The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-08-15
OUR NEW NAVY.
MIIIiSss BeInE Expended For the Defense
or Americas Interests.

MiiitOah BEING ENpeBoed y or the Defenee
OF Americas Interests.
wAsHINGTON, August 5.-A state
ment has been prepared by Commo-
dore l.. Wilson, chief Of the bureau
Of construction and repair for the
use Of Secretary Tracey, showing
the condition Of vessels OF the
navy In progress Of construction
istrRtiOn entered upon its duties
March 4. last. Under the act
of March ,, ISIS, 81 ,sa5, 600 was APP
two cruisers and two gunbOets.
The Newark, cruiser No. ], and
Yorktown, gunbOat No. ], were con-
tracIed for with w Cramp Il Sons,
Of Philadelphia, at the prices Of
81 ~, 40 aud $455,O0 respectively.
The former IL not to be completed
until Oct. -, next; the Yorktown
was today placed on the dock to be
cleaned aud painted for her turning
trials at Newport. The Charleston,
cruiser No. ., WAS built by the Union
Iron works, San Francisco, under 4
contract for 81 ,OI7 .;DG. She las had
one trial trip. The Petrol, gunbOal
No. =, was built 10y the Columbia
Iron works, baltimore, and will
sOnn undergo a third trial trip.
BY the act nf Aug. IsSii, $3.50, Oh,
was appropriated, and the bureau
prepared plans for nine vessels.
C0mIrarts for these were let ~ fol-
lows:
baltimore, cruiser No. 3, w.
GTHmp Il Sons, 81 Ri ,OO0, will be
II
viu-, dynamite cruiser, Dynamite
COMPANY, New York, SEjO,OOO. Its
steam trial WAS satisfactory. Tor
pedu boat, Herreshofr company,
Bristol, Il. L., $3.50 in process Of
construction.
The following vessels are being
built al the navy yards named:
Maine, armOred cruiser, New York;
Texas. armOred hattie ship, and
AmphitTite, monitor, Norfolk.
The latteT's engines were put in by
the Harlan 4 HOllingswOrth com
pany, of Wilmington, Del; Mo-
uAtnuck, monitor, Mare Island,
Cal Terror, monitor, New York.
She will bp sent to the Boston yard
tn receive pneumatic gear; the Purl-
tan, monitor, will also be constructed
NJ -NbElhlhs dtl vi vi
lSS7, authorized the building OF two
cruisers aud two gunbOats, one Of
five monitors To- he constructed at .
total cost of 81, III ,U1, aud one coast
aud haTbOT defense vessel. Under
THIS act the following contracts were
made: Philadelphia, cruiser, No. I,
w. CrHmp Il SONS, 81 IA, UD, To he
completed in October next: San
NtE
an, also to be completed In October:
Concord aud Bennington, gunbOAts
Nos. 3 aud I, y. r. Palmer, Jr., d
Co., New York, 5JO,UD ench, Ia be
completed this mouth. Work on
them, however, Is reported as pro-
gressing slowly. The MiantOnO-
NAH, monitor, H. being built at the
New York navy yard, and IL nearly
completed. The construction of the
coast and harbOr defense vessel has
heen awarded to the Union iron
works, of San FTaurisrO NJ n contract
price Ot 81 - "a, aud u o. t0 itP cum
pletrd ia three. yeas. y" Eamr Ia-
vet hern -rI',.I'd i"i thI. vessel
The SUN ct -. .'5IIusI wa, aI.J,I"I,ii-
aIrd sept :. l>>>. IuI "n- Hrm"Trd
cruiser .-LsI tuu-. "nr pruirrtrI
cruisers of :.rEn t"u> each. aud three
pToirrird rTui-rT- u1 2.iHHI tons each
also q practice ship for the Naval
school. the latter to cost s9GO,ODO.
Plans for the 900 and 3,OO0-tOn Ves-
sells are complete, and bids will be
opened on the 29nd inst. for their
construction. The 2,0OO-tOn vessels
are limited To cost Of STO0, 900 each
sFnH -fEss W-asaasa1a tFug Ilal
The total Of those figures more than
sKhausts the amount of the apprO-
atlOn-$S, $40, 90. The limit OF
cost fixed by the bureau Of the j, 100
ton vessel il 81 ,SOO, 900, aud of the
T,jO0-tons $3,JOO,OOO. The prac-
tice schooner authorized by this act
will he about MI tons armored and
carrying a battery OF rapid firing
guns. Plans for this vessel are well
under way, aud will soon he COM
pleted.
Ine bureau of construction and
repair, the commodore states, IL at
work OIL plans for the vessels author
lied by the act Of March >, lss9,
which appropriated $4,055, 900 for
construction purposes, besides $780,
100 for four steam tugs. Bids for
AuNEG lhFt bNCh
but the contracts are not let.
The principal vessel provided for In
this last act Is the ATmOred submerg.
ed cruiseT-mOnitOT-k as the
Thomas ship, its general design hsv-
ing been suggested by EK-COngress-
man Thomas, Of Illinois. Plans
for II are nearly completed and II is
estimated to cost 81 10000. Two
steel cruisers. or gunboats, esti-
mated To rOst t3jO,OOO each will be
! ,.45D tons each, carrying batteries Of
rapid-ilring guns. Plans for these
are well under way. There were
also provided for i'm the act of 1889
q hArbOr ram of the plan designed
by Admiral Ammen, aud \ dynG-
mite cruiser Of the Nesuvius type.
Nothing has yet been done toward
the construction of these vessels. /
The cruiser IL estimated Ia cost $50
OOO. hut no estimate IL made upon
the ram.
The original four ships Of the new
navy constructed under acts rassed
prior tn March, ISSj. and Ina accord
Hnce la the requirements Of the
naval boards Of lSSI-S3 are the At
lantir, Boston, Chicago and Dol
phIn.
CONTRArT IaROu LAW rIOIATEn