Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-12


One Of our exeha nges lately made the
that 1.-THE beat part Of our navy
xas son PAPER n BY this was meant
reference 10 the plans Of the cruisers TO
be built, it Was all right; IL IL referred to
paper talk about the weakness and inef
ficiency Of the navy we have, that Is
another matter. A. muctl has been said
abont our war vessels and their condition,
IL NAV not be uninteresting for the reader
to know lust what we have In this direc-
tion,
Ia the frat place let Us glance at what
we have not. This Ia the old unarmored
navy Of aye ancient days. There are at
present afoat nineteen Of the old wooden
wnr ships whose DAYS Of usefulness are
all past on account OF their slow speed
and inefficient batteries. These carry
from one to sixteen guns each, and four
OF them carry from ten to sixteen guns.
Then We have two dismantlcd line-of-
battle ships, and four quite useless iron
nondescripts. There are three others
which, carry eight smooth-bore guns each,
and one carving twelve guns, which are
said to be very good war ships for time
OF peace.
Now We have, making what may he
called our .sworkiny navy two line Of
battle. ar,nored ships; eight steel protect
ed cruisers: five monitors: two coast de-
fence .teel-clad vessels. or rams; four
gun-boats; one dynamite cruiser; two
torpedo boats, and one despatch YES
sell The line Of battle ships are
the Maine and Texas. Work upon
the former IL going on at the
Norfolk, Va, navy yard and the latter is
being built at the Brooklyn yard. The
eight cruisers are steel protected screw
propellers, Of high speed, fine armament,
and carry from six to ten riied guns
Three Of the above are yet in yards, and
their construction Is being rapidly carried
forward. The building Of five additional
steel cruisers has been orie red.
Congrt az appropriated something over
three million dollars for the rebuilding
Of the five monitors belonging to the
navy, and they are now all up in the
BROOKLYN and other yards undergoing
improvements and repairs. The two
coast defence vessels are believed to be
efficient. OF the four guuboats. three are
In active service, and one Ia now building
at Chester, Pa. These all carry batteries
OF breech loading rifles and Calling guns,
OF fiom nine to thirteen in number, each.
Three more gunboats have been ordered
built by Congress, at cost Of from
s300,o00 to s500,00 each. The three
dynamite aud torpedo boats are the best
Of their type and thoroughly efficient.
By act OF Congress Of Aug. 3. 1886, a
dlsplacem. to cost s26O,0oo. was
ordered built.
Among what may be- not inaptly called
the novelties Of the navy" demanded bv
the new conditions and vast improvements
Of marine warfare in modern times, are
the dynamite cruisers and vessels built
expressly for coast defeuse-a class of
va, ships which are tn take the place. in
part at least, of fixed defences like forts
and land batteries. These are of various
patterns, heavily armored with steel plate
In some cases sixteen inches in thickness,
and CARRYING a tremendous armament OF
breech loading and dynamite guns some
OF which weigh over one hundred tons.
Tbese v.sse,s arc all f.s, and n HIGH nre.
MUM il offered the builders for increas.
ing their sneea sxerv fraction Of , mile
hevond tho .s,;mat.d sneed n, tho design.
or. The heaviest .rmor Mat. eyer mt mn.
ON An American war shin is that ON tn,
new coast defence vcssel which Is sixteer
;ncbes in tbick,ess Tho class n, ve.sels
,ermsd protec,.d cru,sers are intended IF
prev mon merchant vessels and are built
Tor .,rs., s,..a mia ,.ru ..rrotected,