The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1886-12-09
THE NAVY.
important Features of Secretary
Whitney's Report.
The Departments Experience In building
Cruisers-How Money Has Been
Used-Resume of the Fast
Years Operations.

made public to-day, and from It the following
extracts, bearing on subjects of general inter.
.st, are made. The report has the following on
the subject OF the
ADDITIONAL NEW CRUISERS:
The experience OF the department in its
drst attempt at the creation OF modern vessels
of war has been such as 10 excite the greatest
concern and disappointment. An examination
OF the facts with reference TO them demon
strated that an entirely new departure was
necessary in undertaking further similar con
struction. The one characteristic which an un-
armored cruiser must possess is great speed.
This is determined by the function which She Is
expected to perform in modern warfare. She
is commerce destroyer She must
be able to escape from ironclads and
outrun, so as to overhaul, mcr.
>hantmen. II slower than ironClads she could
not keep the sea, and II slower than merchant
men she might as well stay in port This di-
vision Of ships by the functions which they are
expected 10 perform is one OF the things which
has come about OF recent wears. Whenit be
came impossible to concentrate in one ship
both the greatest speed, strongest armament,
and the highest defensive power, without
reaching tonnage displacement wholly out
OF the question, the division into classes. &C
cording TO the functions which they were ex
pected to perform, came about. charmed
cruisers have become a distinct class, and the
| characteristic absolutely Indispensable 70 this
class is very great speed.
When the Dolphin, Boston, Atlanta and Chi
cago were projected, and the contracts for their
construction entered into, il was well known
what speed ought 10 be attained and what
weight and character OF machinery per ton Of
displacement was necessary to obtain 1t. Com
mercial vessels had at that time attained
speeds ranging between sixteen and nineteen
knots, and cruisers were being built in other
countries, or had already been built, attaining
the same speed
The Dolphin and the Atlanta having both
been completed, and having had trial trips it
is possible to compare them in their results
with similar vessels built contempOrancously
| elsewhere. The Dolphin, OF 1900 tons diSplace-
ment, can be compared with the Alacrity and
! Surprise, English dispatch vessels Of 100 tons
| each, and the Milan, French dispatch vessel
| of $50 tons, all built contemporaneously. The
Dolphin was designed for 2,3D indicated horse
power, the Alacrity and Surprise each 3,0OJ and
the Milan 1900 The highest mean horsepower
developed upon trial was. in the case of the
Dolphin, less than 2,2OO, OF the Alacrity, aha,
of the Surprise, 3079 of the Milan, ,l32. The
highest speed of the Dolphin. resulting from
several trials, was 1911 knots, running light; OF
the Alacrity, 1875 knots; OF the Surprise, l7.S
knots; of the Milan. 1874 knots.
The Atlanta, the sister ship 10 the Boston,
can be compared with the Esmeralda, the
Giovanni Bausan and the Mersey. All three
were built in England; the Esmeralda for
Chill, the Giovanni Bausan for Italy and the
Mersey for the English Government. The At
lanta Is of 1900 tons displacement; the Esmer-
aida, $50; the Giovanni Bausan, 3,0GS, and
the Mersey. $3.50. The Atlanta was designed
10 attain an indicated horse power OF $500 the
Esmeralda and the Giovanni Bausan each s.
500, and the Mersey 5000. The trials had OF the
Atlanta indicate that her engines viii develop
1pe w
aida developed 5000, the Giovanni Bausan g.
CSC, and the Mersey 6626. The maximum speed
of the Atlanta will be less than Is knots, while
that OF the Esmeralda was 1928 knots. the
Giovanni Bausan l7.5 knots; the Merscy IFS
knots
These facts are stated without any intention
OF locating responsibility or blame upon any
person. 1t is impossible to ascertain where it
should be placed. But they indicate a simple
abandonment on the part OF the department OF
any attempt 10 reach the conditions which
should have been attained ard the failure on
the part OF the contractor to reach the limited
results expected by the department. In con-
Sidering the matter OF constructing
the additional vessels authorized by
Congress in March, 1885, it was decided by the
department TO exhaust every effort to avail
itself OF the most advanced thought and
knowledge attained by our own and other
countries upon the subject. The machinery OF
naval vessels is entirely different in character
from that of merchant ships; and as no modern
war vessels have been for many years built in
this country by our Government, up TO the time
OF those just referred 10, il seems probable on
comparing results attained by the department
in its first effort with those reached in other
countries, that important advances had beer
made elsewhere in the methods OF attaining
great speed and power which it had become
necessary for us TO utilize For twenty years
ho maj bot
has been England. Russia, Germany, Italy
Chili, Brazil, Japan have all procured in the
English market war vessels reckoned among
ihe best in their respective fleets. Great ef
forts have been made in most OF these coun
tries TO develop ship construction at home, but
not without first availing of the latest products
Attainable elsewhere as basis upon which to
build their own subsequent improy and
Developments
THE NEW ARMOR- -CIADS.
Congress- at its recent session, authorized
the construction of two iron-clads Of about g.
COO tons each The subject has been referred
TO the bureaus OF construction, steam engineer
ing. equipment and recruiting and ordnance TO
take the necessary steps TO prepare plans for
the letting. The department has also deemed
it wise 10 OFFER TO all approved naval architects
and ship builders an opportunity TO compete
with the work of the department in the design
for these new ships, and the sum OF $4,000 has
been offered ascompensation for any accepted
design for either OF the vessels, the working
drawings TO be the subject OF subsequent agree
Iaent. There are many distinguished architects
who OF late years, have had much greater ex-
perience in new work than the liberality of our
government has made il possible for our own to
enjoy and in starting upon the creation OF a
new navy the department has no embar-
rassment in desiring 10 avail OF the best
talent anywhere TO be found in placing the
new work upon par with the best OF
other countries, from which point it is entirely
safe TO predict that the ingenuity ana talent OF
our own countrymen will suffice TO keep US in
the front rank for future work
No time will thus be lost even if no designs
are submitted or accepted, for the process OF
preparing necessary plans is going on stimuli
taneously in the department. &C ""
rHE ARNoR AND GUNS FOR THE MONITORS
AND THE ARAOR-CLADs. FE.
Congress also authorized the President, in his
discretion, 10 direct the completion OF The
double-turreted MONITORS and made provision
with reference to the arInor as follows
That the aTInor used in constructing said
armored vessels aud for completing said mon
itors shall be OF the best obtainable quality,
and Of dopestie manufaeture, provided con,
tracts for furnishing the same in reasonable
time, at reasonable price. and OF the required
quality can be made with responsible parties.
SuCu dftnOE SNAIL Do -OIiN ditCf pass
ing such tests as shall 'be prescribed by the
Secretary OF tbe Many and Inserted in the con
tracts. frvr .- q -
In constituting the statute' for the purpose OF
ascertsining what, within the view OF Congress,
should be construed reasonable time" il
was deemed to necessarily imply such o time as
would be reQuiredto perfect IN this country an
additional plant adequate 10 the creation OF lle
product desired, inasmuch as modern arInor
either Of steel or compound, able to stand the
tests which would be prescribed, has not up 10
he present time, been made in the Cnited