New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-01
EXPENDITURE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION
Total. s27.4l4.Ooo -.



To be expended for through nine years
While speed is s:ill considered the most important
characteristic Of The modern cruiser, It Is now ecne
rlfccd TO reducing weights OF machinery beyond me
limit necessary TO secure desirable results ms mas
been particularly Illustrated by the numerous accucn's
TO machinery and boilers in many OF Inc most Icccd.
English vessels taking part In the naval manosuVies
found necessary properly maintain the desired speed
entails either reduction of ordnance, coal ana other
and this latter is the direction in which designs of
cruisers mot especially built for police duties In he
of pcace) advancing. =.
With the question OF Increasing the fleet, that OF
mobilization and preparation for war receives equa
consideration and all naves are devoting the greatest
attention and study not only 10 me deVcoPmeh' vi
s Of iHr he b sup asc the
ment and proper training OF their reserves OF men,
this year chiefly devoted testing their capacity for
rapid mobilization. Tho operations OF me neAt naval
will ainly follow Immediately upon Its declara
ton and the nation unprcpared will find itself at the
mercy OF perhaps an inferior Zoe
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AS regards guns, the principal developments Of the
year have been in improved powder and proteces, in
the adoption of rapld-hrc guns of about 80 TO 45-
FOUNDER calibrc replace the 5-inch B. l. rife, and
In the experiments with highexplosivc projecdles
fired from high power powder guns
The greatest Improvement in the manufacture of
gunpowder has been made in France and Germany,
no ably thc former whereby initial velocitics have
been increased TO 2,400 and even $500 foOscconds
with reduced powder charge While the pfcSSulcS
kept we'll within the limits required by safety. Such
an increase of velocity increases the energy OF the
projcctile of he 6inch gun about rs per cent and
Increases its penetration from IL to about 10 IL
inches in iron.
n1H ss Al he n TsRd G
45 pounds with mTzzle velocity Of so7 % foot
This gun has fired ten we'll aimed shots in inmate
It has beon nrodneed into the English service and
forms the principal armament OF SIN cruisers Q.
has introduced
board the new cruiser Pemonte.
An Armstrong 6-inch rapd-fre gun has been com,
p'eted and is now undergoing trial II IS expected
To- fire proiccte weighing about 40 pounds, with
powder charge of 40 pounds and chamber pressure
The Hotchkiss 49, FOUNDER has also been recently
tried, with satisfactory results, giving velocity OF
The rapidty of aimed fire was 10 rounds Per minute.
epSande gun has been s%
and IS now at the Naval Ordnance Proving Ground
for trial
Casting Company and the Standard Steel Casting
Company of Thurlow, have been machined and fin
proving ground, whore they will be Immediately tried.
While the results of experiments made with mel.
enite shells in France and England have been closely
guarded, It assured that these projectles have
been safely fired from service guns, and mat thcir
bursting effect against the unarmOrcd portions OF
vessel Is most destruc tve-aganst the armOred por-
tons the explosive effect said TO be not very great
been greatly developed In France while the 4rgnal
firm and now undergoing development IN England
TORPEDO BOATS.
The recent naval manoeuvres abroad have shown
that torpedo boats must still be regarded most use
full for coast and harbor defence At the present time
England building two classes Of torpedo boats the
first of 100 feet length, 50 tons displacement, and
90 1-2 knots speed, armed with three tubes giving
practically all-around fire and rapid-frc guns TIE
placement, II 12 Knots speed, and armed with one
training torpedo boat France building four sea;
No hnafc IN Get
tons displacement, 90 Ia to % 1-2 knots speed.
armed with two to three training torpedo tubes and
two revolving also, forty-one boats, Us feet
long, So tons displacement, armed with two tubes ana
revolving cannon. Some OF these boats carry The
spar torpedo In the new English and in all Ee tnr
pedoes Italy is building thirty boats, l27 feet long
SIS tons displacement, armed with TWO torpedo
tubes and revolving cannon; also two smaller
boats 1O1 feet long, and "a tons displacement Ger
many is now building nineteen new boats III 1eet
long, 80 tons displacement armament TWO DO" tuDcs
and two evolving cannon.
Tue French Navy Department IS giving its at
tention TO q new type of submarine boat Of 80 tons
dis placement and it Is reported that the Germans
experimenting with one OF the Nordenfel type. The
spanards also have recently launched at one OF their
backwards a new type of submarine boat of 81 tons
displacement. No submarine boat yet tried can be
considered as satisfactory.
The expenses Of the Depa rtnent are given
follows
ARSS%f CT f1anseT Of ssa g ap
propriston warrant from :, Steel cruisers,
Construction and Repair 1888 0e9 S13 OF
by reQuisition 10 June 80, lSSS lO19H 34' VI
Leaving n balance. July I. 1885 of..... go 10
1ssS ~ .............................. 2S2 $40 40
1,O09422 81
1sss s ...................... 21c942 81
Actual balance unexpended July l. 1885,. 222 364 9S
Amount drawn by reQuson In
August September and Octo- ~
bpy 1888 ...-...-...............S1,25 $50, SS9 SO
Refunded during same period. 144,S7S 81 -
' ' ~ $50 1,1o6011 25
ZIG 353 %
Tn hands ~ dsbursinr officers Oct 81 'SS % 4S9 80
Balance available November I, 1883 (Which
Iiahitesl ........ 1888 %