The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-09-28
The SHIPS OF WAR.
The Wooden Vessels COmpris-
ing the Present Navy.
4 DISCREDlrABLE SHOWING
The U. S at the Foot Of the List of
Naval Powers I'm the Matter
or Ships and Guns.
Our War Shins.

WASHINGTON, september Z0.-OAlel
Constructor Wilson estimates the &C
tive life of wooden war ships of our pre-
sent navy, as follows: Tennessee, (tht
only one cIassed as first rate, si1
months?; Trenton, Omaha and Van
! dgHG, second rate, and adams, Attt
/ zee, ESSe1, Enterprise. Nipsie, IdELa
Sp6JU and YGHtie third rates, SIX
years. Hartford, Richmond and 'y1'S',-
! Gotta, second rates, and JttHi0ta, OSSipee
| eeijHn0 6at>gh, et0Gtdrn, Marion, Iroguoti
end KearSarge. third rates, five
| iron ships HonOcacy, Aiert and
Ranger, third rates, ana Micbigan, PGLoS
and PiRtd, fOnrth rates, constitute the
available fighting fierce of the present
navy. The NEST powerful of their wea-
pons are converted guns, having q
range perhaps of two miles, excellent
arms for operations against wooden
ships and ancient Notifications. or,shel-
ling towns, tat inefficient against mod
ern armOr. The very best of these ships
is held by cur naval authorities to be
far behind the times as q reliance for
offense or defense in actual warfare.
The list OF the iron, clads comprises
more than 8 dc5en monitors, bur none
of them is ia a condition for service at
this time. With this showing, the
United States is placed by her own au-
thorities 81 the foot of the list of naval
powers in the essential matter of ships
and guns, there being three South
American. TIVE Asiatic, and fifteen or
sixteen European powers which out
rank US. That portion of our
prospective new navy" whose con-
struction has already been sanctioned
by Congress, numbers eighteen ships of
all classes, to cost an aggregate of some
thing more than 1000, 900, and most
of which, barring accidents or failures
of appropriations. Is expected to be
afoat four years hence. They are re-
quired to be built entirely of metal, and
no device known and approved atthe
date of their planning, to secure eff
cheney as fighting machines, has been or
is to be omitted in their construction.
Their armament throughout will be O.
modern high-powered guns, the largest
weapons at present contemplated being
tWelve-Inch breech loading rifles carry
ing missile which weighs more than
80 pounds and requiring more than
400 pounds OF powder for each dis
charge. The theoretical range of such
weapons Is about twelve miles, but diff
hCultieS in the matter If elevation and
otherwise serve 10 reduce this some
what in pTaC ice. Seven of these ships
are to be armOred, the heaviest proba
bly, carrying sixteen inches of steel as a
protection. Three will be protected
cruisers, y that is, vessels whose thick
lower decks of steel dip thier edges be-
low the water lire and serve as pro-
lection to the machinery, magazines
and other fatal parts of the vessels.
The others will be four steel cruisers,
two gun boats, one first-class torpedo
boat and one dynamite gun cruiser. OF
the steel cruisers the DOlphin, 500 |
tons displacement. is really completed |
and receiving her armament. The At. |
IdntG, 5000 tons, Is on her trial |
trip. and her armament is being tested, |
while the Boston, 800 tons, ana the |
400 tons, are well advanced in |
Five of the armored yes
sells are of the double turret monitor |
class, each designed to carry four heavy, |
high powered guns throwing 500-pound |
balls, with possible range of ten miles. |
These ships were planned ten years ago. |
Doubtless ii planned to-day some |
change would be made, but they are |
nevertheless spoken of by Commodore |
Wilson in his last annual report as the |
best type of coast and harbor defense !
vessel in existence. Though not de-
signed for cruising, they can in
be sent abroad, their sea-
Torthiness having been well tested in
he past. Congress has now supplied
means for furnishing these ships, and |
The work is progressing rapidly. The
hedntOHOmGh, 3,815 tons, will be
-eady for service this years tho
Puritan, 5000 tons, has her engines
n place and is nearly ready for her
Irmor, while the Terror, Amphrite and
honodOeE, 1915 tons, are now receiving
heir machinery. The other two
Irmored ships have not entered on
heir nrst stage Of existence, their con-
truction having only been authorized
y Congress at the end of its last ses-
ION: They were to be of 5000 tons
displacement, OF the best bottoms en-
zines designed to drive them at q speed
II sixteen knots per hour and complete
orpedo outfits and ornaments of the
most effective kind, and are to cost not
more than tive and s half millions each
n the mere matter of these
hips will exceed nearly by one-fourth
he hest and largest of our present naval
while in speed and effectiveness
hey are depended upon to compare
SVOrably with the better class of Euro
'ean cruising var ships. The dynamite
.un cruiser viii be a novelty compar-
bic probably to nothing now in exis-
ence. The secretary of the navy is re-
ulred to make contract with its i'm {
for its construction and the de- {
viii have little or nothing to {
% with the work beyond passing iudg-
lent upon the plans in advance, and
ne result at It's completion. The condi.
ions imposed by the act of Congress
ontemplate the construction of 3 yessI
30 feet long, proportinately very t
arrow and of very light :
raft with exceedingly pow,r
Il engines, guaranteed TO be can. I
bic Of producing q speed of twenty
nots. In brief, the plans of this craft q
re understood to look to the placing Of I
ne machinery and other ordinary an {
hances of the ship towards the bdr T
nd stern, leaving the region amidsbins q
u magazine and pneumatic guns. the I
liter being fixed in position and having I
high elevation. The dynamite missiIeS i
Ill be thrown like bombs from An or Il
mary monitor. With all these vessels s
doat the United States as g na1si I n
over will Outrank Brazil, Chill. ATgen. q
ne Republic. China, Japan, Greece / I
Orway, Portugal and Sweden and III