The St. Johns herald., 1889-09-05
"Our New Navy"

GlleI or DuTedu or OOllSlT uttIoIl anu Repair shows the progress which has been made thus far in the build ing of the new Navy. The four original ships, the Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and Dolphin were con- structed under acts passed in March, 1885. Under the act of March 3, 1885 the construction of two cruisers and two gunboats was ordered. Of these, the Newark, cruiser No. |, and the Yorktown, gunboat No. 1, were contracted for with ". Cramp & Sons, of Philadelphia, at a cost of $1,24S,0O0 and $455,000 respec- lively. The Newark is to be com pleted next October, and the York town is now on the dock in New York, in process Of cleaning and painting for turning trials at New port. Tine Charleston, cruiser No. 7, was built at San Francisco by the Union Iron Works, at cost of $1 ,- 017, 300, and has had one trial trip. The Petrel, gunboat Mo- ?, was built at Baltimore by the Columbian Iron Works, for $245, ,000, and will soon undergo third trial trip. Under the act of August 3, 1886, plans were prepared for nine vessels. Of these, the Baltimore, cruiser No. 3, was contracted for by Cramp & Sons at cost of $1 ,325,000, and is to be completed in November. The Vesuvius, a dynamite cruiser, was built by the Dynamite Com pany, New York, for $250,000, and it's steam trial was satisfactory. A torpedo boat is in process of con- struction at Bristol, E. l., by the Herreshoff Company. The Maine, an armored cruiser, is building at inc navy yard at New York; the Texas, an armored battleship, and the Amphitrite, monitor are build
 ing at Norfolk {; the Moradnock, monitor, is building at Mare Island, Cal, anu the Terror, monitor, at New York. The Puritan, monitor, is to be constructed at Norfolk. Un- der the act of 1887, the building of of two cruisers, two gunboats, one monitor, and one coast and harbor defense vessel was authorized. Of the two cruisers, one, the Philadel- phia, was awarded to the Cramps, and the other, the San Francis co, to the Union Iron Works at $1,- 350,000 and $1 ,428,000 respectively, and both are to be completed in October. Tie two gunboats, Con- cord and Bennington, are being built by N. F. Palmer, Jr., G Co.,, New York, at $550,000 each, and to be completed this month, but il is reported that work on them is progressing slowly. The Miantono- nah, monitor, is nearly complete al the New York navy yard. The con- tract for the coast and barbor de- fense vessel, for which no name has been selected as yet, was taken by the Union Iron Works, at San Fran cisco, at $1 ,62S, $50, and she is to be completed in three years. Under the act of September :, 1888, provi- sion was made for an armored crui- ser of 7,500 tons protected crui- sers of $500, tons, two protected cruisers of 2,000 tons each, and practice ship for the Naval School. Plans for the 3,000,ton and the g. 000-ton vessels are complete, and bids for them will opened August 9. These four vessels will exhaust the total appropriation made under the act. The limit of cost for the $500 ton vessel is $1,SOO,0OO, and for the z ,500-ton vessel $,3,5O0,O0O. Under the act of March ?, 1889, provision was made for the con struction offour steam tugs the arm ored submerged cruiser Monitor, known as the Thomas, ship because designed by Congressman Thomas, two steel cruisers or gunboats, a l,rlor l,-n,0,1&o