Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-08-23
OUR NEW NAVY.
Condition of the Vessels Built
Under Secretary Whitney.
Official Report of the Bureau of
Construction and Repair.

a statement has just been prepared by
Commodore T. N Wilson, Chief OF tie Bu-
reau Of Construction and Repair of the
United States Navy, for the use OF Secretary
Tracy, showing the condition of vessels of
the navy in progress of construction
at the time the new administration en-
tered upon its duties on March 4, last.
Under the act of March g. 1885, 81, S95, 600
appropriated for the construction of two
cruisers and two gunboatG The Newark,
cruiser No. l, and Yorktown, gunboat No. /,
were contracted for with W. Cramp g. Sons
OF Philadelphia at the prices of 81, PAS 600
and S455, 900 respectively The former
Is not to be completed until Octo-
placed on the dock in New York TO be cleaned
and painted for her turning trials at New
Fort, r. |. The Charleston cruiser No >
was built by the Union Iron Works San
Francisco, under contract for S1,L17, 500
She has had one trial trip. The Petrol, gun
boat No. 2, was built by the Columbian Iron
Works, Baltimore, price S2A5, 900, AID will
have third trial
By the act of August 8, 1856, 3, 500 600
was appropriated, and the bureau prepared
plans for nine vessels. Contracts were let as
follows
Baltimore, cruiser No 8 W. Cramp &
Son, 81, 325, 900. Will be completed about
November.
Vesuvius, dynamite cruiser, Dynamite
Company, New York, $3.50, OG0 It's steam
trial was satisfactory.
Torpedo boat Herreshoff Company, Bris-
tol r. L, $50, $50. In process of construction.
The following vessels are being built at
the navy yards named Maine armored
cruiser, New York; Texas, armored battle
ship, and Amphftrite, monitor, Norfolk
The latter's engines were put in by the Har-
Ian & Hollingsworth Company, of Whining
ton, Dell Monadnock, monitor, Mare Is
land, Cal. Terror, monitor, New York. She
viii be sent to the Boston yard to receive
pneumatic gear. The Puritan monitor will
also be constructed at Norfolk.
The act of March g. 1887, authorized the
building of two cruisers and two gunboats,
and of five monitors to be constructed at
total cost of s., 420, 900, and one coast and
harbor defence vessel. Under this act the
nelphia, cruiser No 4, w. Cramp &
Sons 81, $50 600 to be completed in
October next; San Francisco, Union
Iron Works, 81, 428, 900, also to be completed
in OctebeS Concord and Bennington, gun
boats Nos. and 4, N. F. Palmer, Jr., & Co.,
New York, $3.50, 900 each, to be completed
this month. Work on them, however, is
reported to be progressing slowly.
The Miantonomah, monitor, is being
built at the New York Navy Yard and is
coast and harbor defense vessel has been
awarded to the Union Iron Works, of San
Francisco, at contract price of 81, 62S, $50,
and it Is to be completed in three years. No
name has yet been selected for this vessel
The sum of So 76O, GOO was appropriated
September Z, 1888, for one armored cruiser
of $500 tons, one protected cruiser of $500
tons, two protected cruisers Of 5000 tons
each, and three projected cruisers of 1000
tors each; also g practice ship FL the naval va
fi aGSl IF tae E s5'r sdb5 S s1d se Tn
vessels are complete, and bids viii be opened
soon for their CONSTRUCTION. The 200O-ton
vessels are limited to a Cost of 500, 900 each,
! and the 3QO0-ton vessels to s., 1905 COO each.
The total Of these figures more, than exhausts
the amount of the appropriation. g, 500
600. The limit of the cost fixed by the
bureau Of the 55GO-ton vessel is $500, 600,
and of the 1900 tonner So, SOC, 900. The prac-
tice cruiser authorized by this act viii be
about 500 tons, armored and carrying bat
terry Of rapid firing guns. Plans for this YES
sci are well under way, and will soon be
completed.
The Bureau Of Construction apd Repair,
the Cott5lmodQre states is at work on plans
for the vesstS14 authorized by the act of March
2, 1885, which APPROPRIATED $4055, 900 for
construction purposes, besides $40, 900 for
four steam tugs Bids for these tugs have
just been opened, but the contracts are not
let.
The principal vessel provided for in this
last act is the armOrod submerged cruiser
monitor known as the Thomas ship, It's gen
eral design having been suggested by
Plans for it are nearly completed,
and it is estimated to cost $780,
600. Two steel cruisers, or gunboats, esti-
mated to cost $3.50, 900 each, will be 1900 tons
each, carrying batteries of rapi3-fire guns.
Plans for these are well under way There
were also provided for in the act of 1889
harbor ram of the plan designed by Admiral
Ammen, and dynamite cruiser of the Vesu-
vius type. Nothing has yet been done to-
ward the construction of these vessels. The
cruiser is estimated to cost $3.50, 0OO but no
estimate is made upon the ram.
The original four ships of the new navy,
constructed under acts passed prior to March,
1885, and in accordance to the requirements
of the Naval Boards of 1881, are the Atlanta,
Boston, Chicago and Dolphin.
A STATES INSTITUTIONS.