The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-01
BUILDING UP THE NAVY.
THE NATION SOON TO BE SECOND
IN UNAkMED CRUISERS.

ILe condltlCn or the navy as IL Will exlsu
March f. 1889, in comparison with the same
Ss it existed March 1885, and furnishing
list of the armored vessels heretofore au-
thorized by congress, the secretary says:
So far as armored ships are concerned, IL
subject is yet to be treated in a broad way by
the department and by congress. At the pres
emit time the conditions are such that every
thing necessary to a first-class fighting ship can
pc produced and furnished to the department
IN this country soon as in the course OF con-
structlon any element or feature is required,
but this has never until the present time been
true, and therefore the consideration of the
subject has been necessarily postponed by the
department until the present time.
COMING UP AMONG THE NATIONS.
The efforts of the department in ship con-
struction have necessarily. since March, 1885,
been devoted to unarmored vessels; and rs to
these, the department is able to report that
when the ships in course of construction and
those authorized shall have been completed,
the United States will rank second among the
nations in the possession of unarmored cruisers,
or commerce destroyers" having the hig hest
characteristics, viz: Of a size of 5000 tons and
upward, and possessing a speed Of nineteen
knots per hour and upward. The importance
which has been placed upon this branch of
naval armament Will be appreciated from the
statement that England AMI France possesses
sixty-tive vessels of the class known as IN
armored cruisers.
CONFEDERATE CRUISERS.
The attention of the world was attracted to
the destructive effect which was produced upon
the commerce of the United States by cruisers
fitted out under the auspices of the confederacy
in the war Of the rebellion. The total tonnage
of the registered vessels Of the United States
had risen year by year until in 1851, it amounted
to (, 642, 626 tons; and between 1851 and 1866 it
was reduced to 1872 1926 tons, or, in other Words
to the point which we had reached in l649, from
which decline we have never recovered. The
insurance war risk upon American vessels dur
ing the war rose in exceptional cases to as high
as 25 per cent.
Sir Charles Wilson, director general Of the
ordnance survey of Great Britain, recently
stated that IF there is one point clearer than
another in the history of commerce, it is this:
That when a state cannot effectually protect its
carrying trade In time of war, that trade passes
from il and does not return" And Lord Charles
Beresford, lately member of the board Of ad-
miralty, in the same connection stated: To
day one-half of the people in England would
absolutely have no bread to eat but for the
food that comes in over the sea. It is matter
of life and death for you to protect your COM
merce, and you have not the ships to do it
with"
We cannot at present protect our coast, but
we can return blow for blow, for we shall sooD
be in condition TO launch a feet of large and
fast cruisers against the commerce OF an
enemy to infiict most serious and lasting injury
thereon
POWER OF MACHINERY.
With regard to the production of power
by machinery, the report says:
An examination Of the state of the art in 1855
led to the conclusion that the machinery Of
naval vessels ought to be so designed as to pro-
duce ten-horSe power for each ton Of machin-
cry; and it was determined to make that the
standard, and to enter into no concracts that
were not based substantially thereon. Plans Of
machinery were purchased abroad, which upon
trial has approximated that result. Bidders
we're authorized to bid upon plans thus submit
ted to competition, or were permitted to sub
nit their own plans, but were obliged to guar
antee the results determined upon by the de-
partment under severe penalties for failure
and with compromising premiums in case of
attaining better results. 1t results
that all the contracts for the construction of
ships which have been entered into since March,
1885, call for the production Of power by the
machinery equal to the highest standards. The
efforts of the department in this matter have
been cordially seconded by the bureau chiefs:
and it is believed that at the present time the
department has reached the point where entire
reliance can be placed upon 1t Tor the produc-
ton of war vessels equal in character to those
Of any other country.
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
1t is gratifying to be able to report that as
will be seen from the following table, notwith-
standing the large expenditures for the new
navy in the last three years, the reduction In
other directions has made the total expenditures
Of the department less for these years than
for the three years ending June, 80. 1884, the
ordinary expenses Of the department
having been reduced over 20 per
cent. The year 1SS4-'S5 was omitted
wholly in either administrator. The
total expenditures Of the department
for the three years ended June 30,
1884, were compared with the three years ended
June So 1888, the items taken from the reports
of the fourth auditor of the treasury, and dis
tributed under the various objects OF the ex-
penditures."
=.
ing that the expenditures for the year ending
June 30, 1882 'S3 and "a, were S47 1919, 37, and
for the years ending June 80, 1856, 81 49, $46,
S30,630.
COAST AND HARBoR DEFENSE.
Under the head of coast and harbor de-
Tense, the secretary says:
In the last annual report of the department,
considerations were given leading to the conclu-
sion that 1t would be unwse for the department
TO follow the course of European powers in
building unprotected torpedo boats; and in the
present uncertainty regarding the practicability
of submarine boats, and while waiting prac-
teal trial Of the dynamite gunboat, it has been
deemed wise for the department TO build one
light draught. heavily armored harbor defense
floating battery or ram, for which designs have
been prepared by the bureau Of construction
with the chief OF the bureau Of ord
nance The advertisements for this vessel call
for the submission OF bids in the month
found stated in the table Of armored vessels be-
fore mentioned"
The business methods of the department
are discussed at some length and his
tory given to the efforts being made to sim
plify, systematic and improve them.
FAST PROTECTED CRUISERS.
A chapter is devoted to naval progress
during the year at home and abroad, and in
it the statement is made that the necessity
for an increased number of fast protected
cruisers, whether for the purposes Of pro-
tecting or destroying commerce, or for
service with q feet as scouts. has been
emphasized during the naval maneuvers of
the year, and is fully recognized by all
naval powers. But with the increase of the
number of cruisers it has been recognized
in view Of the recent introduction of
high explosive projectiles, and the
increase of power and rapidity of
fire Of rapid-fre and other
guns, that renewed attentionlmust be given
to the armored fleet, and the prevailing
opinion in England, France. Italy, Ger
many and Russia is strongly in favor of
additional armored ships to be built at an
early date. In these new vessels the armor
will be much more widely distributed, and
will certainly protect the battery and crew
as well as the water line and machinery.
The destructiveness of high explosive she'll
fire against unprotected sides emphasizes
the peculiar advantages OF the monitor
type for coast defense service.
IMPROVED PRoJEcTILEs.
The secretary considers the subjects of
improved powder, projectiles and torpedo