The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-09
ENGLISH NAVAL AASOEuYRRs.
The Report OF the American Committee oi
AdmiTals Exciting Great InteFest,

WASHINGTON, D, O., April S,-Coplet
Of the official report to the British Ad
mirality Of the committee on the recen
English Naval manoeuyers have JUS
been received at the Navy Department
and are being read with a great deal o.
interest, as they have a very practical
bearing on some Of the vessels In the
United States Navy, The Yorktown
and her two sisters, the Concord, and
Bennington, are Identical with the
Archer class Of the English Navy, Six
OF those vessels took part in the manoeu-
yers, and concerning them the Commit
tee OF Admirals say;
ut is reported, unanimously that the
armament Is too heavy, and consequent
ly the vessels are cranks; that the
weights on the forecastle are too great
and the iorecastle itself is not strong
enough for the weight It has to bear"
OF the RaCcoon, the only vessel OF the
class which appears to have experienced
anything like heavy sea, 1t Is reported
that on ono occasion, while going ten or
eleven knots against a moderate swell, a
sea was taken on board which carried
away everything movable on the fore.
castle, broke in the fore hatch which
was battered down, tore away the iron
stanChions supporting the ioreCastle and
bent the beams down three inches. The
committee is Of the opinion that much
OF this weight "ia the eyes OF the ship
should be reproduced" and suggests
that "the bowers" should be slowed
further aft, the spar anchor moved to a
position near the main mast, and that
the two six.inCh guns on the iOrecastlc
should be replaced by tive.inCh, by
which latter means alone saving OF
over 100 tons would be effected. 1t sub.
mits also, to substitute ilVe.inCh for six
inch throughout, in view Of the "crank"
nature OF these vessels, as reported by
their late captains, worthy Of the most
serious consideration.
Admiral Sir Arthur Hood, in his OBJ.
servations on the report OF the commit
tee, says OF the Archer class:
III quite concur in the view that these
vessels are too heavily weighted forward
and should have preferred the substitu.
tion OF tlve.inCh guns for six.inch pilot
house instead OF two and the anchors,
especially the sheet anchor slowed
further away alt."
These criticisms bear out the argu-
ments announced by some Of our naval
state officials at the time the COnstruC.
ton OF our gunboats was undertaken.
They argued that the Yorktown and her
class ought not to carry guns OF any
large size than five inches aud that the
little Petrol should not carry guns over
four and a half inches at the most. while
the English Magpie class OF the same
class carry only iour.inCh guns. The
presence Of the British admiralty is re.
viving the discussion Of the question Of
how heavy armaments our gunboats
should bear. 1t is not likely, however,
that any change will be- made in the
present plans before the Yorktown has
been given trial at sea with her batteries
on board. II she does not behave bet
ter than herrrotypes in the British navy
II Is safe 10 say that the weight OF the
armaments OF her sister boats and otthe
little Petrol will be much reduced. Thus
far the only change made in the line
suggested by the English report has
been the location Of the anchors further
aft than was originally contemplated.