The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-28
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 the 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 8, 1886, s., ,S95, 600
appropriated for the construction OF two
cruisers and two grrnboats. The Newark,
cruiser No. l, and Yorktown, gunboat No. 1,
were contracted for with W. Cramp s. Sons
of Philadelphia at tho prices Of 81, ,24S, 900
and s455, 600 respectively. The former Ga.a
Der 81 next. The Yorktown has been
placed on the dock in New York to be cleaned
and painted for her turning trials at New
port, r. I. The Charleston, cruiser No. 2,
was built by the Union Iron Works San
Francisco, under contract for 81, OH, 500.
= She has had one trial trip. The Petrol, gun
boat No. 2, was built by the Columbian Iron
Works, Baltimore, price Ss45, 600, and will
have third trial.
was appropriated, and the bureau prepared
plans for nine vessels Contracts were let as
follows:
Baltimore, cruiser, No. 8. W. Cramp 6
Son, 81, l,ss5,OOO. win be completed about
November.
Vesuvius dynamite cruiser, Dynamite
Company, New York, $3.50, 600. Its steam
trial was satisfactory.
Torpedo boat, Herreshoff Company, Bris-
tol, r. l.. S82 750. In process Of construction.
The following vessels are being built at
the navy yards named: Maine, armored
cruiser, New York; Texas, arrnored battle
ship, and Amphitrite, monitor, Norfolk.
fThe latter's engines were put in by the Har-
Ian & Hollingsworth Company, Of Whining
ton, Del.) Monadnock, monitor, Mare IS
land, Cal Terror, monitor, New York. She
will be sent to the Boston yard to receive
pneumatic gear. The Puritan, monitor, will
also be constructed at Norfolk.
The act of March 8, 1887, authorized the
building of two cruisers and two gunboats,
and of five monitors to be constructed at
total cost Of 81, 420, ,000 and one coast and
harbor defence vessel. Under this act the
following contracts were made: Phila-
nelphia, cruiser No. 4, W. Cramp &
Sons, s1,350o0o. to be completed in
October next; San Francisco, Union
Iron Works, g, AS, 900, also to be completed
in October; Concord and Bennington, gun
boats Nos. and 4, N. F. Palmer, Jr., g. Co.,
New York, $3.50, each, to be completed
this month. Work on them, however, is
reported to be progressing slowly.
The Miantonomah, monitor, is being
built at tho New York Navy Yard and is
nearly completed. The construction Of the
coast and harbor defense vessel has been
awarded to the Union Iron Works, of San
Francisco, at a 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 s., 760, 600 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 protected cruisers of 1000
tons each; also practice ship for the naval
school, the latter ooSo to cost cost $gse saSS Qoo tan
vessels are complete, and bids will be opened
soon for their construction. The 200O-ton
vessels are limited to cost of 500, 600 each,
and the 3000-ton vessels to 81, 100000 each.
The total of these figures more than oxharlsts
the amount Of the appropriation, $780,
600. The limit of the cost fixed by the
bureau of the 5300-ton vessel is s., 500, GOO,
and Of the 1900 tonner s., 800, 900. The prac-
tice cruiser authorized by this act will be
about 800 tons. armored, and carrying bat
terry of rapid firing guns. Plans for this YES
sci are we'll under way, and will soon be
completed.
The Bureau of Construction and Repair,
the Commodore states, is at work on plans
for the vessels authorized by the act of March
2, 1889, which appropriated 81, ,055, 600 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 armored submerged cruiser
monitor known as the Thomas ship, its gem
eral design having been suggested by
Plans for it are nearly completed,
and it is estimated to cost 81, ,500,-
900. Two steel cruisers, or gunboats, esti-
mated to cost $3.50, 600 each, will be 1900 tons
each, carrying batteries Of rapid-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, 1000, 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,
po.@o,, Tbsoo rro o,,d no1pbip