Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-11-21
WAR VESSELS.
The Very Latest Respecting
Uncle Sans Navy.
THE PHILADELPHIA WILL BE THE
NEXT VESSEL LAUNCHED.

She VIII BE Ready About March 1, and
Is Expected to Beat the baltimore in
speed--The Construction of Seven New
Vessels to BE Left TO Secretary whitney's
Successor.
NEW YoaE. Nov. 81. The Heralds
Washington special says: The next new
ship to be launched win be the steel protected
cruiser Phladelphia, now building at the
Messrs. Cramps yard. She wilfbe ready
about the lst of March next.
The Philadelphia will be of 4, 400 tons dis
placement and will have twin screws. She
win be bark-rigged and will carry twelve
six inch guns in her main battery. The ship
is expected to beat the Baltimore in speed,
as the Messrs. Crainp supply their own en-
gines, while the motive power for the Balti-
more is supplied by Messrs. Humphrey q
Tenant. the well known English builders
The Messrs. Cramp guarantee q speed of
nineteen knots for the Philadelphia, while
the English firm guarantee only horse power
For every additional one-qTarter knot Sc
cured in the speed of the Philadelpaia the
Cramps ore to receive $4,000 additional,
and as they expect to exceed the contract
speed by at least two knots a nice sum of
money will be realized if they carry out their
predictions. ..tt
It will be very interesting to the navy to
compare the work of these two sets OF en-
gines when both vessels are in commission.
The model Of the Philadelphia is English,
but the Cramps say it is very good one,
and they are confident that the speed devel-
oped will be in excess of that called for by
the specifications. Ur~
Ths main battery for the Philadelphia is
now ready, although the ship is not expected
TO be ready to go into commission for about
fifteen months.
Secretary Whitney, as previously init
mated, has determined to leave all the work
connected with the construction of the
seven new vessels of war, authorized by the
last congress-, to his successor, and in order
to facilitate the work that official has
designated board of officers, consisting of
Commodore Schley, CHIEF of the bureau of
| euuipment: Commodore Sicard, chief of the
bureau of ordnance; Engineer in Chief Mel
vile, and Chief Cons ructor Wilson, to pre-
pare plans for all the vessels except the steel
practice vessels, the plans for which are be-
ing made at the naval academy.
| TIE board will submit the results of its
j. or to Mr.. Whitneys successor, who will
/ In this way find much of the work looking
to carrying out of provisions for the in
| crease of the navy in the last appropriation
| act already DONE He will be entirely free
! however, to act as he may see fit, for Secre
tary Whitney does not intend to approve
any plan, or to advertise for bids to con
slruct any of the vessels. All this will be
| left for the next secretary of the navy.
The vessels authorized by the last appro
priation for which the board will prepare
plans are two steel cruisers of 1000 tons dis
placement each, one steel cruiser of $500
tons displacement, one armored cruiser OF
$500 tons displacement, and three gunboats,
or cruisers, of not more than :, 100 tons dis
placement each.
Secretary Whitney had at one time de
termined to select the designs for several of
these vessels himself In fact be had deter
mined upon the plans for the 1850 ton YES
sci which were procured from Sir Edward
Reed, the famous English designer, before
the act was passed, and it was upon his rec
! ornmendation that the naval committee
authorized vessel of that tonnage. But
in view of blunders that have lately been
discovered in the plans of the Texas and
the objection raised by naval officers and
other experts to all the foreign plans sub
mtted the secretary, as above stated, has
concluded to trust to American ingenuity
to produce acceptable designs.