The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-27
OUR WAR SHIPS.
A Sorry Showing at Present-The Vessels Now
Under Construction.

Sorry Showing at Present-The Vessels Now
Under Construction
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26-Chief Constructor
Wilson estimates the active life Of the wooden
ships of our present navy as follows: The Ten
nessee (the only ore classed at first rate), six
months; the Trenton, Omaha and Vandalia, sec
ond rates, and the Mohician, third rate, ten
years; the Lancaster and Brooklyn second rates.
and the Adams, Alliance, Essex, Enterprise,
Nipsic. Tallapoosa and Yantc, third rates, six
years; the Hartford Richmond and Pensacola,
second rates, and the Junata Osspee, Quinne-
baug Swatara, Galena. Marion, Iroquois and
Kearsarge. third rates, FIVE years These, to-
gether with the iron ships Monocacy, Alert and
Ranger third rates. and the Michigan, Palos
and Pinta fourth rates, constitute the available
fighting force of the present navy. The most
powerful of their weapons are the converted
guns, having range of perhaps two miles; ex-
cellent arms for operations against wooden ships
and ancient fortifcations, or for shelling towns,
but inefficient against modern armor The very
best of these ships is held by our naval author
tiles to be far behind the times as
reliance for offense or defense
in actual warfare. The list Of iron clads COM
pEISoS uIOE0 Ludu u uOASu LlOulIOES UuL none or
them are in condition for service at this time
With this showing the United States is placed
by her own authorities at the foot of the list of
naval powers in the essential matter of ships and
guns, there being three South American, two
Asiatic and fifteen or sixteen European powers
which outrank u.s.
That portion of our prospective new navy
whose construction has already been sanctioned
by Congress numbers eighteen ships of all
classes to cost an aggregate of something more
than $40. 000, 900, and the last of which, barring
accident or the failure of appropriations, is ex-
pecte1 to be afoat four years hence. They are re-
quired to be built entirely of metal and no de-
vice known and approved at the date of their
planning, to secure efficiency as fighting ma
chimes, has been or is to bc omitted III their con-
struction. Their armament throughout will be
OF the modern high powered guns, the largest
weapons at present contemplated being the
tweve-inch reech-loading rifle, carry missile
which weighs more than eight hundred pounds
and requiring more than four hundred pounds of
powder for each discharge. The theoretical
range of such weapons is about twelve miles, but
difficulties IN the matter of elevation and other
wise serve TO reduce this somewhat in practi CO.
Seven of these ships to be armored, the
heaviest probably carrying sixteen inches OF
steel as protection. Three will be protected
cruisers-thatis is. vessels whose thick lower decks
of steel dip their edges below the water-line and
serve as a protection to the machinery maga-
zines and other vital parts of the vessels. The
others will be four steel cruisers. two gnnboats,
one firstclass torpedo-boat, and oIe dynamite
gun cruiser Of the steel cruisers, the Dolnhin,
1900 tons displacement. is already completed
and receiving her armament The Atlanta B.
600 tons, is on her trial trip. and her armament
is being tested. while the Boston, 3, 900 tons and
the Chicago 4,500. are well advanced in construc-
ton. Five of the armored vessels are of the
double turret monitor class each de-
signed to carry four heavy high-powered
guns throwing 500pound shells, with q possible
range of ten miles These ships were
planned ten years ago. Doubtless if planned to-
day, some charge would be made, but they are,
nevertheless. spoken of by Commodore Wilson
in his last report, as the best typo of coast and
harbor defense vessels in existence. Though
not designed for cruising, they can. in emergen-
cies, be sent abroad. their seaworthiness having
been we'll tested in the past. Congress has now
supplied the means for finishing these ships, and
work is progressing rapidly. The Miantonomah,
3,Sl5 TONS will be ready for service this year;
the Puritan. 900 tons. has her en- gines in place.
and is nearly ready for her armor. while the
Terror, Amphitrite and Monadock 1916 tons
each, are now receiving their machinery. Tho
other two armored ships have not yet entered
upon their first stage of existence, their
construction having only been authorized by
Congress at the end of its last session. Tney are
10 be 6000 tons displacement, to have double
bottoms, engines designed to drive them at a
speed of sixteen knots On hour, and complete