New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-16
NEW NAVAL PROJECTS.


Naval Appropriation bill about to be reported,
after inexcusable delay, to the House. Two
are to be cruisers OF 5000 tons ana OF
guaranteed speed of nineteen knots, and prob
ably they will be similar to the vessels now
under construction in Philadelphia and san
Francisco, which are expected to develop the
samo speed. The third unarmored cruiser is
10 be more ambitious warship, the tonnage
exceeding 5000 and the speed to be guar
anteed being twenty knots. The fourth Will
he an armored cruiser of Z 800 tons, for which
the limit of cost is S3,5O0,000. At least one
of these vessels will be built at a Government
Navy Yard, presumably the last. This is the
third armored ship projected for the new
Navy, and while authority for its construction
may be given by Congress, immediate pro-
gress with the plans is not to be expected.
The armored cruisers the Maine and the
Texas which are to be built in the New FORK
and the Norfolk Navy Yards have not yet
been seriously undertaken owing to the lack
of suitable plant in the Government yards.
The plans for these vessels, the cruiser and
the battle-ship, have been sharply criticised
by experts, and at the best may be consid-
cred experimental. Whether the Department
has acquired sufficient experience in project
ing vessels of this class to warrant an appro-
priation for third armorcd ship may be re-
garded as an open question. Too many
duplicates of INFESTED designs are not wanted
In the new Navy.
The Departments advice has naturally
been followed by the Naval Committee in its
recommendations for additional vessels The
fort to provide the Navy with the fastest
cruisers that can be built has attracted the
attention of foreign Governments. Already
France, Russia and Great Britain have fol-
lowed the example set at Washington and it
is probable that Germany and Italy will not
be far in the wake. With foreign Govern
ments actively entering into competition with
one another in this class of vessels, it is
necessary for the Navy Department to per-
severe in the same line of construction.
Three unarmored cruisers are properly added
to the five already building, and the figures
given for the displacement and speed call for
no criticism. The Magicienne, the first of five
new British cruisers, is a vessel of 2 $50 tons,
while the Cecile, which is the type Of fifteen
cruisers to be added to the French fleet,
has a tonnage of $3.50, being somewhat
heavier than the Russian Korniloff and her
two cOnsorts, with displacement of 5000.
Two of the new cruisers to be authorized by
the appropriation bill are to have a displace-
ment equal to that Of the Magicienne, while
the third will be a vessel of 5 300 tons, mid
way between the Cecille and the Kornioff.
Their speed will be equal to that which the
three foreign Governments arc seeking to de-
velOp, nineteen and twenty knots. II Amer
lean contractors can be found who may be
willing to guarantee this high rate of speed,
the Department will be most fortunate. 1t
seems to us, however somewhat exacting to
make this demand, when speed of nineteen
or twenty knots has not yet been demonstrated
as practicable in war vessel.
When Republican Administration entered
upon the work of creating new Navy it met
with strenuous opposition from the DEM
ocratic Representatives in Congress The
Democratic Administration, in continuing tho
same policy, has enjoyed immunity from OBJ
structiOn on the Republican side. No OBJ
stacles have been interposed by the minority
in the House. and every new project for pro-
viding the Navy with fast cruisers and fornid-
able battle-ships has been heartily seconded
by Republican journals, notwithstanding the
wretched display Of craftsmanship with which
Secretary Whitney opened his career in the
Navy Department. Patriotic Americans,
without reference to party lines, will unite in
the hope that the new fleet will be worthy
in every respect of the Nation and its old
time, but not seriously impaired, naval pres-
tge