New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-28
THE NEW STEEL NAVY.
NEARLY 10000, 0O0 AppRopRIATED ron m
TWENTY-FIVE WAR VESSELS UNDER COURSE OF
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES LARGE DoPLE-TuR-
RETED MONITORS ALSO REBUILDING
DELAYS CAUSED BY INEFFICIENT


There has been great lack of exact information as
TO what has been done by Congress in the past three
years for the increase Of the Navythe building Of new
vessels. The total thus far allowed, minus the
81 900 900 asked for in the Navy Appropriation bill
now pending, Is S30,773,112. The twenty-five YES
sells authorized outside Of the Roach vesselshe Chi
cago, Boston, Atlanta and Dolphin-includc differ
cnt sorts, having total tonnage Of $500 tons,
armed with two twelve-lnch, twenty-six ten-inch,
twelve eghtinch and eigbty-one sixinch guns. The
above batteries do not include the dynamite guns the
torpedoes the Hotchklss rapid-re guns and the Cat
ling revolving guns. This new steel Navy Will. OF
course, cause The laying aside Of tho old war relics
like the Hartford Farsguts old flagship, on which
he was dashed to the shrouds when passing the forts
In the Mississippi Just before the capture of New
Orleans the Franklin Farraguts last flagship in the
European Squadron; the Kearsarge, commanded by
Winslow when she sunk the prlvateer Alabama, and
tho other wooden vessels which, under their gallant
commanders and crews, made National regulations,
All these will be discarded but some may DO pre-
served as monuments of American pIowess upon the
seas.
The present Administration has had heaps Of trouble
with It's new vessels. It sent favOrite Navy officers
abroad TO examine into and purchase designs for
ships, engines and guns from foreign manufacturers;
1t has expended the public money for notifications OF
the designs purchased for the employment OF foreign
draughtsmen, and for the of material wasted by
the Ordnance Board because Of its unmechanlcal
work; much OF the delay in completing the new YES
sells IS charged by the builders to be duo TO the fact
that the steel used not delivered to them as fast
thoy had right expect and because Of the inei-
cheney OF the naval inspectors and the char
acter Of the tests required by them which tests were
afterward modified. Park Brothers & Co., the Pitts
burg steelmaBers in long letter TO the Department
explaining the cause OF the delay In furnishing the
STEEL complained Of the nefciency and Ignorance
OF the officers detailed Inspectors by the Navy De
| NH. for1A
II they would tell us exactly what they want we
then say without hesitation whether We were
willing to furnish steel 70 meet n met e ~ og
very much about the matter
After the receipt of this letter board OF Navy
officers appointed to investigate the matter and
their conclusions were: The WORK Vas RETARDED
OF the Government inspectors In rejecting heavy
percentage Of steel supplied IN the early stages Oh me
,iws was gpanted To- the builders OF the gunboat
yorktown, the cruiser Baltimore and the dynamite
cruiser Vesuvius.
THE WORK OF LAYING OUT DESIGNS
To appreciate the interesting and stupendous work
connected with the laying-out Of the designs Tor
steel war vessel-the allotment Of space for the boil
ers the engines tho coal, the watertanks, the pro
visions for three four hundred men for six months'
the magazines for powder and other ammunition me
EXAMINATION OF weight etc the making OF the pat
terms the several parts, the melting OF inc meas
the pouring of 1t into tho pattern moulds, the rolling
OF the mates the punching of holes for tho vets the
setting OF the keel plates and skeleton frames, the
rvcting of the plates together, the launching OF the
vessel from the ways and the manufacture OF the
guns are one and all interesting exhibitions OF the
writer was In San Francisco when the great steel prov
| Of he new cruiser San Francisco was cast at the
rS nnts irnsees were 10000 pounds Of boiling
| bubbllng steel. The kettles from which the metal
| was 10 be poured into the moulds was heated 10
red-heat and were then placed on the miniature
railroad track and under the spout at the bottom oil
'HI Four Sturdy men stood ready and at the signal
OF tho foreman broke away the clay st0pple az the
| mouth Of tho furnacespout when the stream VI
| white melted steel began throwing up shower OF
fiery SPARKS in all directions. The kettle being
feet and over a great square shaped moulding box.
lever opened slulce I'm the bottom Of the Kettle
| the nozzle OF the mould. fash, with sound liko
an explosion, was caused by the contact OF ne not
minute tho great prov was formed, three days later
| the casting was removed from the moulding SAND,
and then the piece, which was destined 10 pOugn
| hundreds OF thousands OF miles through the oceans
Of the world, dressed and made ready for the
metals I'm these new ships before being fitted with
| guns, machinery and other accomplishments me
The following arc the names OF the steel vessels
authorized BY Congress since March Q. 1888. and
| some facts about their present condition ana "hA'
| they will be Ike when finished:
| Baine.-Twinsorew, double-bottomed, armored
cruiser; 6,64S tons displacement :l0 ieet long
SaySI Constructor n n WILSON, estimated cost Of
| hull and machinery, s24s 5O3 to be armed With
four 6 Founders. four 3.pounders four 47-mimetre
end nino 37-miIlImetre rapid firing guns; and four
struction recently begun at Brooklyn Navy Yard Inc
keel plate IS laid, and some OF the frames are up
| Is to have . speed OF SEVENTEEN Knots ana an III
| dlcated horsepower OF $500.
Texas.-Armored battleship, with twin screws;
$500 tons displacement 29o ieet Png autR0 geh
designs. which, with drawings, cost gee 500: est
mated cost Of hull and machinery sS,3aoo9 ,s 10
vi BpOundcrS, four pOunuerS. ana Two
i-pounders: four 47-mlllimetre and four 37-mmetre
snesd seventeen knots: construction recently begun
| at the Norfolk Navy Yard Is to have speed
| OF seventeen knots and indicated horsepower OF
| 5000.
| Newarb-Protected cruiser Of 4,os3 tons; $40
feet long; authorized by Congress March ., lsso:
S Coltrag price Of 900 and to be completed
October 81, 1852, TO have speed OF elgheen Knots
OF twelve 6lnch breech-loadng rifles, four 6pounders,
four 37-millimetre rapid fire guns, one 1-pounder
Spe cruiser Of $3.50 TONS 900
teet long: authorized by Congress March 3. 1885;
M contract price OF 81 or 900. and was TO be com
Melted June % 1888 but was not launched until July
Tevy S recruitment about March Is modelled after
| the FnrIsh-bult vessel Namva-Kan The steel
,nt ~ TWO snch and Six 6mch breechloading rifles,
four 8 FOUNDERS, two 3-poundeTs ana one lpounder,
fonr lnpid-fire guns and two Calling guns, ana hef
etmafed speed IS eighteen knots, with 1900 horse
power.
| paltlmoro-Protect ted cruiser of 4,4l3 tons 3lo
| ,.ot long: authorized by Congress August D. 1850
iee5 iOe Cramn q sons, PHILADELPHIA at contract
Dull oS al nos 600 and to be completed June ~;
| Pssas INT was not launched until October o. VIII
no ready TO be turned over by the Contractors
ST civ weeks Her battery will be four o-lnch
ma IN 6nch breech loading rifles, aud secondary
anu s.N ~ four 6-pounders, two 3poundefs, one
3 aIoeSd four 3I-mllmere rapid-hre guns aud twO
ps1t. inns Estimated speed TO be nineteen KNOTS
| and a horse power Of loouO'
p.uode,nbi,. Protected cruiser Of English aeslga
Liei aRnd engines OF same size Baltimore anu
OF ssme horsepower uO,5ool authorized Dy .y'
vi 49, March n iss7 building at Cramp a. SONS az
sa Sy cost of ~ 100000, and TO be finished Dy
October % 1880 battery to consist Of t%eT ne sao
as nc Baltimore estimated speed TO 10 ID hho's.
San Franclsco.-P Protected cruiser Of same dimen
sions as the Newark but 10 be OF l05OO borsepowes
snd 10 knots speed & 900 horsepower greater than
L az Ncvyars ana one knot more speed building at
the Union Works San Francisco at eoa.rae
cost Of 81 42s 600, under the ACT on ESQ
laI h,o - the same battery as the Philadelphia.