National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-07-21
DIR NEW WAN SHIPS.
The Glass OF Cruisers This Government
Needs for Its Navy.


the Navy Department. This wonderful
model Of the modern war ship Naniwa is so
immensely superior In speed and fighting
power to all English war ships that IL will
cause a revolution in naval construction.
This model should not be retired 10 official
obscurity, but be on exhibition in the
rotunda Of the capitol, where all could adj
mire It.
The thoroughness Of the work encourages
the hope that IL will meet with a favorable
reception in House and Senate, for q
conscientious endeavor has been made to
convey clearly all the information on the
modern war ship Naniwa that personal ex-
perience, professional knowledge, and ex-
haustive inquiry could furnish.
In selecting the Naniwa Naval Con-
structor Philip Uiohborn, however, has
shown striking capacity for his task In
his excellent model. Mr.. Hichborn is
known as a pains taking and vigorous de-
partmental officer, and on his tour through
European dockyards he has compiled vast
amount Of material for building modern
war ships.
Some time ago mention was made OF
the arrival OF Naval Constructor HIGH
born's beautiful ship model, Naniwa, at
the Secretary's office, Navy Department,
and some further details Of the new Japan
csc cruiser can now be given. The Naniwa
best protected cruiser ailoat. She Is
equipped with the most recent and i'm
proved types Of guns, gun-mountlngs, hy-
draulic appliances, electric lighting, and
torpedo armament; and yet she starts for
Japan In charge of Japanese officers and
seamen, with only an English engineer
on board. No better proof could be given
OF the remarkable advances made OF late
by the Japanese navy, which will play
more important part In future operations
In its native waters and the China seas than
IL has done hitherto. About two and half
years ago special commission OF Japanese
officers came to Europe, charged with the
important duty Of arranging for the addl-
ton Of new ships to their fleet. Admiral
Ito was the president OF the commission;
all his assistants and colleagues had been
trained in the English navy or In English
works and colleges. The labors OF the
commission resulted In the adoption of
designs, prepared by Mr.. w. II. White
(now director of naval construction, and
the conclusion of a contract with Sir William
Armstrong u Co. for building two cruisers
named the Naniwa and Takachiho.
These two ships were contracted for Just
two years ago. The Naniwa was delivered
TO the Japanese, fully armed and equipped,
three months ago, and her sister ship, the
Takachiho, is also practically complet-
rather notable contrast to the average rate
Of progress in building ships for the Ameri-
can navy. The ships have been completed
In strict accordance with the design origin
ally submitted and under the personal su-
pervision and direction of the designer Nor
has there been any financial limitation to
progress, such as too often hampers and
hinders work on ships built In the Ameri-
can dockyards. The Naniwa and her sister
ship closely approach the Iris, Leander, and
Mersey classes OF the royal navy In their
principal dimensions aud displace-
ment. They are each 800 feet long,
40 feet broad, and of 3,T00 tons displace-
ment. In the character and thickness of
the protective decks they are practically
identical with the Mersey, and far superior
to the Leander class. In armament they
greatly surpass all the English ships; In
speed they are also superior. On the OIL
cial trials, run over a distance guaranteed
by the English government, and in any
thing but favorable weather as to wind and
sea, the ships have attained speeds Of
titles them to the place OF the swlftest war
ships afoat. These speed trials were
made with the ships fully armed and
equipped In every respect, and under the
supervision Of a commission appointed by
the Japanese government. Firing trials
were also made with the Naniwa before
she left with completely satisfactory results.
ments, these ships resemble the Esmeralda,
| Gillian cruiser, built by the same firm,
but there is no other point Of resemblance
| IN these ships to the Esmeralda, which is a
| smaller and much less powerful ship than
her successors, the Naniwa and Takachiho.
The armament Of the Japanese ships In
| cludes two 26 centimeter and six 15-centi-
meter breech.loadlng guns supplied by
| Krupp, two siX-pounder rapid firing guns,
and ten 1-inch machine guns Of Norden-
| felt's manufacture, and four Gatlings OF
the improved Elswick type, mounted In
military tops on two masts. The total
weight Of this tremendous battery exceeds
| by nearly 100 tons the weight of armament
OF the Mersey, and by more than 100 tons
that of the Leander. All the gun mount
| ings are OF Elswick design and manufac-
| ture, those for the 26.centimeter and 10
centimeter guns being on the Vavasseur
| central pivot principle. The heavy bow
and stern chase guns, each about % tons In
weight, are revolved and loaded by n.y.
draulic power, and In all these arrange
ments considerable improvements have
been effected on the corresponding ar
rangements which worked so well in the
Esmeralda.
There Is much less liability to damage In
action, greater protection to the loading
stations, and perfect control over the guns.
The upper deck, on which all the principal
| guns are carried, is at the great height OF
fourteen feet above water, the axes Of the
| guns being five feet or six feet higher
hence there is little probability of their fire
being interfered with by the sea In any
| weather when an action could be fought
During her various trials In the North sea
and again In her passage to Plymouth, the
Naniwa has had her seagoing qualities
tested to moderate extent, and her officers
speak of them in the highest terms. Hell
voyage out will furnish more severe tests
The number and power Of the auxiliary
armament Of rapid firing and machine guns
are very notable. Each OF the ships has
besides powerful armament OF Schartzko
torpedoes, two separate torpedo rooms, ant
four training eiecting tubes being provided
on the broadsides and above water.
This republic, in her coming struggle be
tween life and death, wants cruisers OF The
Naniwa class, Of which Naval Constructor
Philip Hichborn has accomplished mos
infinitely executed model, with modified
plans and specifications to suit the Ameri
can navy.