings of the motive power OF the two
most recent productions OF Sir William Arm
slrong Il Co., was strongly recommended by
the several practical shipbuilders who were
consulted to reproduce the machinery in two
of ID new ships. and to construct the other
three upon the designs Of its bureaus. This
course mas been adopted. This intention has
neatly simulated the work OF the depart
ment. and IL Is hoped that The 1000 ton ship.
designed by the bur aus will marx not only
a very great advance over the last ships de-
-tgned by them, but even over tho Q built on
he plans which have been obtained from
broad. A II the time necessary for the prep
ara ion OF the plans mas been patient per-
nitted and ev ry encouragement llgen g. the
successful solution OF the problems involved.
With reference TO armor for armored
vessels. or for the double Lurreted monI-
tors, the Secretary says:
No steel manufactursr in the United States
with his present plant, would enter Into a
contract 10 deliver armor guaranteed to
stand the tests, based upon the tests OF armor
10 use abroad, which the Bureau Of Ordnance
would prescribe.
q Ia certainly most lameDfable circum-
stancc that a country like ours with lts im-
mense products Of iron and steel, should br
content to be dependent upon the manufac-
nfacturers Of any other nation for the fabrl-
G ,tion OF armor and high po ogered guns, DO
II which are now essential and indispensable
parts of modern fighting ship. Whatever
is com merclal policy may be. for tbs crea-
lion ~ It's necessary Implements OF war IL
should certainly 10 independent.
The arm n and the armament OF the vessels
already authorized by Congress involved an
estimated expenditure OF xe,I32000. IL is as
lurnod hv fla danarfment that thaaa large