St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-29
OU k NAVY.
Admiral Porter Urges Imme liza te
Attention to Home Defenses.

| Admiral Porter Urges I'm mmed ia te
Attention to Fl ome Defenses.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S.-Admiral Por-
ter has submitted to the secretary of the
navy report embodying schemes for pro-
noting the efficiency of the navy. He says
that there is no subject worthy of more
consideration than that of home defenSes.
He considers it of vastly more interest at
the present moment than the construction
of cruisers, and the iron-cadS now laid up
at City Point are so well adapted to the
protection of our coast that it seems pity
they should be left in the condition they are
to-day. Touching the cruisers Chicago,
Atlanta and Boston. and the dispatch boat
Dolphin. he says:
So far the new vessels have given no evil
dence of great speed, and it is feared by those
most interested in the matter that they never
will, which deficiency will render them USE
less as commerce deStrOyerS. We require for
the navy the following classes of vessels,
which will at least enable US to show that we
have system, even if our ships do not equal
in speed those of foreign powers: The first
class should be represented by a vessel not
less than 5000 or more than 1000 tons. and
able 70 make for few hours speed of nine
teen and One-haf knots. The second class
should be vessel of not less than 5000 tons,
teen knots Vessels of the second class should
serve as 1agshps on foreign stations. The
third class should be a vessel of 5000 tons.
able to make for few hours a speed of eight
cen knots.
The admiral remarks that it is proposed
to construct thirteen-knot gunboat carry
ing four guns. This vessel could not over
take anything, and a powerful Chinese
gunboat will be more than match for her.
n 10 hat fhn fhAr l@,,iIE
clads without regard to future uniformity.
so that it would be a difficult matter to
make effective formation of lines of battle
TOO MANY CLASSES.
The United States is making mistakes of
the same kind by building so many different
classes of vessels at the outset, without know
ing whether any of them will meet the re-
quirements of the cruiser of the present day.
No nation. he says, can dispense with forts,
but tits better to depend upon navy to pro-
tect our coasts, instead of maintaining so
small force of ironclads as we have at pres
ent. Every year we should construct three
or four double-turreted monitors, no matter
if we do not build any cruisers in the mean-
time.
Turn ng1 his attention to the subject
of torpedo boats. Admiral Porter says that
he has seen enough of torpedo boats to
know that 200 or 800 pounds of gun cotton
OApiOuCu ulttCt d oLilp AO MdICCl WHdI HCl
size, is bound to sink her or silence her.
Yankee ingenuity, if stimulated by the
prospect of a sufficient reward, would no
doubt soon give us superior torpedo. He
commends the Erickson torpedo, and says
what we require to fire such torpedo is
the fastest vessel in the word. something
that torpedo destrOyers cannot overtake.
The report treats of the reorganization OF the
different branches OF the navy, and es-
pecially of the navy department This re-
organization. he insists must take place
sooner or later. and whoever achieves so
great victory will receive the thanks Of
the country. The admiral takes strong
ground in favor of the government encour-
aging the private shp-yards of the country
by giving them all the work possible to en-
able them to improve their plants, so that
in time of war they can aid the government
in building vessels. He advocates gov
ernment iron ship p-building yard.