New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-04
THE NEW NAVY.
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE IN SEVEN
YEARS.
MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS APPROPRIATED
TO BUILD THIRTY ONE STEEL WAR YES.
sELs-soME ARE COMPLETED, OTHERS
LONG OVERDUE, AND OTHERS
LONG OVERDUE, AND
NOT YET BEGUN

also in mart held responsible for the mistakes made
by Congress. He has with commendabe promptness
ressued bids for the construction Of the three 1000
ton cruisers for which proposals were opened on
August % and found TO be for amounts in excess OF
the appropriations These three cruisers are desig
mated simply as cruisers Nos. 0. 10 and IL. IL Is
somewhat singular that all the vessels now adver
tised for should have been designed after their con-
struction was authorized instead OF before. The
natural manner of procedure would have been 10 nave
designs and estimates presented TO Congress by the
Navy Department In the first instance but the matter
was left to the House Naval Committee which, With
out consulting any connected with the Navy De-
partment proceeded TO evolve from its inner con-
seriousness certain vessels and to prescribe their limit
OF tonnage and price. Tho Navy Department should
always be asked to design the ships and make the es-
Inmates of their cost, and then let Congress give the
money or not, as II peases Secretary Tracy seems
to have begun his administration In thoroughly
practical way and IL Is very probable that no such
mistakes as occurred under the Whitney adninlstf@
ton no authorization OF such vessels as the 53OOton
cruiser patterned after the Reina Regenta, VIII Dc
recorded By him. proof of this is the appointment
of board of selected Naval officers TO consider the
question of how many and what sort of vessels arc
needed so that when Congress meets he can go 10 IL
with a well-dgested scheme for consideration.
The new advertisements asking for bids for the con-
structlon Of the cruisers arc Substantially uo
same as the old, but several notifications arc Hao
in the requirements, which, It Is believed may lnuuce
contractors to offer bids within the amount avaiiaoe'
six months more time Is given. making the contract
period two and half years; the maximum speed 10
be obtained Is fixed at seventeen knots instead Oh
eighteen and the minimum speed below which the
vessel will be rejected is to be sixteen ihsleao ol
sixteen and half knots. The premium rate Is ai'o
altered. There will be premium OF S2o'ooo ior
each quarter knot over the seventeen ana similar
halnN n
instead Of as at first 80 900 for the first quarter KNOB
800 600 for the second $4,000 for the third ana
$40 600 for the fourth and all above AS the designs
for bulls and machinery were based upon eigh'eeh
knots with moro than possibility OF eighteen ana
half knots there will be good opportunity lor inc
contractor to net 100000 bonus each snip il tho
designs are properly drawn. There IS strong oesre
on the part Of the shpbuders TO have the fourhous
trial reduced to one or at the most 10 two hours
Tho lessened requirements for tho 2OOO-ton VesseS
ought to be successful in obtaining bids within inc
prescribed limits, and possibly similar modihcsuohs
may be made in the 30O0-ton vessels.
The act OF Congress under which these SHIPS are W
he built approprated for eight vessels and was ap
proved September Z. They are to include three soo'
cruisers or gunboats OF 1000 tons displacement nm
tied n 1900 600 each in cost; two steel cruisers OF
5000 tons displacement not 10 exceed Sl'lVu'VoV
each IN cost one steel cruiser Of $500 tons dspiace
ment not TO exceed 81 100000 in cost; one arnored
cruiser Of 500 tons displacement, not to exceed S3-
100000 IN cost; and steel practice Vessel LOT inc
Naval Academy. The 2,0ooton vessels are 10 DC
twin screw protected cruisers, with poop ana lore
castle decks having open gundeck between then' anu
fitted with watsr-tight deck. The BIDS for them VIII
be opened on October 90. Inst what can be done win
the 2 OOO-ton ships is not yet determined The Board
Of Navy Officers detailed 10 select designs for the odoV
ION and the 75OOton vessels have practically com
Melted ther plans. That for the 50O-ton snip Is
modelled after an English type with some aterauo'
which the Board agreed 10. The vessei VIII "o o.
feet long, with a pointed bow similar 10 mat % W.
Fsmeralda only the vessel will not be so low III uo
wafer Her estimated cost, exclusive OF arm Aihon',
is the limit prescribed by Congress-s3 ooo anu
sneed al least nineteen knots She Will be n'ten
with t,rin screws and the plans of her engines WHICH
vn be a the triple expansion TYPE arc now IN course
NJ nrfparaton by the Bureau OF Steam Engmeerihs'
Tho same APPLIES 10 the 5.30otou vessel ior Wh!ch
Congress has appropriated $l.SOOOOo exclusive vi ,'
oost ~ the armament Advertisements will soon be
eued for bids for the construction Of these vessels
There has really been no comprehensive Information
hort The building OF the new Navy, the steel Navy
ord vary few persons really know when 1t began OF
What its condition t. The Naval Appropriation Act
approved August s. 1892, which APPROPRIATED 1l'''',
600 for the Bureau OF Construction, was got 'iro"s
only after earnest pleading by the Navy department
Congress provided that Any portion OF san sum NO.
,en,red for the purposes aforesaid may DO appilou
toward the construction % two steam cruising ve'ses
NJ war which are hereby authorized at toth cost
,hor h,lIv completed not 10 exceed the amount est-
notod nv the late Advisory Board for SUCH Vesses'
,b sor,c H. he constructed of steel Of domestic man
ufactures Then on March 3. 1888, this was suppc'
,od nv Congress- as indicated in the following eN-
tract from the appropriation bill OF that dSVe' tut
tho construction Of the steel cruiser OF not less tH
600 toms disbursement now specially authorized by
than 500 tons displacement each and one u'sp''',
hoot az recommended by the Naval Advisory boalu
! - &c ,ranort OF December 20, 1882, Sl,3Oo'V.S
Tho contracts for the construction Of theSe Io"I N
coils the Chicago, Boston Atlanta and DoPh"i, WIZ
rran,ed 70 John Roach IL Sons, who were inc io"es'
! bidders In each case .,.
- stec, vessels was contained In the Nav& Appro-
rat,on bill approved March 3. 1888, IN part as ioi-
| IL. g For the construction OF two cruisers OF no'
! ,oss tho, 900 nor NOR than 5000 tons dsllsce-
| + coetnc exclusive Of armament, not more man
CT 100 900 each one heavily armed gunboat OF aoou'
! 900 tons dispIacemeut costing. exclusive u arm"
mont not more than $4,000, and one lgl' guh-
boat NJ about 500 displacement costing exclusive
| ~ armament not more than S275,0oO" Uhuet 'h'
authority of this act bids received for INC con-
,,ct,or NJ two cruisers, the Newark and Charleston
ond the tvo Cunboats Yorktown and Petrol. Ih'
lowest hid received for the construction OF inc Ne"'h
was 81 1872 600, $4,000 in excess OF the amount
annropriaed by Congress for the construction oil 'ne
vsssel. Congress was then asked to approrna'e an
additional amount to enable the Navy Department
% contract for the construction Of the vessel ana on
,.arch 2. 1887, Congress extended the limit oil cost
10 Al 300 900 New proposals were asked ior' anu
| ~ oortrac, was awarded TO Cramp sons for
| q, oAe 600 The contract to build the ChsneS'oh
80 r-ardod 70 the Union Iron Works, San Francisco
tho cramps got the Yorktown. and the Columbian Iron
works. Of Baltimore got the Petrel
| An act OF Congress approved August 3, 1856 pro
v,dd for further increase in the Navy OF two sea
ro,nc double-bottomcd armored vessels OF ABOUT
600 tons displacement; one protector douoie-oot
toned cruiser OF not less than $500 nor more than
> 600 TONS dIspla-ement and ore 1rstclass torpedo
boat Plans for the armored vessels were invited
-, .n.. annointnh 10 cnnsller all plans Submitted