Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-03-15
United States Navy.
What the New Register Shows of Its
Condition.
The Prospect for the Future-Uncle
Sam is Not Quite SO Badly
Off After All.

Inc main interest IN the Navy Register
for 1889, which has just been ISSUED. is its
statement of the naval force that can be
relied on for the various needs of the
country. Next comes its correction of
dimensions and other details of the new
vessels. Finally it gives an opportunity
to compare the condition of the navy to-
day with its condition four years ago,
when Secretary Whitney took charge
of 1t.
The register of February l, 1885,
showed only two first rates, the Tennessee
and the Chicago, the latter then building.
The wooden craft Tennessee has dropped
out, but our first rates to day are the Chi
cago, 800 tons displacement; the BaIti-
more, 4 400; the Philadel phia, ,324: the
Newark, 40SS; the San Francisco, also
4.0SS. All are uuarmored, coal-protect-
ed, twin screw, steel cruisers, carrying
heavy batteries ot high power, rified,
hreech-loading guns, the three last hav-
ing twelve each, the Baltimore ten, and
the Chicago fourteen. The Chicago is in
service; the Baltimore almost ready; the
other three will be in commission during
the year. These five fine vessels are such
as any navy might be proud of.
The second rates bring Us to the a
mored cruiser Maine and battle shio
Texas; for, though tie former has 6,64S
and the latter $500 tons dis placsm ent,
the statute making different standards
for armored vessels clesses them as SEC
ond rates. They are under construction
at the Brooklyn and Norfolk yards, and
will carry respectively ten and eight very
powerful guns, but cannot be completed
for several years. The unErmored second
l.2 ~
Charleston, 300 tons displacement, to
be ready for sea next month, and the At
lanta and Boston, 5000 each, already in
regular service. They carry each six e.
luch and two S-inch nigh power steel
breeoA loa iers. Theirs come eight If our
wooden vessels, about the best that are
left The Trenton $500, now at pia,
and the Lancaster, $3.50, flagship on the
European station carry ten converted
rifles. The Brooklyn and Pensacola,
5000 each, carry fourteen and sixteen
guns respectively; the Hartford, 1900,
and the Richmond. 200, carry fourteen
each; the Omaha, 2,40O, and the Vandalia
2,lOO, carry twelve and eight guns. The
main batteries of these six vessels are
mostly smooth bores.
The third rates lead off with i've iron,
doub.e-turret, twin screw monitors; the
Puritan, 5000, and the Misutonomob,
Amphitrite, Monadnock and Terror,
3Sl5 tons each. The Miantonomoh is
nearly done, the others in various stages
of progress. They will carry four power
ful rded guns. The thirteen single tur
re- N onitors, relics of the war, carr ing
two large smooth-bores each, ere all ex-
cept one IN ordinary. They are the A. ax,
Canonicus, Manopac, Manhattan and
Wysndotte, each of 2,1O0 tons dis place
ment, and the Comanche, CatskiIl, Jason,
Lenigh, Montaus, Nahant, Nantucket,
and Passaic, 1875 tons. OF uuarmored
third raSes we have twenty-four, headed
by three ,703 Ton steel twin-screw cruis-
ers (ao longer called gun-boats in the
RegIster), Yorkto9n, Concord aud Ben
nington. The Yorktown, successfully
tr:eo the other Gay, could go to sea with
only twce enough to take aboard her
battery of six 6-inch high power guns,
and the other two will follow her in few
months. The new steel vessel Dolphin,
1900, with her single modern gun, next
merits mention.
Then we have the old wooden vessels.
beginning with the seven 900 ton cruis-
ers, Juniata, O5sipee, Quinnebaug, Swa-
tara, GaIena, Marion and Mohican, with
their eight guns each, mostly smooth
bores. OF these the Juniata has sue
coined since this register was printed,
and will soon drop out. Next come the
Iroqu 1878 and the famous old Kear-
sarge, $50, which carry seven smooth
bores each. Then come the five l 1875 ton
vessels, with six guns each, Adams, Ali
auce, Essex, Enter prise, Nipsic, and the
TallapoOsa, also six guns and ,270 dis
placement. The Thetis and Intrepid are
also third rates.
OF the fourth rates the most noticea BILE
are the steel dynamite thrower Vesuvius,
of 725 tons displacement, with its extra
ordinary speed, aud the little steel cruiser
Petrol, SSS tons, which is to carry four
high power six inch guns, and will soon
have her speed trial. The Alarm, Michi-
gan, Despatch, Pinta, and Palos are in
this class.
dozen tugs, probably soon to be rein
forced by others provided for in the
pending navy bill, dozen sailing vessels
used as receiving and training ships, and
ave unserviceable steam vessels, from the
big Franklin of $40 tons displacement
down to the little Rescue of 100, add
length to list which in its earlier classes
has strength and efficiency as well as
mum bers. The time for beiEg ashamed
of our naval weakness has gone by.