New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-01
CONDiT ON or THE NAVY.
.ECRETARY wBIlNEY'o ANNUAL REPORT

Is Now-LITTLE PROGRESS WITH ARMoRED
Observation-Disclosures IN ARMA.
MENTs NOTED.
Washington, Nov. 30.-The annual report Of tho
Secretary Of the Navy was issued today As final
statement of his work in the Navy Department Sec
rotary Whitney announces at the start that he will
give the report something of the character OF COM
parison between the condition of the service as it,
in March. 1885. and 1t will be in March. 1880
He then continues
In March, 1855. the United States had no vessel
as against any frs,-rate naval power, and was de-
pendent upon English manufacturers for the forgngs
Of guns for armor FOR secondary batteries this
last item including machine and rapid-frc guns. 1t
became necessary, therefore, 10 consider what the
TO the creation of its implements of war and IT was
determined that the United states ought 10 be indie
pendent of all other coultres in that regard. -.
The adoption of definite policy, as above indl-
Gated, involved delay In the construction OF all
classes of amorcd ships of least three years, but
was determined upon without hesitation as the only
course Consistent with proper regard for our Ma
mont were therefore, in the first instance. devoted to
the problem of DEMONSTRATING in this country the IN
dusrics for the making of armor and of the forgngs
AS a first step in this direction all purchases of
gun steel purchased in England, amounting TO
tracts made subsequent to that date amounted to
about slOo0oo no further purchases of either
G Ssss gun steel have been made abroad since March,
As a second STEP the wants of the Department
until contracts Of some magoitude could be offered
TO the composition Of domestic manufacturers one
plant in this country adequate to the manufacture Of
both armor and gun steel up to the highest standard
This was deemed an expesment by the Depart.
at the time, and accompanied with great
individual effort toward enlisting the steel manu-
fully and upon the LIST day of juno. 1887, contracts
entered into with the bethlehem Iron Company,
of Bethlehem. Penn, one of the largest and most
embarrassing of American steel manufactures, unIcr
which the United states was guaranteed that wllhln
this country would have within It's borders plant
equal to. and probably superior TO- any In the word
power guns This in the judgment of the Department,
must he deemed TO have been the first Important step
towards the creation of a navy modern In character.
LITTLE DONE YET ON ARMORED SHIPS.
After giving a list of the armored vessels now in
process of construction. and account of tho
progress made them the Secretary says
From the above table it will be observed that so
vet to be treated in broad way by the Department
and by Congress At the present time the conditions
fighting ship be produced and furnished TO the
Department in this country in the course
1s has never heretofore until the present time been
true and therefore the consideration of the subject
has been necessarily postponed by the Department
In the above table the double urrcted monitors will
recommended by the department solely as choice OF
several million dollars which had been spent upon
them should thrown away the balance necessary
10 complete them be appropriated
From the foregoing statement It will be observed
that the efforts of the Department In ship construction
have necessarily March. 1885, been devoted TO
unarmored vessels and as to these the Department.
is able TO report that when the ships IN of
eruction and those authorized shall have been com
peted, the United States will rank second tho
nations in the possession Of unarmored cruisers or
acterstics viz, of size 5000 tons and upward
and possessing speed of 10 knots and upward
The importance which has been placed upon this
branch OF naval armament VIII be appreciated from the
statement that England and France possess 65 vessels
ton Of the world attracted TO the destructive
effect which We Vo~uced upon the commerce of tbs
United States by. ne cruisers fitted out Under the
auspices of the Confedcracy in the War of tho Rebellion
II amounted 2.642 CPS tons and between 1861 and
words, to the point which we had reached in $40.
from which decline we have never recovered The
War rose in exceptional cases TO as high as IS per cent
We cannot al present protect our coast but we can
10 launch cet Of large and fast cruisers against the
commerce of an enemy able TO nflct the most serious
The Characteristic which unarmored cruiser
must possess is great speed She must be able to
merchantmen. If slower than ronclads she could not
keep the sea, and If slower than merchantmen size
PLANS FOR MACHINERY.
An examination of the condition OF the Department
tn 1885 regarding the production OF power BY machinery
showed clearly that the matter required most careful
investigation and thorough consideration before enter
ing upon new work. There pending in March,
1885, contracts for the construction OF the machinery
OF the double.tuIeted mentors Puritan, Terror ana
Amphifrte. The contracts were entered into in 1888.
specifications were furnished by the Bureau Of Steam
Engineering. From an examination of the character
iscS of the machinery OF those vessels, II VIII De seen
that the machinery was at least quarter of century
behind the age d esied e Es amount n OF po" o p
etc. the best that could be expected would be an
machinery Al that rate, in order TO Obtain ~
knot ship. the machinery would require the entire
AN examination Of the state Of the art in $50 led to
the conclusion that the machinery of naval vessels
for each ton of machinery and it determined TO
make that the standard and 70 enter into no contracts
upon trial had apHro1imated that result. Bidder,
were authorized 70 bid upon the plans thus submitted
20 competition, permitted to submit their
plans but were obliged 70 guarantee the results deter
mined upon by the Department under penalties
for failure and with compensating premiums in of
1t results that all the contracts for the construc-
tion of ships which have been entered into since
machinery equal to the highest standards. Tho
efforts Of the department in this mater have been
believed that, the present time the Department has
reached the point where entire Reliance can be placed
upon n for the production of war vessels equal in
character TO those OF any other country
NAVAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR.
The necessity for increased numbers of fast pro-
teced cruisers whether for purposes Of protecting
destroying commerce, for service with fleet
scouts, has been emphasized during the naval
noeuvres of the year, and is fully recognized by all
naval powers.
The fastest, largest and most powerful protected
cruisers yet laid down the Blake and Blenheim
English, Of 1900 tons displacement. 10000 indi
Gated horse power, trial speed twenty-five knots, and
continuous pccd twenty knots with a coal supply
sufficient to steam 5000 miles at that speed. The
ornaments Of these vessels viii consist Of two 9.2noh
j. l.. and ten 6inch T. r. g. The vessels have heavy
protective decks, ranging from four TO six inches
In maximum thickness.
The fastest POieeIsd cruiser built during the year
somewhat over $500 tons, carries six G-inch Il. L.
and six 80 FOUNDER Il. f. c., has protective deck of
three and One-haf inches maximum thickness, and is
expected 10 develop nearly 12.COO indicated horse
power and twcHiy-One and Onehalf knots speed
The PlemOnte has been bought from Sir William
Armstrong & Co.. by the Italian Government
But with the increase of the number Of cruisers