The Indianapolis journal., 1886-02-13
WAR SHIPS.
Secretary Whitney Gives His Views as to the
Kind of Vessels We Need.

Secretary Whitney Gives His Views as to the.
Kind of Vessels We Need.
| WASHINGTON, Feb 12.-Secretary Whitney,
| today, at the request of the House committee
on naval affairs, expressed his views relative to
| the construction of the navy He began with q
recommendation that the uncompleted monitors
should be completed In his opinion. the type OK
vessels most needed by the navy was steel cruis-
ers. Those now building were good fighting
ships, aud in time of war would prove the effect
| iveness of their armor and machine guns He
| thought the government should go on replacing
| its wooden ships with these cruisers. After q
sufficient appropriation should be made it would
| take some time to draw up plans and get the
! yards into condition to start work.
| The chairman inquired whether, in his opin-
ion, part of the appropriation should be set
| apart for the construction of torpedo boats.
| The Secretary replied that as torpedo boats
held an important place in modern warfare, it
would be wise to provide for their construction.
The chairman asked IL he had any opin@
| ion to give in reference to the adyisab:iity Of
| building ships in navy-yards by private cons
| tract.
| The Secretary replied that tie navy.yard ques-
| ton had good many sides. AS far as the
economic question was concerned he did not
suppose the navy-yards were defensble, bus
that was not all there was of it, In time Of war
| it was absolutely necessary to have plants and
| organization. In time of peace the navy-yardsy
were required to make the necessary repairs OF
vessels. Looking at the latter from econoH1-
cal standpoint the contract system of construc-
| tlon was more satisfactory. If, however, the
| government anticipated having iron-clads,
and torpedo boats, and cruisers, aud a real navy,
he would recommend that one yard be fitted up
that ships could be built in it. Ships like the
ltiachuelo, built for the Brazilian government
were the most useful type. That ship was
combination OF monitor and cruiser. good
sea-going ship, cruising monitor Recurring
| to the subject Of the imperative cost OF con-
| struction in public and private yards, he said
that the work could be done cheaper by a pri-
vate builder than at navy yard. A private
| builder got great deal more work out of his
| people than could be got out of the men en-
| ployed in the navy-yards. The eight-hour law
made difference of 20 per cent If American
ship-builders could be got into condition where
it was to their interest to hire the best construct
| ors in the world, better ships would be built in
| them, and in our yards, for they could pay bet
ter salaries than the governmentopays There
was not the same stimulus in the government
service. he had definite idea Of
the kind of vessel required. We should build
half dozen cruisers little larger than those
now buildine-about the size of the Chicago.
The work could be done in the nayy-yards with
the expenditure of several hundred thousand
dollars to get the yards in condition. In answer
to Mr.. Thomas, the Secretary said he thought it
would be wise policy to offer to private con-
tractors bonus for a speed greater than that
called for in the specifications and also to i'm
pose penalty If the specified horse power were
not realized. The vessel should be of the cruiser
| type.
Admiral Porter favored the completion of the
| unfinished monitors, which he regarded as excele
lent ships. He had had the vessels at sea during
| the war, ''and they rode ir out like ducks" He
said he could take two of these vessels with q
one-nundred-ton gun on each, and sailing around
one of the big, clumsy ron-clads knock her to
pieces The torpedo ne thought powerful
weapon of defense The government should in
addition to the monitors, have fast man-of-war.
Mr. Cramp and Mr. Mckay, the ship builders,
| and Admiral Simpson also gave their views upon
the subject